Setting different `PATH` variable for different profiles in iTerm2

Question

I have the default PATH variable as set in the .zshrc file.

I am looking for an elegant and simple way to add more directories to the PATH per different profiles in iTerm2.

What would be the best way to do it?

To be concrete, assume I want:

1. Add /Users/myusername/somfolder1 and /Users/myusername/somfolder2/bin to path of profile1.
2. Add /Users/myusername/somfolder3 to profile2.

Answer 1

I use Terminal, not iTerm2, so I don't know if there is something comparable, but in Terminal, the following works for bash:

cat > ~/profileForThisTerm << EOF
PATH="${PATH}:/Users/myusername/somfolder1"

then

• Settings
• Profiles
• Choose the profile to modify
• Shell
• Click Run command
• Enter source ~/profileForThisTerm
• Make sure Run inside shell is clicked

Opening a terminal window against that Terminal profile You might be able to find something similar for iTerm2 and zsh.

Answer 2

If you're in a typical profile that starts your normal login shell, you can inspect the $ITERM_PROFILE environment variable at the start of your bash or zsh init.

So e.g., I have the following logic to abbreviate my init if I'm in an iTerm2 profile that's only going to run htop:

if [ -n "$ITERM_PROFILE" ];
then
    # check if we're using an iTerm2 profile that's non- or low-interactive
    # htop profiles should mostly be non-interactive
    if echo "$ITERM_PROFILE" | grep -q "^htop";
    then
        export ABBREVIATED_INIT=1;
    fi
fi

Inside that logic you can set/modify PATH or whatever other things you want.