Global Settings

Configure Envloom’s global behavior including auto-start, auto-update, and Windows startup integration

Overview

Envloom stores global settings in ~/.envloom/config.json. These settings control application behavior, service management, and system integration. All settings can be modified through the desktop UI’s Settings page or by directly editing the configuration file.

Changes to global settings take effect immediately and persist across application restarts.

Configuration File Location

The global configuration file is stored at:

%USERPROFILE%\.envloom\config.json

On a typical Windows installation, this resolves to:

C:\Users\YourUsername\.envloom\config.json

Available Settings

Auto-Start Services

autoStartServices · boolean · default: "true"

Controls whether PHP-FPM, Nginx, and MariaDB services start automatically when Envloom launches.

When enabled, all installed and configured services will start in the background on application launch, allowing immediate access to your local sites.

UI Location: Settings > Auto-start services on app launch

Enabled (Default)

{
  "autoStartServices": true
}

If you disable auto-start services, you’ll need to manually start services from the dashboard or use the “Start all” button before accessing your sites.

Auto-Update

autoUpdate · boolean · default: "true"

Enables automatic hourly checks for runtime updates (PHP, Node.js, MariaDB).

When enabled, Envloom checks for new runtime versions every hour and displays an Update button in the UI when newer versions are available. The actual update is never performed automatically—you always control when to update.

UI Location: Settings > Check for updates hourly

Enabled (Default)

{
  "autoUpdate": true
}

Disabling auto-update reduces background network activity but means you’ll need to manually check for runtime updates.

Start with Windows

startWithWindows · boolean · default: "false"

Configures Envloom to launch automatically when Windows starts.

When enabled, Envloom creates a registry entry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run to start the application at login.

UI Location: Settings > Start with Windows

Enabled

{
  "startWithWindows": true
}

This setting requires elevation (UAC) to modify the Windows registry. You’ll be prompted for administrator access when toggling this option.

Start Minimized

startMinimized · boolean · default: "false"

Controls whether Envloom starts in the system tray instead of showing the main window.

When enabled and combined with Start with Windows, Envloom launches silently to the system tray, keeping services running in the background without showing the UI.

UI Location: Settings > Start minimized to tray

Enabled

{
  "startMinimized": true
}

Combine startWithWindows: true and startMinimized: true for a seamless background development environment that starts automatically and stays out of your way.

Complete Configuration Example

~/.envloom/config.json

{
  "autoStartServices": true,
  "autoUpdate": true,
  "startWithWindows": false,
  "startMinimized": false
}

Legacy Compatibility

autoStart (Legacy)

Older versions of Envloom used autoStart instead of autoStartServices. The configuration system maintains backward compatibility:

{
  "autoStart": true  // Still works, mapped to autoStartServices
}

When Envloom loads a configuration with the legacy autoStart key, it automatically migrates to autoStartServices. Future saves will use the new key name.

Managing Settings via UI

All global settings can be managed through the desktop application:

1. Launch Envloom
2. Navigate to Settings in the sidebar
3. Toggle the desired options
4. Changes save automatically

Managing Settings via CLI

While the CLI doesn’t currently expose a dedicated settings command, you can directly edit the configuration file:

# Open config in your editor
notepad %USERPROFILE%\.envloom\config.json

After editing, restart Envloom for changes to take effect.

Accessing Settings in Code

For developers extending Envloom, settings are exposed via the AppSettings struct:

src-tauri/src/domain/models.rs

pub struct AppSettings {
    pub auto_start_services: bool,  // Renamed from autoStart
    pub auto_update: bool,
    pub start_with_windows: bool,
    pub start_minimized: bool,
}

Settings are loaded at application startup and persisted to ~/.envloom/config.json via the infrastructure/persistence.rs module.

Related Configuration

File Paths

Learn about Envloom’s file structure and important directories

Per-Site Config

Configure runtime versions and settings per individual site