3 Micro stores all of the user configuration in its configuration directory.
5 Micro uses `$MICRO_CONFIG_HOME` as the configuration directory. If this
6 environment variable is not set, it uses `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/micro` instead. If
7 that environment variable is not set, it uses `~/.config/micro` as the
8 configuration directory. In the documentation, we use `~/.config/micro` to
9 refer to the configuration directory (even if it may in fact be somewhere else
10 if you have 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 * `autosave`: automatically save the buffer every n seconds, where n is the
20 value of the autosave option. Also when quitting on a modified buffer, micro
21 will automatically save and quit. Be warned, this option saves the buffer
22 without prompting the user, so data may be overwritten. If this option is
23 set to `0`, no autosaving is performed.
27 * `backup`: micro will automatically keep backups of all open buffers. Backups
28 are stored in `~/.config/micro/backups` and are removed when the buffer is
29 closed cleanly. In the case of a system crash or a micro crash, the contents
30 of the buffer can be recovered automatically by opening the file that was
31 being edited before the crash, or manually by searching for the backup in
32 the backup directory. Backups are made in the background when a buffer is
33 modified and the latest backup is more than 8 seconds old, or when micro
34 detects a crash. It is highly recommended that you leave this feature
39 * `basename`: in the infobar, show only the basename of the file being edited
40 rather than the full path.
42 default value: `false`
44 * `colorcolumn`: if this is not set to 0, it will display a column at the
45 specified column. This is useful if you want column 80 to be highlighted
50 * `colorscheme`: loads the colorscheme stored in
51 $(configDir)/colorschemes/`option`.micro, This setting is `global only`.
53 default value: `default`
55 Note that the default colorschemes (default, solarized, and solarized-tc)
56 are not located in configDir, because they are embedded in the micro
59 The colorscheme can be selected from all the files in the
60 ~/.config/micro/colorschemes/ directory. Micro comes by default with three
63 You can read more about micro's colorschemes in the `colors` help topic
66 * `cursorline`: highlight the line that the cursor is on in a different color
67 (the color is defined by the colorscheme you are using).
71 * `diffgutter`: display diff indicators before lines.
73 default value: `false`
75 * `encoding`: the encoding to open and save files with. Supported encodings
76 are listed at https://www.w3.org/TR/encoding/.
78 default value: `utf-8`
80 * `eofnewline`: micro will automatically add a newline to the file.
82 default value: `false`
84 * `fastdirty`: this determines what kind of algorithm micro uses to determine
85 if a buffer is modified or not. When `fastdirty` is on, micro just uses a
86 boolean `modified` that is set to `true` as soon as the user makes an edit.
87 This is fast, but can be inaccurate. If `fastdirty` is off, then micro will
88 hash the current buffer against a hash of the original file (created when
89 the buffer was loaded). This is more accurate but obviously more resource
90 intensive. This option is only for people who really care about having
91 accurate modified status.
95 * `fileformat`: this determines what kind of line endings micro will use for
96 the file. UNIX line endings are just `\n` (linefeed) whereas dos line
97 endings are `\r\n` (carriage return + linefeed). The two possible values for
98 this option are `unix` and `dos`. The fileformat will be automatically
99 detected (when you open an existing file) and displayed on the statusline,
100 but this option is useful if you would like to change the line endings or if
101 you are starting a new file.
103 default value: `unix`
105 * `filetype`: sets the filetype for the current buffer. Set this option to
106 `off` to completely disable filetype detection.
108 default value: `unknown`. This will be automatically overridden depending
109 on the file you open.
111 * `ignorecase`: perform case-insensitive searches.
113 default value: `false`
115 * `indentchar`: sets the indentation character.
117 default value: ` ` (space)
119 * `infobar`: enables the line at the bottom of the editor where messages are
120 printed. This option is `global only`.
122 default value: `true`
124 * `keepautoindent`: when using autoindent, whitespace is added for you. This
125 option determines if when you move to the next line without any insertions
126 the whitespace that was added should be deleted to remove trailing
127 whitespace. By default, the autoindent whitespace is deleted if the line
130 default value: `false`
132 * `keymenu`: display the nano-style key menu at the bottom of the screen. Note
133 that ToggleKeyMenu is bound to `Alt-g` by default and this is displayed in
134 the statusline. To disable this, simply by `Alt-g` to `UnbindKey`.
136 default value: `false`
138 * `matchbrace`: underline matching braces for '()', '{}', '[]' when the cursor
139 is on a brace character.
141 default value: `true`
143 * `mkparents`: if a file is opened on a path that does not exist, the file
144 cannot be saved because the parent directories don't exist. This option lets
145 micro automatically create the parent directories in such a situation.
147 default value: `false`
149 * `mouse`: mouse support. When mouse support is disabled,
150 usually the terminal will be able to access mouse events which can be useful
151 if you want to copy from the terminal instead of from micro (if over ssh for
152 example, because the terminal has access to the local clipboard and micro
155 default value: `true`
157 * `paste`: Treat characters sent from the terminal in a single chunk as a paste
158 event rather than a series of manual key presses. If you are pasting using
159 the terminal keybinding (not Ctrl-v, which is micro's default paste
160 keybinding) then it is a good idea to enable this option during the paste
161 and disable once the paste is over. See `> help copypaste` for details about
162 copying and pasting in a terminal environment.
