Configuration

virsh-tui reads ~/.config/virsh-tui/config.toml (or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME). The file is optional; every key has a default. The settings screen (,) and :set key=value write changes back to the same file, so you rarely need to edit it by hand. --config <path> uses another file, and changes made in the app are saved there.

Full example with the defaults

[general]
default_uri = "qemu:///system"   # used when -c/--connect is not given
refresh_interval_secs = 1        # how often stats are sampled
editor = "vi"                    # used when $VISUAL and $EDITOR are unset
start_view = "domains"           # domains, host, networks, storage, events
confirm_style = "yn"             # reserved, not used yet

[appearance]
theme = "tokyo-night"            # built-in name or a file in themes/
transparent = false              # use the terminal background
borders = "rounded"              # rounded, plain, double, thick
icons = "unicode"                # unicode, nerd, ascii
graphs = "braille"               # braille, block, tty
gradient = true                  # colour bars by level (green, yellow, red)
dim_modals = true                # dim the screen behind dialogs

[connections]
uris = [                         # offered by :connect completion and Settings
  "qemu:///system",
  "qemu:///session",
  "qemu+ssh://user@host/system",
]
default = "qemu:///system"

[monitoring]
balloon_on = false               # set a balloon stats period on running guests
balloon_period_secs = 2
thread_sampling = true           # per-thread CPU meters in the Host view

[confirmations]
destroy = true
reset = true
undefine = true
revert = true                    # snapshot revert
delete_volume = true
wipe = true
type_name_for_undefine = true    # type the domain name to undefine

[console]
viewer = "virt-viewer"           # or "remote-viewer"
escape = "C-]"                   # key that leaves the serial console

Notes on some settings

monitoring.balloon_on is off by default because it runs virsh dommemstat --period N --live on running domains, which changes their configuration. Without it, the memory graphs show what libvirt reports without a stats period: the balloon size and RSS, but not the guest’s own view of free memory.

console.viewer = "remote-viewer" makes v ask libvirt for the display URI (virsh domdisplay) and open it with remote-viewer. Any other value uses virt-viewer -c <uri> <domain>.

console.escape accepts C-x or ^x notation and is passed to virsh console as -e ^x.

The editor is chosen in this order: $VISUAL, $EDITOR, general.editor, then vi. Values with arguments work, for example code --wait.

Settings screen

, opens the settings. The categories on the left are General, Appearance, Keybindings, Connections, Monitoring, Confirmations, and Console & viewer. j and k move through the options; in the theme list they also preview the theme live. Enter applies and saves, h and l switch panes, Esc reverts unsaved previews and closes.

:set

:set changes one setting and saves the file:

:set theme=nord
:set graphs=block
:set refresh_interval_secs=2
:set default_uri=qemu:///session

Supported keys: theme, transparent, borders, icons, graphs, gradient, dim_modals, default_uri, editor, start_view, viewer, escape, refresh_interval_secs. Tab completes them.