Tool Config Backup

Backup, document, and restore IDE and tool configurations.

Supported Tools

Workflow

1. Identify Config Files

For the requested tool, locate config files:

ls -la "<config-location>"

2. Create Timestamped Backup

TOOL="datagrip"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
BACKUP_DIR="$HOME/.config-backups/$TOOL/$TIMESTAMP"

mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
cp -r "<source-config-path>" "$BACKUP_DIR/"

3. Document Backup

Create manifest in backup directory:

# Backup Manifest

Tool: DataGrip 2021.3
Date: 2026-02-02 09:30:00
Reason: Before regenerating data source configs

## Files Backed Up

- options/dataSources.xml (database connections)
- options/dataSources.local.xml (credentials reference)

## Restore Command

cp -r ~/.config-backups/datagrip/20260202_093000/\* \
 "~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/DataGrip2021.3/"

Tool-Specific Guides

DataGrip

What to backup:

• options/dataSources.xml - Data source definitions (connections, drivers)
• options/dataSources.local.xml - Local credential references
• Project .idea/dataSources.xml - Project-level connections

What controls what:

Note: Passwords stored in macOS Keychain, not in XML files.

VS Code / Cursor

What to backup:

• settings.json - All editor preferences
• keybindings.json - Custom keyboard shortcuts
• extensions/ - Installed extensions (or just list with code --list-extensions)

Quick backup:

code --list-extensions > extensions.txt
cp settings.json keybindings.json ~/.config-backups/vscode/

JetBrains IDEs (General)

Common locations:

• options/ - IDE settings, plugins, appearance
• keymaps/ - Custom keyboard shortcuts
• codestyles/ - Code formatting rules
• templates/ - Live templates and file templates

Restore Workflow

1. Close the application
2. Copy backup files to config location
3. Restart application
4. Verify settings loaded correctly

# Example restore
cp -r ~/.config-backups/datagrip/20260202_093000/options/* \
  "~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/DataGrip2021.3/options/"

Best Practices

• Always backup before making config changes
• Use descriptive reason in manifest
• Keep last 3-5 backups per tool
• Test restore on non-critical settings first