Config and niri

Kanade’s own config, then niri’s, edited through the same engine Settings’ niri page uses.

Verb	What it does
config reload	Reads the config again now
config validate [<file>]	Says what a reload would find, without applying it; with a file, checks that file alone and exits 1 if anything
config defaults	Prints every key with its default and help; works without a shell
config schema	Prints a JSON Schema of every key, for an editor; works without a shell
config get <key>	Prints key = value as in effect, then # from the file that set it or default
config set <key> <value>	Writes the key to the settings file as the Settings window does; never touches your own files
config reset <key>	Removes the key from the settings file, so your files and the defaults give it again
niri-config validate	Runs niri validate on niri’s config ($NIRI_CONFIG, else $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/niri/config.kdl)
niri-config get <path>	Prints the value niri will use at a dotted path like layout.gaps, with # from <file> when an include sets it
niri-config set <path> <value>	Changes one setting, keeping comments, /-, blank lines and line endings
niri-config remove <path>	Removes that node’s own line, by the same checks
niri-config undo	Puts back the bytes before Kanade’s last change, only while the file is as that change left it
niri-config backups	Lists the backups, newest first, then orig, the first bytes Kanade saw
niri-config restore <n>|orig	Puts a backup back; the result must validate

kanade config get island.edge
kanade config set island.edge bottom
kanade config validate

kanade niri-config get layout.gaps
kanade niri-config set layout.gaps 16
kanade niri-config undo

A key that takes text takes it as typed; any other takes a TOML value like 300, true or [1, 2]. An unknown key or a value out of range is refused with the reason, exit 1, and nothing is written.

niri-config set changes only that node’s bytes. niri validate must accept the file first and the result before it replaces the file, and the old bytes are kept as a backup.

Caution

niri-config refuses a symlinked or hard-linked config, /etc/niri/config.kdl, a node any included file sets, a node under /-, and repeated or block nodes (window-rule, spawn-at-startup). Backups are kept in $XDG_STATE_HOME/kanade/niri-config/, a ring per config, the newest 20, readable by you only.

See also

Configuration, config defaults, and niri rules.