3 Micro stores all of the user configuration in its configuration directory.
5 Micro uses `$MICRO_CONFIG_HOME` as the configuration directory. If this environment
6 variable is not set, it uses `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/micro` instead. If that
7 environment variable is not set, it uses `~/.config/micro` as the configuration
8 directory. In the documentation, we use `~/.config/micro` to refer to the
9 configuration directory (even if it may in fact be somewhere else if you have
10 set either of the above environment variables).
12 Here are the available options:
14 * `autoindent`: when creating a new line, use the same indentation as the
19 * `backup`: micro will automatically keep backups of all open buffers. Backups
20 are stored in `~/.config/micro/backups` and are removed when the buffer is
21 closed cleanly. In the case of a system crash or a micro crash, the contents
22 of the buffer can be recovered automatically by opening the file that
23 was being edited before the crash, or manually by searching for the backup
24 in the backup directory. Backups are made in the background when a buffer is
25 modified and the latest backup is more than 8 seconds old, or when micro
26 detects a crash. It is highly recommended that you leave this feature enabled.
30 * `basename`: in the infobar, show only the basename of the file being edited
31 rather than the full path.
33 default value: `false`
35 * `colorcolumn`: if this is not set to 0, it will display a column at the
36 specified column. This is useful if you want column 80 to be highlighted
41 * `colorscheme`: loads the colorscheme stored in
42 $(configDir)/colorschemes/`option`.micro, This setting is `global only`.
44 default value: `default`
46 Note that the default colorschemes (default, solarized, and solarized-tc)
47 are not located in configDir, because they are embedded in the micro binary.
49 The colorscheme can be selected from all the files in the
50 ~/.config/micro/colorschemes/ directory. Micro comes by default with three
53 You can read more about micro's colorschemes in the `colors` help topic
56 * `cursorline`: highlight the line that the cursor is on in a different color
57 (the color is defined by the colorscheme you are using).
61 * `encoding`: the encoding to open and save files with. Supported encodings
62 are listed at https://www.w3.org/TR/encoding/.
64 default value: `utf-8`
66 * `eofnewline`: micro will automatically add a newline to the file.
68 default value: `false`
70 * `fastdirty`: this determines what kind of algorithm micro uses to determine if
71 a buffer is modified or not. When `fastdirty` is on, micro just uses a
72 boolean `modified` that is set to `true` as soon as the user makes an edit.
73 This is fast, but can be inaccurate. If `fastdirty` is off, then micro will
74 hash the current buffer against a hash of the original file (created when the
75 buffer was loaded). This is more accurate but obviously more resource
76 intensive. This option is only for people who really care about having
77 accurate modified status.
81 * `fileformat`: this determines what kind of line endings micro will use for the
82 file. UNIX line endings are just `\n` (linefeed) whereas dos line endings are
83 `\r\n` (carriage return + linefeed). The two possible values for this option
84 are `unix` and `dos`. The fileformat will be automatically detected (when you
85 open an existing file) and displayed on the statusline, but this option is
86 useful if you would like to change the line endings or if you are starting a
91 * `filetype`: sets the filetype for the current buffer. Set this option to `off`
92 to completely disable filetype detection.
94 default value: `unknown`. This will be automatically overridden depending
97 * `ignorecase`: perform case-insensitive searches.
99 default value: `false`
101 * `indentchar`: sets the indentation character.
103 default value: ` ` (space)
105 * `infobar`: enables the line at the bottom of the editor where messages are
106 printed. This option is `global only`.
108 default value: `true`
110 * `keepautoindent`: when using autoindent, whitespace is added for you. This
111 option determines if when you move to the next line without any insertions
112 the whitespace that was added should be deleted to remove trailing whitespace.
113 By default, the autoindent whitespace is deleted if the line was left empty.
115 default value: `false`
117 * `keymenu`: display the nano-style key menu at the bottom of the screen. Note
118 that ToggleKeyMenu is bound to `Alt-g` by default and this is displayed in
119 the statusline. To disable this, simply by `Alt-g` to `UnbindKey`.
121 default value: `false`
123 * `matchbrace`: underline matching braces for '()', '{}', '[]' when the cursor
124 is on a brace character.
126 default value: `true`
128 * `mkparents`: if a file is opened on a path that does not exist, the file cannot
129 be saved because the parent directories don't exist. This option lets micro
130 automatically create the parent directories in such a situation.
