path_helper(8)

💖 NAME

Okay bestie, meet path_helper — the helper for constructing the PATH environment variable. She’s from the System Manager's Manual, she’s giving utility energy, and she’s literally here to help your shell profile get its path life together. Slay.

✨ SYNOPSIS

path_helper [-c | -s]

🌸 DESCRIPTION

So here’s the tea: path_helper reads the contents of the files in the directories /etc/paths.d and /etc/manpaths.d, then appends their contents to the PATH and MANPATH environment variables respectively. Yes bestie, respectively. 💅

Tiny but important caveat: the MANPATH environment variable will not be modified unless it is already set in the environment. Periodt.

Files in those directories should contain one path element per line. That’s the whole vibe: one path per line, no chaos.

Before it reads those directories, default PATH and MANPATH values are obtained from the files /etc/paths and /etc/manpaths respectively. So defaults first, then directory contents get appended. 🌈

🎀 Options

• -c — Generate C-shell commands on stdout. This is the default if SHELL ends with "csh". C-shell girlies, this one’s for you.
• -s — Generate Bourne shell commands on stdout. This is the default if SHELL does not end with "csh". Bourne shell besties, you already know.

💫 NOTE

Real talk: the path_helper utility should not be invoked directly. It is intended only for use by the shell profile. So don’t call her up yourself, okay? She’s booked and busy doing profile-only work. 🙈

Cute sign-off: this iconic page is from Mac OS X, dated March 15, 2007, and the manual is path_helper(8). Bye bestie, go let your shell profile handle it. 💖✨