3 Micro stores all of the user configuration in its configuration directory.
5 Micro uses the `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/micro` as the configuration directory. As per
6 the XDG spec, if `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME` is not set, `~/.config/micro` is used as
9 Here are the options that you can set:
11 * `autoindent`: when creating a new line, use the same indentation as the
16 * `autosave`: micro will save the buffer every `n` seconds automatically
17 (where `n` is the value of the option). Micro also will automatically
18 save and quit when you exit without asking. Be careful when using this
19 feature, because you might accidentally save a file, overwriting what
20 was there before. If the value of the option is `0` then micro will
25 * `backup`: micro will automatically keep backups of all open buffers. Backups
26 are stored in `~/.config/micro/backups` and are removed when the buffer is
27 closed cleanly. In the case of a system crash or a micro crash, the contents
28 of the buffer can be recovered automatically by opening the file that
29 was being edited before the crash, or manually by searching for the backup
30 in the backup directory. Backups are made in the background when a buffer is
31 modified and the latest backup is more than 8 seconds old, or when micro
32 detects a crash. It is highly recommended that you leave this feature enabled.
36 * `basename`: in the infobar, show only the basename of the file being edited
37 rather than the full path.
39 default value: `false`
41 * `colorcolumn`: if this is not set to 0, it will display a column at the
42 specified column. This is useful if you want column 80 to be highlighted
47 * `colorscheme`: loads the colorscheme stored in
48 $(configDir)/colorschemes/`option`.micro, This setting is `global only`.
50 default value: `default`
52 Note that the default colorschemes (default, solarized, and solarized-tc)
53 are not located in configDir, because they are embedded in the micro binary.
55 The colorscheme can be selected from all the files in the
56 ~/.config/micro/colorschemes/ directory. Micro comes by default with three
59 You can read more about micro's colorschemes in the `colors` help topic
62 * `cursorline`: highlight the line that the cursor is on in a different color
63 (the color is defined by the colorscheme you are using).
67 * `encoding`: the encoding to open and save files with. Supported encodings
68 are listed at https://www.w3.org/TR/encoding/.
70 default value: `utf-8`
72 * `eofnewline`: micro will automatically add a newline to the file.
74 default value: `false`
76 * `fastdirty`: this determines what kind of algorithm micro uses to determine if
77 a buffer is modified or not. When `fastdirty` is on, micro just uses a
78 boolean `modified` that is set to `true` as soon as the user makes an edit.
79 This is fast, but can be inaccurate. If `fastdirty` is off, then micro will
80 hash the current buffer against a hash of the original file (created when the
81 buffer was loaded). This is more accurate but obviously more resource
82 intensive. This option is only for people who really care about having
83 accurate modified status.
87 * `fileformat`: this determines what kind of line endings micro will use for the
88 file. UNIX line endings are just `\n` (linefeed) whereas dos line endings are
89 `\r\n` (carriage return + linefeed). The two possible values for this option
90 are `unix` and `dos`. The fileformat will be automatically detected (when you
91 open an existing file) and displayed on the statusline, but this option is
92 useful if you would like to change the line endings or if you are starting a
97 * `filetype`: sets the filetype for the current buffer. This setting is
100 default value: this will be automatically set depending on the file you have
103 * `ignorecase`: perform case-insensitive searches.
105 default value: `false`
107 * `indentchar`: sets the indentation character.
109 default value: ` ` (space)
111 * `infobar`: enables the line at the bottom of the editor where messages are
112 printed. This option is `global only`.
114 default value: `true`
116 * `keepautoindent`: when using autoindent, whitespace is added for you. This
117 option determines if when you move to the next line without any insertions
118 the whitespace that was added should be deleted to remove trailing whitespace.
119 By default, the autoindent whitespace is deleted if the line was left empty.
121 default value: `false`
123 * `keymenu`: display the nano-style key menu at the bottom of the screen. Note
124 that ToggleKeyMenu is bound to `Alt-g` by default and this is displayed in
125 the statusline. To disable this, simply by `Alt-g` to `UnbindKey`.
127 default value: `false`
129 * `matchbrace`: underline matching braces for '()', '{}', '[]' when the cursor
130 is on a brace character.
