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Configuration Reference

Bootible uses YAML configuration files to define what gets installed and configured on your device.

Configuration Hierarchy

Configuration is loaded in this priority order (later overrides earlier):

1. Default config       config/<platform>/config.yml
2. Local config         ~/.config/bootible/<platform>/config.yml
3. Private repo config  private/device/<platform>/<instance>/config.yml

Configuration Files

Default Configuration

The default configuration lives in the Bootible repository:

config/
├── steamdeck/
│   └── config.yml      # Steam Deck defaults
└── rog-ally/
    └── config.yml      # ROG Ally defaults

Don't edit these directly unless you've forked the repo. Use a private config instead.

Private Configuration

Your personal overrides live in your private repository:

private/device/
├── steamdeck/
│   └── MySteamDeck/
│       └── config.yml  # Your Steam Deck config
└── rog-ally/
    └── MyRogAlly/
        └── config.yml  # Your ROG Ally config

You only need to include settings you want to change from defaults.

Configuration Structure

Both platforms use similar structure organized by category:

# =============================================================================
# SYSTEM
# =============================================================================
hostname: "my-device"
create_snapshot: true  # or create_restore_point on Windows

# =============================================================================
# APPLICATIONS
# =============================================================================
install_discord: true
install_spotify: true

# =============================================================================
# GAMING
# =============================================================================
install_steam: true

# ... and so on

Platform-Specific References

Common Patterns

Enabling/Disabling Features

Most features use install_* or enable_* boolean keys:

# Enable a feature
install_discord: true

# Disable a feature
install_discord: false

Nested Configuration

Some features have sub-options:

# Static IP configuration
static_ip:
  enabled: true
  address: "192.168.1.100/24"
  gateway: "192.168.1.1"
  dns:
    - "1.1.1.1"
    - "8.8.8.8"

Lists

Lists are specified with - prefix:

ssh_authorized_keys:
  - "desktop.pub"
  - "laptop.pub"

Choices/Enums

Some options accept specific values:

# Install one or more password managers: "1password", "bitwarden", "keepassxc", "protonpass"
password_managers:
  - "1password"

# Must be one of: "auto", "internal", "sdcard"
emulation_storage: "auto"

Validation

Bootible validates your configuration before running. Invalid values cause clear error messages:

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
                    CONFIGURATION ERRORS FOUND
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

The following configuration values have incorrect types:

  - ssh_port: expected int, got string ('22')
  - install_discord: expected bool, got string ('yes')

Fix the above errors in your config.yml before continuing.

Common Mistakes

Wrong Correct Issue
ssh_port: "22" ssh_port: 22 Port should be number, not string
install_discord: yes install_discord: true Use true/false, not yes/no
password_manager: 1Password password_manager: "1password" Use exact lowercase value

Example Configurations

Minimal Config

A minimal private config might look like:

# private/device/steamdeck/MySteamDeck/config.yml

# Just the things I want different from defaults
hostname: "mysteamdeck"

# Apps I want
install_discord: true
install_spotify: true
install_moonlight: true

# Decky plugins I want enabled
decky_plugins:
  css_loader:
    enabled: true
  hltb:
    enabled: true

Everything else uses defaults.

Full Config

For complete examples with all available options, see the default configuration files: