Custom Config Directories

Use custom configuration directories for portable setups, testing, or multiple profiles.

Basic Usage

sunsetr --config ~/dotfiles/sunsetr/

Directory Structure

The custom directory must maintain the same structure:

~/dotfiles/sunsetr/
├── sunsetr.toml         # Main configuration
├── geo.toml             # Optional: geographic coordinates
└── presets/             # Optional: presets
    ├── day/
    │   └── sunsetr.toml
    └── gaming/
        └── sunsetr.toml

Commands and the Custom Directory

Once started with --config, all subsequent commands use the custom directory:

# Start with custom config
sunsetr --config ~/dotfiles/sunsetr/

# All commands use custom directory
sunsetr preset gaming
sunsetr geo
sunsetr set night_temp=3500
sunsetr status

Note: You don't need to specify --config for subsequent commands during the same session.

You can also pass --config <dir> explicitly to any command that reads or writes config files (run, restart, preset, get, set, geo) to act on that directory without relying on a running instance. It also works with --simulate. The flag may appear before or after the command name.

stop, test, and status act on the already-running instance over the lock file and IPC. They do not take a configuration directory: stop and status use whichever directory the running instance was started with, and test is a transient command that restores the previous state when it exits. Passing --config to any of them has no effect and is ignored.

Use Cases

Portable Configuration:

# Keep config with dotfiles
~/dotfiles/
└── sunsetr/
    ├── sunsetr.toml
    └── presets/

# Use from dotfiles
sunsetr --config ~/dotfiles/sunsetr/

Testing Configuration:

# Create test config
mkdir -p ~/test-sunsetr
cp ~/.config/sunsetr/sunsetr.toml ~/test-sunsetr/

# Test without affecting main config
sunsetr --config ~/test-sunsetr/

Multiple Profiles:

# Work profile
sunsetr --config ~/configs/sunsetr-work/

# Home profile
sunsetr --config ~/configs/sunsetr-home/

# Travel profile
sunsetr --config ~/configs/sunsetr-travel/

Simulation with Custom Config:

sunsetr --config ~/test-config/ \
    --simulate "2025-01-15 18:00:00" "2025-01-16 08:00:00" 60

Configuration Precedence

When using custom directories:

Custom directory files take precedence
Default directory is never read
All operations affect custom directory only

Lock Files and IPC

Custom directories create separate lock files and IPC sockets:

# Default instance
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/sunsetr/sunsetr.lock
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/sunsetr/ipc.sock

# Custom instance (hashed path)
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/sunsetr/sunsetr-<hash>.lock
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/sunsetr/ipc-<hash>.sock

This allows multiple instances with different config directories to run simultaneously.

Sunsetr User Guide