Starshift

A simple CLI to manage and switch between multiple Starship prompt configurations.

Overview

• Goal: Quickly switch between Starship prompt “presets” (e.g., a minimal prompt vs. a verbose one).
• Language: Rust – coded with the aid of ChatGPT (More on that on #Disclaimer).
• Motivation:
  • I frequently had an overly verbose prompt (Git, Python venv, Cloud environment, etc.) when I didn’t need all that info 24/7.
  • This tool allows a default, minimal prompt, and an easy “switch” to a more detailed prompt only when I need it.

Features

• List all .toml presets in ~/.config/starship_presets.
• Set any preset as the active STARSHIP_CONFIG and spawn a new shell.

Use cases / Narrative

• Multiple Starship Configs: Maybe you have separate .toml files for Git, Python venv, AWS, GCP, Azure, minimal, or super-verbose modes. Starshift lets you pick whichever one fits your current workflow.
• Session-Specific Verbosity: Start with a minimal prompt, then switch to a verbose config when you jump into a project needing Git status, Cloud profile, Python env details, etc. Once you exit that shell, you’re back to minimal.
• Less Clutter, On Demand: Avoid a cluttered prompt until you really need those extra indicators.

Important

1. Temporary Sessions

   • When you run starshift set <preset>, it spawns a new Zsh process. That process inherits your existing environment (like Python venv or AWS_PROFILE) but does not inherit your in-memory command history. It’s effectively like running exec zsh.
   • Opening a brand-new terminal afterward defaults back to whatever you set in your ~/.zshrc.

2. Shell Assumption

   • Starshift is currently tailored for Zsh. If you’re using Fish, Bash, or another shell, you’ll need to make minor tweaks in main.rs (e.g., replace zsh with bash or fish).

3. History Handling

   • In-memory history from your previous shell session isn’t carried over. However, if you use Zsh’s shared history options (setopt INC_APPEND_HISTORY SHARE_HISTORY), you’ll see near-seamless continuity of commands saved to disk.

Requirements

• ZSH support: This program assumes you'll use Zsh as your main, default shell. Minor adjustments need to be done in the main.rs program to fit your needs for Fish, Bash, etc.
• Rust, Cargo: cargo installed.
• Current starship configuration: You need to have already installed starship (starship.rs), and Nerd Fonts (Optional).
• Environment: This works fine on Linux (Debian), also tested on MacOS.

Installation

1. Clone the repo:

   git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/starshift.git
   cd starshift

2. Create a new directory: mkdir $HOME/.config/starship_presets/
3. Move/Copy your own starship TOML presets to this directory, and rename them according to your own specific wants (There are some random presets I placed in this project's sample_configs folder for some use cases - Don't treat them religiously, they're just samples I made on the fly to clarify the intention of this use cases when I was building the project).
4. Compile or install with cargo. Place the binary wherever fits your environment best (i.e. /usr/bin/).
5. By default, you already have your default config file at $HOME/.config/starship.toml which be loaded every time a new shell opens. You can set this one to be your default minimal prompt, then move your custom ones to $HOME/.config/starship_presets/

Usage

List Available Presets:

starshift list

This shows all .toml files in ~/.config/starship_presets/.

Set a Preset:

starshift set minimal

(It is not necessary to introduce the whole path, or file extension; just "minimal" instead of "minimal.toml")

This will:

Spawn a new Zsh shell.

Set STARSHIP_CONFIG to ~/.config/starship_presets/minimal.toml.

Replace your current shell with the new one. Once you exit, you return to your prior shell (or environment).

Disclaimer

This project was largely aided by ChatGPT, and I'm a Rust beginner doing this as a fun weekend experiment. To scratch my own itch for having different, switchable starship configurations and debloat my terminal prompt.