Configuration

Clans stores configuration information and other data (login cookies, newlove read state, etc.) in its profile directory. The path to this directory is reported by:

$ clans config --dir

By default, this is a folder inside your operating system’s designated place for application data, but it can also be set using the $CLANS_DIR environment variable.

Persistent configuration is set in a file called clans.cfg, in the clans profile directory. You can go directly to editing the configuration file with:

$ clans config

clans.cfg follows the ConfigParser syntax: essentially, it consists of sections, each led by a [section] header and followed by name: value or name=value entries.

Getting started

You will probably want to set at least two values in the configuration file:

• your username
• your preferred output format

To set your username, create the [login] section and add a username entry:

[login]
username=baldwint

With this value set, I will no longer have to specify -u baldwint every time I use clans.

I’m also accustomed to passing --format color when I read plans. I can avoid passing this every time by setting format=color in the [clans] section. I add the following:

[clans]
format=color

Now clans will always make colorized output, unless I specify otherwise.

By section

The [login] section sets options to do with authentication. The following configuration options may be set:

username:sets a default value for the --username flag, if it is not specified. url:sets the location of the Plans service to use for login. Defaults to http://www.grinnellplans.com.

The [clans] section controls how the command-line client behaves.

format:sets a default value for the --format flag, if it is not specified. editor:sets which editor to use when editing your plan, in case you want to use one other than is set by the EDITOR environment variable.