> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.otter-shell.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# otter-settings

> Graphical editor for Otter Shell app configs, themes, and bar layout.

**`otter-settings`** is the default way to configure Otter Shell. Tabs for every app, a theme browser, and drag-and-drop bar layout. Prefer `$EDITOR`? Same files either way.

## Usage

```bash theme={null}
otter-settings
```

Launch from [otter-launcher](/desktop/otter-launcher) or bind a compositor hotkey (for example `Super+Comma`).

<Note>
  Writes to `~/.config/otter-shell/*.conf`. Running apps reload via inotify after **Apply**.
</Note>

## Why use otter-settings

| Benefit    | Detail                                                                      |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| No syntax  | Toggles, dropdowns, color swatches, and steppers instead of key-value files |
| Search     | Find fields by key, label, value, or section                                |
| Bar layout | Drag widget chips instead of editing `layout_left` strings                  |
| Themes     | Preview all 12 presets before applying                                      |
| Safe saves | Keeps comments, field order, and custom fields                              |

## Config files managed

| Tab           | File                   |
| ------------- | ---------------------- |
| Bar           | `otter-bar.conf`       |
| Launcher      | `otter-launcher.conf`  |
| Notifications | `notifications.conf`   |
| Wallpaper     | `otter-wallpaper.conf` |
| OSD           | `otter-osd.conf`       |
| Jade          | `otter-jade.conf`      |
| Logout        | `otter-logout.conf`    |
| Polkit        | `otter-polkit.conf`    |
| Lock          | `otter-lock.conf`      |
| Idle          | `otter-idle.conf`      |
| Terminal      | `otter-term.conf`      |
| Theme Gen     | `otter-theme-gen.conf` |
| Recorder      | `otter-rec.conf`       |
| Voice         | `otter-vox.conf`       |
| Theme         | `theme.conf`           |
| Monitor       | `otter-monitor.conf`   |
| Assist        | `otter-assist.conf`    |
| Clicker       | `otter-clicker.conf`   |

Also includes drag-and-drop bar layout, custom bar buttons, and clipboard paste (Ctrl+V) in text fields via Wayland data device.

## Theme Gen tab

The **Theme Gen** tab edits `otter-theme-gen.conf`. The `otter-theme-gen` daemon ships with `otter-shell`. Autostart it with [otter-wallpaper](/desktop/otter-wallpaper) so it can read `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/otter-shell/wallpaper-state` and update `theme.conf`.

On the tab:

* **Enabled**: turn wallpaper-reactive theming on or off
* **Mode**: dark or light palette
* **Islands mode**: Otter Shell Islands surface styling
* **Strategy**: how colors are pulled from the wallpaper (`material_you`, `analogous`, `vibrant`, `monochromatic`, `direct`, `temperature`)
* **Contrast**, **Vibrancy**, and **Opacity**: tune the generated palette
* **Templates**: pick which third-party configs get rewritten (terminals, GTK, Hyprland Lua at `~/.config/hypr/otter-theme.lua`, `bottom`, btop, KDE color schemes, Papirus folder colors, and others)

Turn on only the templates you want overwritten. Click **Apply** to save. For fixed presets instead, see [Themes](/configuration/themes). See [otter-theme-gen](/desktop/otter-theme-gen) for daemon details.

## Monitor tab

The **Monitor** tab edits `otter-monitor.conf` for [otter-monitor](/apps/otter-monitor):

* **Refresh interval seconds**: how often the collector polls `/proc` and sysfs (1 to 3600)

Restart `otter-monitor` after you change the refresh interval. Theme colors still hot-reload from `theme.conf`.

## Clicker tab

The **Clicker** tab edits `otter-clicker.conf` for [otter-clicker](/apps/otter-clicker). Interval, button, single or double click, repeat count, jitter, hold time, and fixed-position mode.

## Assist tab

The **Assist** tab edits `otter-assist.conf` for the [otter-assist](/apps/otter-assist) daemon (from `otter-shell-extras`):

* **Backend**: `cpu` or `vulkan`
* **Vulkan device**: GPU index, or `-1` for llama.cpp auto selection
* **Idle seconds**: unload the idle model after this many seconds (default `120`)
* Tool toggles and always-allow flags for knowledge, web, weather, and desktop search
* **Pika search URL**, knowledge index path, and tool-call budgets

Full key list: [otter-assist](/apps/otter-assist). The chat client keeps its own file, `otter-assistant.conf`, for window size, generation limits, and UI always-allow flags.

## What otter-settings does not configure

Compositor hotkeys (launcher, screenshot, lock) belong in your Wayland compositor config. See [Keybinds](/configuration/keybinds).

`otter-screenshot` has no persistent config file. CLI flags only.

## Theme presets

Otter Shell, Otter Shell Islands, Catppuccin variants, Nord, Gruvbox, Dracula, Tokyo Night, and One Dark. See [Themes](/configuration/themes) for color token details.