164 default value: `false`
166 * `pluginchannels`: list of URLs pointing to plugin channels for downloading and
167 installing plugins. A plugin channel consists of a json file with links to
168 plugin repos, which store information about plugin versions and download URLs.
169 By default, this option points to the official plugin channel hosted on GitHub
170 at https://github.com/micro-editor/plugin-channel.
172 default value: `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/micro-editor/plugin-channel
173 /master/channel.json`
175 * `pluginrepos`: a list of links to plugin repositories.
179 * `readonly`: when enabled, disallows edits to the buffer. It is recommended
180 to only ever set this option locally using `setlocal`.
182 default value: `false`
184 * `rmtrailingws`: micro will automatically trim trailing whitespaces at ends of
187 default value: `false`
189 * `ruler`: display line numbers.
191 default value: `true`
193 * `savecursor`: remember where the cursor was last time the file was opened and
194 put it there when you open the file again. Information is saved to
195 `~/.config/micro/buffers/`
197 default value: `false`
199 * `savehistory`: remember command history between closing and re-opening
200 micro. Information is saved to `~/.config/micro/buffers/history`.
202 default value: `true`
204 * `saveundo`: when this option is on, undo is saved even after you close a file
205 so if you close and reopen a file, you can keep undoing. Information is
206 saved to `~/.config/micro/buffers/`.
208 default value: `false`
210 * `scrollbar`: display a scroll bar
212 default value: `false`
214 * `scrollmargin`: margin at which the view starts scrolling when the cursor
215 approaches the edge of the view.
219 * `scrollspeed`: amount of lines to scroll for one scroll event.
223 * `smartpaste`: add leading whitespace when pasting multiple lines.
224 This will attempt to preserve the current indentation level when pasting an
227 default value: `true`
229 * `softwrap`: wrap lines that are too long to fit on the screen.
231 default value: `false`
233 * `splitbottom`: when a horizontal split is created, create it below the
236 default value: `true`
238 * `splitright`: when a vertical split is created, create it to the right of the
241 default value: `true`
243 * `statusformatl`: format string definition for the left-justified part of the
244 statusline. Special directives should be placed inside `$()`. Special
245 directives include: `filename`, `modified`, `line`, `col`, `opt`, `bind`.
246 The `opt` and `bind` directives take either an option or an action afterward
247 and fill in the value of the option or the key bound to the action.
249 default value: `$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(status.paste)|
250 ft:$(opt:filetype) | $(opt:fileformat) | $(opt:encoding)`
252 * `statusformatr`: format string definition for the right-justified part of the
255 default value: `$(bind:ToggleKeyMenu): bindings, $(bind:ToggleHelp): help`
257 * `statusline`: display the status line at the bottom of the screen.
259 default value: `true`
261 * `sucmd`: specifies the super user command. On most systems this is "sudo" but
262 on BSD it can be "doas." This option can be customized and is only used when
265 default value: `sudo`
267 * `syntax`: enables syntax highlighting.
269 default value: `true`
271 * `tabmovement`: navigate spaces at the beginning of lines as if they are tabs
272 (e.g. move over 4 spaces at once). This option only does anything if
273 `tabstospaces` is on.
275 default value: `false`
277 * `tabsize`: the size in spaces that a tab character should be displayed with.
281 * `tabstospaces`: use spaces instead of tabs.
283 default value: `false`
285 * `useprimary` (only useful on unix): defines whether or not micro will use the
286 primary clipboard to copy selections in the background. This does not affect
287 the normal clipboard using Ctrl-c and Ctrl-v.
289 default value: `true`
293 Plugin options: all plugins come with a special option to enable or disable
294 them. The option is a boolean with the same name as the plugin itself.
296 Any option you set in the editor will be saved to the file
297 ~/.config/micro/settings.json so, in effect, your configuration file will be
298 created for you. If you'd like to take your configuration with you to another
299 machine, simply copy the settings.json to the other machine.
301 ## Global and local settings
303 You can set these settings either globally or locally. Locally means that the
304 setting won't be saved to `~/.config/micro/settings.json` and that it will only
305 be set in the current buffer. Setting an option globally is the default, and
306 will set the option in all buffers. Use the `setlocal` command to set an option
307 locally rather than globally.
309 The `colorscheme` option is global only, and the `filetype` option is local
310 only. To set an option locally, use `setlocal` instead of `set`.
312 In the `settings.json` file you can also put set options locally by specifying
313 either a glob or a filetype. Here is an example which has `tabstospaces` on for
314 all files except Go files, and `tabsize` 4 for all files except Ruby files:
319 "tabstospaces": false
324 "tabstospaces": true,
329 Or similarly you can match with globs:
334 "tabstospaces": false
339 "tabstospaces": true,