zshrc-manager

A Go CLI tool for managing your .zshrc file — list aliases, env vars, and functions; search, add, remove, and back up safely.

Built as a Go learning project.

Install

Option 1: Go install (requires Go 1.21+)

go install github.com/Dan925/zshrc_manager@latest

The binary is placed in ~/go/bin/. Make sure that's on your PATH:

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

Option 2: Download a release binary (no Go required)

1. Go to Releases
2. Download the archive for your OS and architecture (e.g. zshrc-manager_linux_amd64.tar.gz)
3. Extract and move to your PATH:

tar -xzf zshrc-manager_linux_amd64.tar.gz
mv zshrc ~/.local/bin/

Option 3: Build from source

git clone https://github.com/Dan925/zshrc_manager.git
cd zshrc_manager
go build -o zshrc .
mv zshrc ~/.local/bin/

Usage

zshrc [command] [flags]

Flags:
  --file string   path to zshrc file (default ~/.zshrc)
  --dry-run       show what would happen without making changes

List

zshrc list aliases              # gs -> git status
zshrc list functions            # greet (line 12)
zshrc list functions --verbose  # show full function body

Search

zshrc search docker             # case-insensitive, highlights matches
zshrc search Docker --case-sensitive

Add

zshrc add alias gs='git status'

Shows a diff and prompts for confirmation before writing. Creates a backup first.

Changes:
+ alias gs=git status

Apply this change? [y/N]:

Remove

zshrc remove alias gs

Same diff + confirm flow as add.

Backup

zshrc backup list               # list all backups with timestamps and sizes
zshrc backup restore 2026-05-05_14-32-01

Backups are stored in ~/.zshrc.bak/. Every write operation creates one automatically before touching your file.

Env vars

zshrc env list                      # EDITOR -> nvim
zshrc env add EDITOR=nvim           # add or overwrite, diff + confirm
zshrc env remove EDITOR             # diff + confirm
zshrc env add EDITOR=nvim --dry-run

Validate

zshrc validate                  # runs zsh -n ~/.zshrc

Dry run

Any command accepts --dry-run to preview changes without writing:

zshrc add alias foo='bar' --dry-run
zshrc remove alias foo --dry-run

Use a different file

zshrc --file ~/dotfiles/.zshrc list aliases

Project structure

├── main.go
├── cmd/
│   ├── root.go       # --file, --dry-run flags
│   ├── list.go
│   ├── search.go
│   ├── add.go
│   ├── remove.go
│   ├── env.go
│   ├── backup.go
│   ├── validate.go
│   └── helpers.go    # confirm(), showDiff()
└── internal/
    ├── parser/       # alias + function extraction, lossless read/write
    └── backup/       # timestamped backup create, list, restore

Requirements

• Go 1.21+
• zsh (for zshrc validate)