Configuration and settings

Prefer the supported interface

/settings (alias /config) is the main settings surface. /startup revisits starting points and /setup opens the guided wizard; focused studios such as /theme, /prompt, /layout and /strip expose related choices without making you memorize every JSON property.

NMSh uses its own config directory, normally ~/.config/nmsh, or an absolute $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nmsh where configured. config.json stores preferences; separate files hold sessions, presets and integration ownership records.

Fresh installs receive the Recommended configuration. An existing saved object with omitted fields retains historical defaults rather than silently receiving every new visual or retention preference. Explicit choices are preserved. See Setup and first run before applying a different starting point.

Updates are Automatic, Notify only or Off. With Notify, a newer stable release shows one short amber notice in the transcript, once per version, with the update steps for this installation: Homebrew commands, /update for a verified source checkout, or the release page. Off checks nothing.

Move settings, not the whole history

nmsh config export --output nmsh-settings.json
nmsh config import nmsh-settings.json

Import previews changes before confirmation. Category selection is available via --categories. Exports are settings transfers, not session or secret backups; host paths and local theme provenance are deliberately treated differently.

Review the exported text before sharing it. Do not copy runtime sockets or assume a running process can be moved between machines with a JSON file.

Keep other configuration yours

NMSh’s bootstraps are private session files, not replacement shell rc files. Explicit integrations can offer a narrowly scoped include line or supported config change. Those are reviewed diffs, not permission to rewrite unrelated settings.

Theme Bridge removes only content still matching its ownership ledger. Editing a generated file yourself can intentionally prevent automatic replacement/removal. Keep that distinction in mind when moving settings to another machine.

Diagnose before editing internals

nmsh doctor

Use diagnostics and the relevant studio first. Historical design documents can contain older schema examples; they are not a reason to paste an entire old config over a working installation.