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 * `backup`: micro will automatically keep backups of all open buffers. Backups
17 are stored in `~/.config/micro/backups` and are removed when the buffer is
18 closed cleanly. In the case of a system crash or a micro crash, the contents
19 of the buffer can be recovered automatically by opening the file that
20 was being edited before the crash, or manually by searching for the backup
21 in the backup directory. Backups are made in the background when a buffer is
22 modified and the latest backup is more than 8 seconds old, or when micro
23 detects a crash. It is highly recommended that you leave this feature enabled.
27 * `basename`: in the infobar, show only the basename of the file being edited
28 rather than the full path.
30 default value: `false`
32 * `colorcolumn`: if this is not set to 0, it will display a column at the
33 specified column. This is useful if you want column 80 to be highlighted
38 * `colorscheme`: loads the colorscheme stored in
39 $(configDir)/colorschemes/`option`.micro, This setting is `global only`.
41 default value: `default`
43 Note that the default colorschemes (default, solarized, and solarized-tc)
44 are not located in configDir, because they are embedded in the micro binary.
46 The colorscheme can be selected from all the files in the
47 ~/.config/micro/colorschemes/ directory. Micro comes by default with three
50 You can read more about micro's colorschemes in the `colors` help topic
53 * `cursorline`: highlight the line that the cursor is on in a different color
54 (the color is defined by the colorscheme you are using).
58 * `encoding`: the encoding to open and save files with. Supported encodings
59 are listed at https://www.w3.org/TR/encoding/.
61 default value: `utf-8`
63 * `eofnewline`: micro will automatically add a newline to the file.
65 default value: `false`
67 * `fastdirty`: this determines what kind of algorithm micro uses to determine if
68 a buffer is modified or not. When `fastdirty` is on, micro just uses a
69 boolean `modified` that is set to `true` as soon as the user makes an edit.
70 This is fast, but can be inaccurate. If `fastdirty` is off, then micro will
71 hash the current buffer against a hash of the original file (created when the
72 buffer was loaded). This is more accurate but obviously more resource
73 intensive. This option is only for people who really care about having
74 accurate modified status.
78 * `fileformat`: this determines what kind of line endings micro will use for the
79 file. UNIX line endings are just `\n` (linefeed) whereas dos line endings are
80 `\r\n` (carriage return + linefeed). The two possible values for this option
81 are `unix` and `dos`. The fileformat will be automatically detected (when you
82 open an existing file) and displayed on the statusline, but this option is
83 useful if you would like to change the line endings or if you are starting a
88 * `filetype`: sets the filetype for the current buffer. This setting is
91 default value: this will be automatically set depending on the file you have
94 * `ignorecase`: perform case-insensitive searches.
96 default value: `false`
98 * `indentchar`: sets the indentation character.
100 default value: ` ` (space)
102 * `infobar`: enables the line at the bottom of the editor where messages are
103 printed. This option is `global only`.
105 default value: `true`
107 * `keepautoindent`: when using autoindent, whitespace is added for you. This
108 option determines if when you move to the next line without any insertions
109 the whitespace that was added should be deleted to remove trailing whitespace.
110 By default, the autoindent whitespace is deleted if the line was left empty.
112 default value: `false`
114 * `keymenu`: display the nano-style key menu at the bottom of the screen. Note
115 that ToggleKeyMenu is bound to `Alt-g` by default and this is displayed in
116 the statusline. To disable this, simply by `Alt-g` to `UnbindKey`.
118 default value: `false`
120 * `matchbrace`: underline matching braces for '()', '{}', '[]' when the cursor
121 is on a brace character.
123 default value: `true`
125 * `mkparents`: if a file is opened on a path that does not exist, the file cannot
126 be saved because the parent directories don't exist. This option lets micro
127 automatically create the parent directories in such a situation.
129 default value: `false`
131 * `mouse`: whether to enable mouse support. When mouse support is disabled,
132 usually the terminal will be able to access mouse events which can be useful
133 if you want to copy from the terminal instead of from micro (if over ssh for
134 example, because the terminal has access to the local clipboard and micro
137 default value: `true`
139 * `rmtrailingws`: micro will automatically trim trailing whitespaces at eol.
