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Configuration

config.toml lists the folders a random pick comes from and the video for each display. How phonto plays them is set on the command line.

Where phonto looks

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/phonto/config.toml, or ~/.config/phonto/config.toml when XDG_CONFIG_HOME isn’t set. That’s the path on macOS too.

phonto writes the file on its first run, with every section in it commented out.

Sections

Each section is in double brackets because it can repeat.

section	keys	what it does
`[[search_paths]]`	`path`, `depth`	A folder for `--rand` to pick from, and how many levels of folders inside it to search. See Random wallpapers.
`[[display]]`	`id`, and `path` or `random = true`	The video for one display, played when phonto runs with nothing on its command line. See Multiple displays.
`[[alias]]`	`name`, `wayland`, `macos`	One name for a display on both systems. See Aliases across machines.

config.toml

[[search_paths]]
path = "~/Videos/wallpapers"
depth = 1

[[alias]]
name = "desk"
wayland = "DP-1"
macos = "DELL U2723QE"

[[display]]
id = "desk"
random = true

Paths

Every path in the file, and every path on the command line, can start with ~/, which phonto expands to your home folder. So ~/Videos/harbour.mp4 works on Linux and macOS alike.

Flags only

The scale mode, the layer, a shader, battery pausing and the yt-dlp settings aren’t in the file. They’re flags. Put them on the command line that starts phonto, in your compositor’s config or a script.

Precedence

phonto reads [[display]] only when the command line names nothing to play. A path, --rand or --display overrides it for that run.