Commands Reference¶

Complete reference for all Vaultix commands.

Command Overview¶

init¶

Initialize a new vault and automatically encrypt all files in the directory.

Syntax¶

vaultix init [path]

Parameters¶

• path (optional): Directory path. Defaults to current directory (.)

Behavior¶

1. Scans directory for regular files (excludes hidden files and directories)
2. Creates .vaultix/ structure
3. Encrypts all discovered files
4. Securely deletes original plaintext files
5. Reports success

Examples¶

# Initialize in current directory
vaultix init

# Initialize specific path
vaultix init ~/secrets

# Initialize and encrypt all files
cd ~/Documents/sensitive
vaultix init

Original files are permanently deleted after encryption. Make sure you have backups!

add¶

Add a file to an existing vault.

Syntax¶

vaultix add <file> [vault-path]

Parameters¶

• file (required): Path to file to add
• vault-path (optional): Vault directory. Defaults to current directory (.)

Behavior¶

1. Reads the specified file
2. Encrypts the file
3. Adds to vault metadata
4. Securely deletes the original file

Examples¶

# Add file to current vault
vaultix add secret.txt

# Add file to specific vault
vaultix add document.pdf ~/my_vault

# Add file from another directory
vaultix add /tmp/keys.pem

list¶

List all encrypted files in the vault.

Syntax¶

vaultix list [vault-path]

Parameters¶

• vault-path (optional): Vault directory. Defaults to current directory (.)

Output¶

Shows:

• Filename
• Size in bytes
• Modification timestamp

Examples¶

# List files in current vault
vaultix list

# List files in specific vault
vaultix list ~/other_vault

Files in vault (3):
  passwords.txt (1024 bytes, modified: 2026-01-07 15:30:00)
  api_keys.json (512 bytes, modified: 2026-01-07 14:20:00)
  notes.md (2048 bytes, modified: 2026-01-07 16:00:00)

extract¶

Decrypt and extract file(s) from the vault. Files remain in the vault after extraction.

Syntax¶

vaultix extract [file] [vault-path]

Parameters¶

• file (optional): Filename or partial match. Omit to extract all files
• vault-path (optional): Vault directory. Defaults to current directory (.)

Fuzzy Matching¶

Supports intelligent file matching:

1. Exact match: passwords.txt
2. Case-insensitive: PASSWORDS.txt
3. Partial match: pass matches passwords.txt

Examples¶

# Extract all files
vaultix extract

# Extract specific file (exact match)
vaultix extract passwords.txt

# Extract with fuzzy matching
vaultix extract pass            # Matches "passwords.txt"
vaultix extract API             # Matches "api_keys.json"

# Extract to specific directory
vaultix extract . /tmp/output

# Extract from specific vault
vaultix extract secret ~/vault

drop¶

Extract file(s) and remove them from the vault. This is a destructive operation.

Syntax¶

vaultix drop [file] [vault-path]

Parameters¶

• file (optional): Filename or partial match. Omit to drop all files
• vault-path (optional): Vault directory. Defaults to current directory (.)

Behavior¶

1. Extracts the file(s)
2. Removes from vault
3. Deletes encrypted objects

Examples¶

# Drop one file (extract and remove)
vaultix drop old_password.txt

# Drop with fuzzy matching
vaultix drop secret

# Drop all files (extracts everything and clears vault)
vaultix drop

Files are removed from the vault after extraction. Make sure you have the decrypted files before closing your terminal!

remove¶

Remove a file from the vault without extracting it. Permanently deletes the encrypted data.

Syntax¶

vaultix remove <file> [vault-path]

Parameters¶

• file (required): Filename or partial match
• vault-path (optional): Vault directory. Defaults to current directory (.)

Examples¶

# Remove file from current vault
vaultix remove old_file.txt

# Remove with fuzzy matching
vaultix remove OLD

# Remove from specific vault
vaultix remove file.txt ~/vault

File is deleted without extracting. Use drop if you want to extract first.

clear¶

Remove all files from the vault without extracting them. Requires confirmation.

Syntax¶

vaultix clear [vault-path]

Parameters¶

• vault-path (optional): Vault directory. Defaults to current directory (.)

Behavior¶

1. Prompts for password
2. Asks for confirmation (yes to proceed)
3. Deletes all encrypted objects
4. Clears metadata

Examples¶

# Clear current vault
vaultix clear
# ⚠️  This will DELETE all files from the vault WITHOUT extracting them. Continue? (yes/no): yes
# ✓ Vault cleared (all files removed)

# Clear specific vault
vaultix clear ~/vault

All encrypted data is permanently deleted. Cannot be undone!

Common Patterns¶

Secure a Directory¶

cd ~/sensitive
vaultix init

Daily Workflow¶

# See what's in the vault
vaultix list

# Extract what you need
vaultix extract passwords

# Add new files
vaultix add newsecret.txt

# Clean up old files
vaultix remove old.txt

Move Files Out¶

# Extract all files
vaultix extract

# Then clear the vault
vaultix clear

Or use drop:

# Extract all and clear in one command
vaultix drop

Fuzzy Extraction¶

# Instead of typing "super_secret_passwords_2024.txt"
vaultix extract 2024
# or
vaultix extract PASSWORD
# or
vaultix extract super

Password Security¶

All commands that access the vault require password entry. Passwords are:

• ✓ Never stored on disk
• ✓ Never logged
• ✓ Only exist in memory during operation
• ✓ Hidden during input (not echoed to terminal)

Consider using a password manager to generate and store your vault password.