141 default value: `false`
143 * `ruler`: display line numbers.
145 default value: `true`
147 * `savecursor`: remember where the cursor was last time the file was opened and
148 put it there when you open the file again.
150 default value: `false`
152 * `savehistory`: remember command history between closing and re-opening
155 default value: `true`
157 * `saveundo`: when this option is on, undo is saved even after you close a file
158 so if you close and reopen a file, you can keep undoing.
160 default value: `false`
162 * `scrollbar`: display a scroll bar
164 default value: `false`
166 * `scrollmargin`: amount of lines you would like to see above and below the
171 * `scrollspeed`: amount of lines to scroll for one scroll event.
175 * `smartpaste`: should micro add leading whitespace when pasting multiple lines?
176 This will attempt to preserve the current indentation level when pasting an
179 default value: `true`
181 * `softwrap`: should micro wrap lines that are too long to fit on the screen.
183 default value: `false`
185 * `splitbottom`: when a horizontal split is created, should it be created below
188 default value: `true`
190 * `splitright`: when a vertical split is created, should it be created to the
191 right of the current split?
193 default value: `true`
195 * `statusformatl`: format string definition for the left-justified part of the
196 statusline. Special directives should be placed inside `$()`. Special
197 directives include: `filename`, `modified`, `line`, `col`, `opt`, `bind`.
198 The `opt` and `bind` directives take either an option or an action afterward
199 and fill in the value of the option or the key bound to the action.
201 default value: `$(filename) $(modified)($(line),$(col)) $(opt:filetype)
202 $(opt:fileformat) $(opt:encoding)`
204 * `statusformatl`: format string definition for the left-justified part of the
207 default value: `$(bind:ToggleKeyMenu): show bindings, $(bind:ToggleHelp):
210 * `statusline`: display the status line at the bottom of the screen.
212 default value: `true`
214 * `sucmd`: specifies the super user command. On most systems this is "sudo" but
215 on BSD it can be "doas." This option can be customized and is only used when
218 default value: `sudo`
220 * `syntax`: turns syntax on or off.
222 default value: `true`
224 * `tabmovement`: navigate spaces at the beginning of lines as if they are tabs
225 (e.g. move over 4 spaces at once). This option only does anything if
226 `tabstospaces` is on.
228 default value: `false`
230 * `tabsize`: sets the tab size to `option`
234 * `tabstospaces`: use spaces instead of tabs
236 default value: `false`
238 * `termtitle`: defines whether or not your terminal's title will be set by micro
241 default value: `false`
243 * `useprimary` (only useful on *nix): defines whether or not micro will use the
244 primary clipboard to copy selections in the background. This does not affect
245 the normal clipboard using Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V.
247 default value: `true`
251 Plugin options: all plugins come with a special option to enable or disable them. THe option
252 is a boolean with the same name as the plugin itself.
254 Any option you set in the editor will be saved to the file
255 ~/.config/micro/settings.json so, in effect, your configuration file will be
256 created for you. If you'd like to take your configuration with you to another
257 machine, simply copy the settings.json to the other machine.
259 ## Global and local settings
261 You can set these settings either globally or locally. Locally means that the
262 setting won't be saved to `~/.config/micro/settings.json` and that it will only
263 be set in the current buffer. Setting an option globally is the default, and
264 will set the option in all buffers.
266 The `colorscheme` option is global only, and the `filetype` option is local
267 only. To set an option locally, use `setlocal` instead of `set`.
269 In the `settings.json` file you can also put set options locally by specifying either
270 a glob or a filetype. Here is an example which has `tabstospaces` on for all files except Go
271 files, and `tabsize` 4 for all files except Ruby files:
276 "tabstospaces": false
281 "tabstospaces": true,
286 Or similarly you can match with globs:
291 "tabstospaces": false
296 "tabstospaces": true,