tool-config-backup

name	tool-config-backup
description	Backup and document IDE and tool configurations. Use when needing to save tool settings before changes, understand config file locations, create restore points, or document what configuration files control. Triggers on phrases like "backup DataGrip config", "save my IDE settings", "where are VS Code settings", "backup before changes", or "config backup".

Tool Config Backup

Backup, document, and restore IDE and tool configurations.

Supported Tools

Tool	Config Location	Key Files
DataGrip	~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/DataGrip<version>/	options/dataSources.xml, options/dataSources.local.xml
IntelliJ IDEA	~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea<version>/	options/, keymaps/
VS Code	~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/	settings.json, keybindings.json
Cursor	~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/	settings.json, keybindings.json
iTerm2	~/Library/Preferences/	com.googlecode.iterm2.plist
Homebrew	/opt/homebrew/ or /usr/local/	Brewfile (generate with brew bundle dump)

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:

File	Controls
dataSources.xml	Connection URLs, drivers, SSH tunnels
dataSources.local.xml	Password storage references (points to keychain)
workspace.xml	UI layout, open tabs, panel positions

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