ConfigureMacKeys

A simple CLI tool for managing environment variables on macOS. No more manually editing ~/.zshrc!

Features

• List all environment variables or filter by name
• Set new or update existing environment variables with automatic persistence
• Remove environment variables from your shell configuration
• Automatic backups before making changes
• Works with zsh (default macOS shell)

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Run the installation script:

   ./install.sh

This will install the configkeys command globally so you can use it from anywhere.

Usage

List Environment Variables

# List all environment variables
configkeys list

# Filter variables by name (case-insensitive)
configkeys list PATH
configkeys list GEMINI

Set Environment Variables

# Set a new environment variable (permanent)
configkeys set GEMINI_API_KEY your_api_key_here

# Set a variable only for the current session (temporary)
configkeys set DEBUG_MODE true --temp

Remove Environment Variables

# Remove a variable from your shell configuration
configkeys remove OLD_VARIABLE

Show Configuration Info

# Show where your shell configuration file is located
configkeys info

Examples

Setting up your Gemini API key:

configkeys set GEMINI_API_KEY sk-your-api-key-here

Checking if it's set:

configkeys list GEMINI

Removing it later:

configkeys remove GEMINI_API_KEY

How It Works

• Configuration File: Uses ~/.zshrc as the primary shell configuration file
• Backups: Automatically creates backups (.zshrc.backup) before making changes
• Current Session: Changes are applied immediately to your current terminal session
• Persistence: New variables are added to your shell config for future sessions

Safety Features

• Creates backups before modifying configuration files
• Validates variable names and values
• Shows clear feedback about what changes were made
• Handles errors gracefully

Limitations and Considerations

While configkeys aims to simplify environment variable management, there are some limitations and scenarios to be aware of:

• Shell Reload Required: After setting or unsetting a variable that affects future terminal sessions (i.e., not using the --temp flag), you'll need to either:
  • Restart your terminal.
  • Source your shell configuration file (e.g., source ~/.zshrc) in any open terminal tabs/windows for the changes to take effect there. The tool will remind you of this.
• Temporary Variables: While configkeys set --temp exists for session-specific variables, this utility primarily focuses on persistent environment variables. For complex temporary variable needs, direct shell commands like export VAR="value" might be more straightforward.
• Application-Specific Variables: Some applications or development tools manage their own environment variables internally or through dedicated configuration files (e.g., .env files for Node.js projects, IDE-specific settings). configkeys manages shell-level environment variables and won't interfere with these.
• System-Wide Variables: This tool operates at the user level, modifying user-specific shell configuration files. It does not manage system-wide environment variables that would typically require sudo privileges and modifications to files like /etc/profile or /etc/environment.
• GUI Applications: GUI applications on macOS do not always inherit environment variables set in shell configuration files like .zshrc. If you need an environment variable to be available to a GUI application, you might need to use other methods, such as editing environment.plist or using launchctl setenv.
• Scope: The tool is designed for managing variables in ~/.zshrc. If you use a different shell or a more complex shell setup (e.g., sourcing multiple files, using frameworks like Oh My Zsh that have their own variable management), you might need to adjust your workflow or ensure configkeys targets the correct configuration file if it's not the default.

Requirements

• macOS (tested on recent versions)
• Python 3 (comes pre-installed on macOS)
• zsh shell (default on modern macOS)

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Check that Python 3 is available: python3 --version
2. Ensure the script is executable: chmod +x configkeys.py
3. Check your shell configuration: configkeys info

Uninstall

To remove the tool:

sudo rm /usr/local/bin/configkeys