---
name: "surfraw-update-path"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "surfraw"
version: "2.3.0-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/surfraw-update-path"
---

# surfraw-update-path(1)

updates PATH in shell config files

## NAME

surfraw-update-path - updates PATH in shell config files

## SYNOPSIS

surfraw-update-path \[**-add**\] \[**-remove**\] \[**-check**\] \[**-sys**\] \[**-all**\] \[**-help**\] \[**-shell**=*SHELL*\]

## DESCRIPTION

surfraw-update-path adds the surfraw elvi directory (/usr/lib/surfraw) to your PATH in your shell's config file.

Currently it supports **bash**, **sh**, **csh**, **tcsh**, **ash**, **dash**, **ksh**, **pdksh**, **zsh**, **rc**, and **es**

Don't forget to login again or source your login files for it to take effect.

## OPTIONS

- **-check**

  Checks to see if the surfraw config code is present. This is the default.

- **-add**

  Adds the surfraw config code.

- **-remove**

  Removes the surfraw config code

- **-sys**

  Updates the system-wide shell config instead of the user. Must be done as root.

- **-shell**=*SHELL*

  Selects the shell to configure. Defaults to the value of the `$SHELL` environment variable.

  Currently supported shells are:

  **sh**, **ash**, **bash**, **dash**, **csh**, **tcsh**, **ksh**, **pdksh**, **zsh**, **rc**, and **es**.

- **-all**

  Attempts to configure the startup files for all known shells

- **-help**

  Gives a usage message

## RETURN VALUE

\-check returns 0 if the surfraw code is present in the file, 1 if it is not found, or 2 on error.

All other options return 0 on success, or 2 on error.

## ENVIRONMENT

- SHELL

  Used to determine which shell to configure, if **-shell** is not given.

- HOME

  Used to find users config files.

- ENV

  Used by posix-compliant shells to specify a startup rc file.

- ZDOTDIR

  Used to find user config files for zsh. If not set, defaults to HOME.

## SEE ALSO

[**surfraw**(1)](/surfraw/1.md), [**sh**(1)](/sh/1.md), [**ash**(1)](/ash/1.md), [**bash**(1)](/bash/1.md), [**dash**(1)](/dash/1.md), [**csh**(1)](/csh/1.md), [**tcsh**(1)](/tcsh/1.md), [**ksh**(1)](/ksh/1.md), [**pdksh**(1)](/pdksh/1.md), [**zsh**(1)](/zsh/1.md), [**rc**(1)](/rc/1.md), [**es**(1)](/es/1.md)

## AUTHOR

Ian Beckwith \<ianb@erislabs.net\>