pathkeeper

pathkeeper is a typed Python CLI for backing up, inspecting, diagnosing, restoring, and repairing the PATH environment variable. When a bad installer, shell tweak, or system tool mangles PATH, pathkeeper gives you a reliable way to recover.

Installation

pipx install pathkeeper

Or any other global installation method.

Quick start

# Interactive menu
pathkeeper

# GUI
pathkeeper gui

Scenarios

Diagnose your PATH

# Checklist view — shows every check with PASS / FAIL / WARN
pathkeeper doctor

# Same, with plain-language explanation for each finding
pathkeeper doctor --explain

# Full entry listing with status markers
pathkeeper inspect

# Show only invalid (missing / not-a-directory) entries
pathkeeper inspect --only-invalid

# Show only duplicate entries
pathkeeper inspect --only-dupes

# JSON output (machine-readable)
pathkeeper doctor --json
pathkeeper inspect --json

Back up and restore

# Create a backup (skips if content is unchanged)
pathkeeper backup

# Always create a backup, even if nothing changed
pathkeeper backup --force

# Attach a note
pathkeeper backup --note "before installing toolchain"

# Preview what would be backed up
pathkeeper backup --dry-run

# List recent backups
pathkeeper backups list

# Inspect a specific backup
pathkeeper backups show          # pick interactively
pathkeeper backups show 2        # backup #2 from the list

# Compare a backup against the live PATH
pathkeeper diff-current          # latest backup vs current
pathkeeper diff-current 2        # backup #2 vs current
pathkeeper diff-current 2025-03-05   # timestamp prefix vs current

# Compare two backups against each other
pathkeeper diff 1 2

# Restore a backup
pathkeeper restore 2025-03-05T14-30-00 --dry-run  # preview
pathkeeper restore 2025-03-05T14-30-00             # apply
pathkeeper restore 2 --scope user                  # user PATH only

Clean up PATH

# Remove duplicates and invalid entries (preview first)
pathkeeper dedupe --dry-run
pathkeeper dedupe

# Remove duplicates only (keep invalid entries)
pathkeeper dedupe --no-remove-invalid

# Repair likely truncated entries (setx damage, etc.)
pathkeeper repair-truncated --dry-run
pathkeeper repair-truncated

# Windows: shorten PATH itself by moving tail segments into helper variables
pathkeeper split-long --dry-run
pathkeeper split-long --force
pathkeeper split-long --var-prefix DEV_PATHS

Discover and add tools

# Preview what would be added
pathkeeper populate --dry-run

# Interactive selection by category
pathkeeper populate

# Add everything found
pathkeeper populate --all

# Add only a specific category
pathkeeper populate --category python

# Show the tool catalog
pathkeeper populate --list-catalog

Inspect shadows and runtime additions

# Show executables that shadow each other across PATH directories
pathkeeper shadow

# Show PATH entries injected at runtime (not from registry / rc files)
pathkeeper runtime-entries

Find an executable

# Find an executable anywhere on the computer (fancy 'which')
pathkeeper locate python

# Find all occurrences
pathkeeper locate python --all

# Windows: search a specific drive
pathkeeper locate python --drive D:\

Edit PATH directly

# Interactive staged editor
pathkeeper edit

# Add / remove / move entries non-interactively
pathkeeper edit --add "/usr/local/newbin" --dry-run
pathkeeper edit --add "/usr/local/newbin" --force
pathkeeper edit --remove "/usr/local/oldbin"
pathkeeper edit --move "/usr/local/bin" --position 1

Automate backups

# Install a scheduled backup task (Task Scheduler / launchd / systemd)
pathkeeper schedule install
pathkeeper schedule install --trigger logon   # Windows per-user logon task
pathkeeper schedule status
pathkeeper schedule remove

# Or inject a backup command into your shell startup file
pathkeeper shell-startup
pathkeeper shell-startup --shell bash --dry-run
pathkeeper shell-startup --remove

Verify your installation

# Run pathkeeper's own health checks (useful when reporting bugs)
pathkeeper selfcheck

What it checks

pathkeeper doctor runs a checklist that includes:

• Duplicate entries
• Missing / invalid directories
• Files in PATH (not directories)
• Empty entries (stray separators)
• Missing separators (glued paths like /usr/local/bin/usr/bin)
• Unresolvable variables (%FOO% / $FOO that are not defined)
• PATH length (Windows: setx 2047-char limit, registry 32767-char limit)
• setx truncation sentinel (PATH exactly 1023 or 1024 chars — classic damage sign)