132 default value: `false`
134 * `mouse`: mouse support. When mouse support is disabled,
135 usually the terminal will be able to access mouse events which can be useful
136 if you want to copy from the terminal instead of from micro (if over ssh for
137 example, because the terminal has access to the local clipboard and micro
140 default value: `true`
142 * `paste`: Treat characters sent from the terminal in a single chunk as a paste
143 event rather than a series of manual key presses. If you are pasting using
144 the terminal keybinding (not Ctrl-v, which is micro's default paste keybinding)
145 then it is a good idea to enable this option during the paste and disable
146 once the paste is over. See `> help copypaste` for details about copying
147 and pasting in a terminal environment.
149 default value: `false`
151 * `readonly`: when enabled, disallows edits to the buffer. It is recommended
152 to only ever set this option locally using `setlocal`.
154 default value: `false`
156 * `rmtrailingws`: micro will automatically trim trailing whitespaces at ends of
159 default value: `false`
161 * `ruler`: display line numbers.
163 default value: `true`
165 * `savecursor`: remember where the cursor was last time the file was opened and
166 put it there when you open the file again. Information is saved to
167 `~/.config/micro/buffers/`
169 default value: `false`
171 * `savehistory`: remember command history between closing and re-opening
172 micro. Information is saved to `~/.config/micro/buffers/history`.
174 default value: `true`
176 * `saveundo`: when this option is on, undo is saved even after you close a file
177 so if you close and reopen a file, you can keep undoing. Information is
178 saved to `~/.config/micro/buffers/`.
180 default value: `false`
182 * `scrollbar`: display a scroll bar
184 default value: `false`
186 * `scrollmargin`: margin at which the view starts scrolling when the cursor
187 approaches the edge of the view.
191 * `scrollspeed`: amount of lines to scroll for one scroll event.
195 * `smartpaste`: add leading whitespace when pasting multiple lines.
196 This will attempt to preserve the current indentation level when pasting an
199 default value: `true`
201 * `softwrap`: wrap lines that are too long to fit on the screen.
203 default value: `false`
205 * `splitbottom`: when a horizontal split is created, create it below the
208 default value: `true`
210 * `splitright`: when a vertical split is created, create it to the right of the
213 default value: `true`
215 * `statusformatl`: format string definition for the left-justified part of the
216 statusline. Special directives should be placed inside `$()`. Special
217 directives include: `filename`, `modified`, `line`, `col`, `opt`, `bind`.
218 The `opt` and `bind` directives take either an option or an action afterward
219 and fill in the value of the option or the key bound to the action.
221 default value: `$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(opt:filetype)
222 $(opt:fileformat) $(opt:encoding)`
224 * `statusformatl`: format string definition for the left-justified part of the
227 default value: `$(bind:ToggleKeyMenu): show bindings, $(bind:ToggleHelp):
230 * `statusline`: display the status line at the bottom of the screen.
232 default value: `true`
234 * `sucmd`: specifies the super user command. On most systems this is "sudo" but
235 on BSD it can be "doas." This option can be customized and is only used when
238 default value: `sudo`
240 * `syntax`: enables syntax highlighting.
242 default value: `true`
244 * `tabmovement`: navigate spaces at the beginning of lines as if they are tabs
245 (e.g. move over 4 spaces at once). This option only does anything if
246 `tabstospaces` is on.
248 default value: `false`
250 * `tabsize`: the size in spaces that a tab character should be displayed with.
254 * `tabstospaces`: use spaces instead of tabs.
256 default value: `false`
258 * `useprimary` (only useful on unix): defines whether or not micro will use the
259 primary clipboard to copy selections in the background. This does not affect
260 the normal clipboard using Ctrl-c and Ctrl-v.
262 default value: `true`
266 Plugin options: all plugins come with a special option to enable or disable them. The option
267 is a boolean with the same name as the plugin itself.
269 Any option you set in the editor will be saved to the file
270 ~/.config/micro/settings.json so, in effect, your configuration file will be
271 created for you. If you'd like to take your configuration with you to another
272 machine, simply copy the settings.json to the other machine.
274 ## Global and local settings
276 You can set these settings either globally or locally. Locally means that the
277 setting won't be saved to `~/.config/micro/settings.json` and that it will only
278 be set in the current buffer. Setting an option globally is the default, and
279 will set the option in all buffers.
281 The `colorscheme` option is global only, and the `filetype` option is local
282 only. To set an option locally, use `setlocal` instead of `set`.
284 In the `settings.json` file you can also put set options locally by specifying either
285 a glob or a filetype. Here is an example which has `tabstospaces` on for all files except Go
286 files, and `tabsize` 4 for all files except Ruby files:
291 "tabstospaces": false
296 "tabstospaces": true,
301 Or similarly you can match with globs:
306 "tabstospaces": false
311 "tabstospaces": true,