Untitled

## Why?

 

When working on a remote machine, or a machine that doesn't have a GUI plist editor on it, the command line may be your only or best option.

 

There are two options present on OS X to help you.

 

# `default`

 

Using the `default` command on OS X can help you get around.

 

## Reading a plist

 

`-bash-3.2$ defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment  

{

    PATH = "/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11/bin:/opt/local/bin:/usr/local/git/bin";

}`

 

## Updating a value in a plist

 

`-bash-3.2$ defaults write ~/.MacOSX/environment PATH "/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/X11/bin:/opt/local/bin"                  

-bash-3.2$ defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment

{

    PATH = "/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/X11/bin:/opt/local/bin";

}`

 

# `PlistBuddy`

 

### Reading a plist

 

`[travelant:~] markhers% /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy /tmp/test.plist

Command: Print

Dict {

    PATH = /usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/X11/bin:/opt/local/bin

}`

 

### Writing to a plist

 

`[travelant:~] markhers% /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy /tmp/test.plist

File Doesn't Exist, Will Create: /tmp/test.plist

Command: Add :PATH string "/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/X11/bin:/opt/local/bin"

Command: Print

Dict {

    PATH = /usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/X11/bin:/opt/local/bin

}

Command: Save

Saving...

Command: exit

[travelant:~] markhers% cat /tmp/test.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

        <key>PATH</key>

        <string>/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/X11/bin:/opt/local/bin</string>

</dict>

</plist>

`