132 default value: `true`
134 * `mkparents`: if a file is opened on a path that does not exist, the file cannot
135 be saved because the parent directories don't exist. This option lets micro
136 automatically create the parent directories in such a situation.
138 default value: `false`
140 * `mouse`: whether to enable mouse support. When mouse support is disabled,
141 usually the terminal will be able to access mouse events which can be useful
142 if you want to copy from the terminal instead of from micro (if over ssh for
143 example, because the terminal has access to the local clipboard and micro
146 default value: `true`
148 * `rmtrailingws`: micro will automatically trim trailing whitespaces at eol.
150 default value: `false`
152 * `ruler`: display line numbers.
154 default value: `true`
156 * `savecursor`: remember where the cursor was last time the file was opened and
157 put it there when you open the file again.
159 default value: `false`
161 * `savehistory`: remember command history between closing and re-opening
164 default value: `true`
166 * `saveundo`: when this option is on, undo is saved even after you close a file
167 so if you close and reopen a file, you can keep undoing.
169 default value: `false`
171 * `scrollbar`: display a scroll bar
173 default value: `false`
175 * `scrollmargin`: amount of lines you would like to see above and below the
180 * `scrollspeed`: amount of lines to scroll for one scroll event.
184 * `smartpaste`: should micro add leading whitespace when pasting multiple lines?
185 This will attempt to preserve the current indentation level when pasting an
188 default value: `true`
190 * `softwrap`: should micro wrap lines that are too long to fit on the screen.
192 default value: `false`
194 * `splitbottom`: when a horizontal split is created, should it be created below
197 default value: `true`
199 * `splitright`: when a vertical split is created, should it be created to the
200 right of the current split?
202 default value: `true`
204 * `statusformatl`: format string definition for the left-justified part of the
205 statusline. Special directives should be placed inside `$()`. Special
206 directives include: `filename`, `modified`, `line`, `col`, `opt`, `bind`.
207 The `opt` and `bind` directives take either an option or an action afterward
208 and fill in the value of the option or the key bound to the action.
210 default value: `$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(opt:filetype)
211 $(opt:fileformat) $(opt:encoding)`
213 * `statusformatl`: format string definition for the left-justified part of the
216 default value: `$(bind:ToggleKeyMenu): show bindings, $(bind:ToggleHelp):
219 * `statusline`: display the status line at the bottom of the screen.
221 default value: `true`
223 * `sucmd`: specifies the super user command. On most systems this is "sudo" but
224 on BSD it can be "doas." This option can be customized and is only used when
227 default value: `sudo`
229 * `syntax`: turns syntax on or off.
231 default value: `true`
233 * `tabmovement`: navigate spaces at the beginning of lines as if they are tabs
234 (e.g. move over 4 spaces at once). This option only does anything if
235 `tabstospaces` is on.
237 default value: `false`
239 * `tabsize`: sets the tab size to `option`
243 * `tabstospaces`: use spaces instead of tabs
245 default value: `false`
247 * `termtitle`: defines whether or not your terminal's title will be set by micro
250 default value: `false`
252 * `useprimary` (only useful on *nix): defines whether or not micro will use the
253 primary clipboard to copy selections in the background. This does not affect
254 the normal clipboard using Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V.
256 default value: `true`
260 Plugin options: all plugins come with a special option to enable or disable them. THe option
261 is a boolean with the same name as the plugin itself.
263 Any option you set in the editor will be saved to the file
264 ~/.config/micro/settings.json so, in effect, your configuration file will be
265 created for you. If you'd like to take your configuration with you to another
266 machine, simply copy the settings.json to the other machine.
268 ## Global and local settings
270 You can set these settings either globally or locally. Locally means that the
271 setting won't be saved to `~/.config/micro/settings.json` and that it will only
272 be set in the current buffer. Setting an option globally is the default, and
273 will set the option in all buffers.
275 The `colorscheme` option is global only, and the `filetype` option is local
276 only. To set an option locally, use `setlocal` instead of `set`.
278 In the `settings.json` file you can also put set options locally by specifying either
279 a glob or a filetype. Here is an example which has `tabstospaces` on for all files except Go
280 files, and `tabsize` 4 for all files except Ruby files:
285 "tabstospaces": false
290 "tabstospaces": true,
295 Or similarly you can match with globs:
300 "tabstospaces": false
305 "tabstospaces": true,