Configure Skink: settings.json and bindings.json

Skink keeps its config in two JSON files in ~/.config/skink: settings.json for options and bindings.json for keys. Run :settings or :bindings to open one in a tab, edit, save with Ctrl+S, then run :reload.

A missing file is created with defaults when you open it.

Both files use Micro’s format, so a Micro config mostly works as it is.

Where the files live

OS	Folder
Linux, macOS	$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/skink, else ~/.config/skink
Windows	%APPDATA%\skink
Any	$SKINK_CONFIG_DIR if set, overrides the above

SKINK_CONFIG_DIR is handy for trying a config without touching your real one:

SKINK_CONFIG_DIR=/tmp/skink-test skink .

Comments and mistakes are fine

Both files accept // and /* */ comments and trailing commas, so you do not have to be strict about JSON.

Unknown keys are ignored. A bad value falls back to the default, and :reload tells you what was wrong.

settings.json

A small example:

{
  "tabsize": 2,
  "tabstospaces": true,
  "rulers": [80, 100],
  "formatonsave": true,
  // no blame text at the end of the line
  "inlineblame": false,
}

Main settings

Setting	Default	What it does
tabsize	4	Width of a tab, 1 to 16
tabstospaces	false	Indent with spaces in files with no indentation yet (otherwise the file’s own style is detected)
autoclose	true	Close brackets and quotes as you type
syntax	true	tree-sitter syntax colours
indentguides	true	Vertical indent guides
icons	"auto"	"auto", "nerd" or "ascii"
rulers	[]	Columns to mark with a line, e.g. [80, 100]. Micro’s colorcolumn works too
stickyscroll	true	Keep the headers of the blocks you are in at the top
autocomplete	true	Open the completion list while typing (Ctrl+Space always works)
formatonsave	false	Ask the language server to format on every save
inlayhints	false	Show the language server’s type and parameter hints
gitgutter	true	Git change marks next to the line numbers
inlineblame	true	Faded blame at the end of the cursor line
restoresession	true	skink with no arguments in a project reopens its last session
macoptionisalt	"auto"	macOS Option key handling: "auto", "always" or "never" (see macOS Option key)
updates	"notify"	"notify", "auto" or "off" (see Install)
ai.agent	"auto"	Which ACP agent to use, by name or as a command list
ai.model	"default"	Model to ask the agent for
ai.effort	"default"	"low", "medium", "high" or "max"

ai.model.MODE and ai.effort.MODE override the model and effort per prompt-box mode (rewrite, ask, search, implement). The AI settings are explained in AI agents.

Line endings

Line endings are per file, not a setting. :set eol=lf or :set eol=crlf changes them on the next save.

bindings.json

bindings.json maps a key name to an action, exactly like Micro:

{
  "Ctrl-j": "Save",
  "Alt-g": "command-edit:goto ",
  "F7": "ToggleZoom"
}

Your entries are added on top of the defaults. :reload rebuilds the key map from the defaults plus your file, so a binding you delete really goes away.

If a key name is not understood, :reload reports bindings.json: unknown key ….

A key that never arrives

If your terminal, tmux or keyboard layout swallows a key, you don’t have to rebind it. Every key also has a typed command: press Ctrl+E and type it. See Every key has a typed command.

Key names

• Modifiers: Ctrl-, Alt-, Shift-, combined like CtrlShift-d or Alt-CtrlUp. The dash is optional: CtrlHome, ShiftF12 and Ctrl-q all work.
• Keys: letters and symbols (Ctrl-/, Alt-.), Up, Down, Left, Right, Home, End, PageUp, PageDown, Enter, Tab, Backtab (Shift-Tab), Backspace, Delete, Insert, Esc, Space, F1 to F20.
• With Alt, an uppercase letter in bindings.json means Shift too: "Alt-G" is Alt+Shift+G, "Alt-g" is Alt+G. This is Micro’s notation; the rest of these docs write keys as you press them.

Chaining actions

Value	Meaning
"Copy|CopyLine"	Run the first action that works (copy the selection, else the line)
"Escape,Deselect"	Run both, in order
"command-edit:goto "	Open the command line pre-filled with goto
"command-edit:"	Open an empty command line (the default Ctrl+E)

Action names

Action names are Micro’s where Skink has the same feature (Save, SpawnMultiCursor, ToggleMacro), plus Skink’s own (QuickOpen, ToggleTerminal, RenameSymbol).

• The full list is in the manual.
• The default keys are in Keyboard shortcuts.
• More examples and terminal caveats: Key bindings.

Coming from Micro

Copy your Micro files over:

mkdir -p ~/.config/skink
cp ~/.config/micro/bindings.json ~/.config/skink/
cp ~/.config/micro/settings.json ~/.config/skink/

What carries over

• Key bindings with Micro’s key names and action names, including | and , chains.
• tabsize, tabstospaces, autoclose, syntax and colorcolumn (as a ruler).

What does not

• Settings Skink does not have are ignored silently, so they do no harm.
• Bindings to actions Skink does not have will not work. Micro’s command: prefix is not supported; use command-edit: instead.
• Micro colorschemes and Lua plugins. Skink has one built-in theme (Tokyo Night) and no plugins yet.

Note

Skink is alpha. Themes and scripting are planned but not in yet.

Applying changes

1. Run :settings or :bindings to open the file.
2. Edit it and save with Ctrl+S.
3. Run :reload to apply settings and bindings.

Saving a change to ai.agent, ai.model or ai.effort also tests the agent with a one-line chat and reports the result.

:settings puts a reference of agents, models and effort levels at the top of the file.