commands/configuration/check-path.md

Check and Analyze PATH

You are helping the user analyze what's on their PATH and suggest additions or improvements.

Your tasks:

1. Display current PATH:

   echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n'
   

2. Check which paths actually exist:

   echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n' | while read p; do
     if [ -d "$p" ]; then
       echo "✓ $p"
     else
       echo "✗ $p (does not exist)"
     fi
   done
   

3. Check for duplicate PATH entries:

   echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n' | sort | uniq -d
   

4. Identify where PATH is being set: Check common locations:

   grep -n "PATH" ~/.bashrc ~/.bash_profile ~/.profile /etc/environment /etc/profile 2>/dev/null
   

5. Check for common development tool paths:

   Programming languages:

   • Python user packages: ~/.local/bin
   • Rust cargo: ~/.cargo/bin
   • Go: ~/go/bin or $GOPATH/bin
   • Ruby gems: Check with gem environment
   • Node/npm: Check with npm config get prefix

   Package managers:

   • Homebrew: /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin
   • SDKMAN: ~/.sdkman/candidates/*/current/bin
   • pipx: ~/.local/bin

   Version managers:

   • pyenv: ~/.pyenv/bin
   • rbenv: ~/.rbenv/bin
   • nvm: (check ~/.nvm/)
   • asdf: ~/.asdf/bin

   System tools:

   • User binaries: ~/bin, ~/.local/bin
   • Snap: /snap/bin
   • Flatpak: /var/lib/flatpak/exports/bin

6. Check what's installed in each PATH directory: For each directory in PATH:

   echo "Contents of $dir:"
   ls -la "$dir" | head -10
   

7. Suggest missing common paths: Check and suggest if not in PATH:

   • ~/.local/bin (Python user packages, pipx)
   • ~/bin (User scripts)
   • ~/.cargo/bin (Rust packages)
   • ~/go/bin (Go packages)
   • /snap/bin (Snap packages)
   • ~/.npm-global/bin (npm global packages)

   For each missing path that has executables, suggest adding it.

8. Check for security issues:

   • Warn if . (current directory) is in PATH
   • Warn if world-writable directories are in PATH:

     echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n' | while read p; do
       if [ -d "$p" ] && [ -w "$p" ]; then
         ls -ld "$p"
       fi
     done
     

9. Check PATH order/precedence: Explain that earlier paths take precedence. Show which binary would be executed:

   which -a python python3 java gcc git node npm
   

10. Check for conflicting tools:

    type -a python
    type -a python3
    type -a java
    

11. Suggest PATH organization: Recommended order:

    1. User binaries (~/bin, ~/.local/bin)
    2. Version managers (pyenv, rbenv, nvm)
    3. Language-specific paths (cargo, go)
    4. Homebrew
    5. System binaries (/usr/local/bin, /usr/bin, /bin)

12. Check environment-specific paths:

    Python:

    python3 -m site --user-base
    # Suggests adding $(python3 -m site --user-base)/bin
    

    Node/npm:

    npm config get prefix
    # Suggests adding <prefix>/bin
    

    Go:

    go env GOPATH
    # Suggests adding $GOPATH/bin
    

    Rust:

    echo $CARGO_HOME
    # Suggests adding ~/.cargo/bin
    

13. Generate suggested PATH setup: Based on findings, create suggested additions for ~/.bashrc:

    # User binaries
    export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"
    export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
    
    # Python
    export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
    
    # Rust
    export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"
    
    # Go
    export PATH="$HOME/go/bin:$PATH"
    
    # SDKMAN
    # Added by sdkman-init.sh
    
    # pyenv
    export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
    export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
    eval "$(pyenv init --path)"
    
    # Homebrew
    eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
    

14. Check for broken symlinks in PATH:

    echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n' | while read dir; do
      if [ -d "$dir" ]; then
        find "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -type l ! -exec test -e {} \; -print 2>/dev/null
      fi
    done
    

15. Provide recommendations:

    • Remove non-existent directories from PATH
    • Add missing common paths that have executables
    • Fix duplicate entries
    • Correct PATH order if needed
    • Remove security issues (. in PATH, world-writable dirs)
    • Consolidate PATH modifications into one file (prefer ~/.bashrc)
    • Document what each PATH addition is for

16. Show how to temporarily modify PATH:

    # Add to front (takes precedence)
    export PATH="/new/path:$PATH"
    
    # Add to end
    export PATH="$PATH:/new/path"
    
    # Remove from PATH
    export PATH=$(echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n' | grep -v "/path/to/remove" | tr '\n' ':')
    

17. Show how to make PATH changes permanent:

    echo 'export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
    source ~/.bashrc
    

Important notes:

• Changes to PATH only affect current shell unless made permanent
• Order matters - earlier paths have precedence
• Don't add current directory (.) to PATH
• Use absolute paths when possible
• Source ~/.bashrc after changes: source ~/.bashrc
• Some tools (pyenv, conda, nvm) modify PATH dynamically
• Check for PATH modifications in multiple files