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live: heartbeat sync 2026-10-18T20:54:41-07:00 (Refs #11)

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---
name: noctalia-bar-layout-edit
description: "Edit/verify Noctalia v5 bar layout and clock widgets (multi-timezone instances, capsule groups); GUI→repo propagation chain, settings.toml symlink audit, and clobber-recovery via dangling stashes on Frank's dotfiles workstations"
description: "Edit/verify Noctalia v5 bar layout and clock widgets (multi-timezone instances, capsule groups); GUI-repo propagation chain, settings.toml symlink audit, and stash-clobber recovery on Frank's dotfiles workstations"
---
# Noctalia v5 bar layout edit
Bar widget layout on Frank's noctalia v5 workstations is GUI-override state, not config.toml.
## Where
- Layout file: `~/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml` → `[bar.<name>]` keys `start` / `center` / `end` (arrays of widget ids; `[widget.<id>]` subtables hold per-widget settings).
- On Frank's boxes this file MUST be a **symlink into the command-center repo** (e.g. `~/.omp/dotfiles/noctalia/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml`) — edit the repo file, not the link path (atomic-rename writes through the link path would replace the symlink).
- Layout file: `~/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml` -> `[bar.<name>]` keys `start` / `center` / `end` (arrays of widget ids; `[widget.<id>]` subtables hold per-widget settings).
- On Frank's boxes this file MUST be a **symlink into the command-center repo** (e.g. `~/.omp/dotfiles/noctalia/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml`) - edit the repo file, not the link path (atomic-rename writes through the link path would replace the symlink).
- Layer order: built-in defaults < `~/.config/noctalia/config.toml` (+`[include]`) < `settings.toml` (wins). Noctalia writes through symlinks and keeps them.
- Defaults when a key is absent: `start = ["launcher","wallpaper","workspaces"]`, `center = ["clock"]`.
- **Noctalia rewrites this file itself** (GUI actions + normalizes keys/format, e.g. strips `{:%...}` braces, reorders widget lists). Always re-read the exact lines immediately before editing; stale line anchors WILL drift between reads.
- Defaults when a key is absent: `start = ["launcher","wallpaper","workspaces"]`, `center = ["clock"]`, `end = ["notifications","clipboard","network","bluetooth","tray","battery","session","control-center","clock"]`.
## GUI→repo propagation (checkout-is-deployment)
- `~/.config/noctalia/config.toml` is symlinked into the repo → GUI settings writes land in the repo working tree automatically.
- `~/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml` can SILENTLY become a plain file (observed 2026-10-17; hardlink/symlink wiring decays) → GUI bar-layout changes then diverge from the repo with no signal. AUDIT: `readlink ~/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml` must print the repo path; if it's a plain file and repo copy is content-identical, re-arm: `ln -sfn <repo-path> <live-path>` + `noctalia config validate`.
- Landing in the working tree ≠ propagated: other boxes only see it after commit + push to Gitea main. `live-sync.path` (PR #15; DirectoryNotEmpty on `dotfiles/`) commits dotfiles-tier writes within ~2 s once deployed — until it is active on a box, the hourly heartbeat leaves up to 59 min of exposure, and on 2026-10-18 exactly that window let a trunk-sync stash destroy months of GUI layout work. Until verified active (`systemctl --user status live-sync.path`), commit GUI layout edits the same session yourself. Noctalia's runtime churn (wallpaper path, nightlight, panel positions) rides along; normal.
- niri has NO settings GUI; niri "GUI changes" don't exist, and `niri msg output ...` runtime overrides are not persisted. niri cfg mirror↔live links also decay (all inodes decoupled once) → audit by CONTENT: `diff` every `~/.config/niri/cfg/*.kdl` against its `dotfiles/zz-blankpad/niri/...` mirror, never trust links.
## Clobber window and recovery (2026-10-18 incident law)
- GUI-built layout is **working-tree-only until the hourly live-sync heartbeat commits it**. A merge/sync session that "clears the dirty tree" can `git stash` those edits, and later stash operations can destroy the entries - customizations then vanish from the live bar with the repo copy stale.
- Never blame the GUI or noctalia first: diff live file vs `HEAD`, check heartbeat commits (`git log -- dotfiles/noctalia/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml`), then the stash chain.
- Destroyed stashes are recoverable: `git fsck --lost-found` lists dangling commits; `git show <dangling>:dotfiles/noctalia/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml` dumps each candidate; pick by `[bar.default]` richness (capsule groups, extra clock instances). Validate a candidate in a sandboxed `XDG_*_HOME` before touching the live file.
- After recovery, commit the file immediately so the window closes.
## If the bar got wiped (recovery)
- The working-tree file is often the ONLY copy of GUI work; a `git checkout`/stash/merge clobber is survivable because git objects outlive stash entries: `git fsck --lost-found`, inspect `git log -1 --format='%ci %s' <dangling>` (newest `WIP on` stash commits hold the last good settings.toml), dump with `git show <c>:dotfiles/noctalia/.local/state/noctalia/settings.toml`.
- Before restoring: back up the clobbered file to `.AGENTTRASH/`; validate the candidate in a sandbox (`XDG_CONFIG_HOME=… XDG_STATE_HOME=… noctalia config validate` — plugin-widget "unrecognized type" warnings there are offline-CLI blindness, not blockers); restore via `cp` onto the repo path (cp writes through the symlink; `mv` would replace it); prove visually with `noctalia msg screenshot-fullscreen`; commit immediately.
- Cross-check the recovered layout against Frank's old screenshots in `~/Pictures/screenshot_*.png` (crop top ~7% with magick) — they are ground truth for what the bar should look like.
## Widgets (v5 census, verified 2026-10-17)
- Full roster in `settings.toml` widget_order plus docs: activity, backlinks, battery, bluetooth, brief, bright, cat, cheatsheet, chart, clipby, clipboard, control-center, cpu, controls, cava (now playing), disk, gpu, help, keyboard, language, launcher, mediaplayer, memory, mic, network, night-light, noctalia-palette, notification-history, notifications, niri-colors, power-section, power-profile, screenrecord, scratchpad, screenshot, session, shell (custom shell command), slowouts, slowouts-visible (per-output bar assignment), speedtest, swayosd-*, taskbar, tray, voiceline, volume, wallpaper, weather, workspaces.
- `clock` widget: `format` (chrono strftime), `schema` (12/24), `multi_line`, `show_seconds`, `popup`, and **timezone** = IANA name. Multiple clock widget instances are supported: ids like `clock`, `clock-utc`, `clock-sea` each get a `[widget.<id>]` subtable -> one capsule per instance. This is how multi-timezone (Seattle work + UTC dev) lands: add `clock` + `clock-utc` to `end` (or `center`), set `timezone = "Etc/UTC"` on the utc one.
- `cat` widget: shows random ASCII art, `rows` setting (4-10).
- `shell` widget: `command`, `run interval` (seconds), `icon`, `terminal`; output lands in its capsule popup - can wrap any CLI (hyprstatus-style).
- `taskbar` widget: shows window buttons **only on outputs where `niri-bridged` is enabled** (noctalia-launcher enables it). Buttons render **icon-only** (app icon from icon theme; fallback = first letter of title); the window title string is NOT shown in the bar. Hover tooltip carries title + app_name. Per-widget settings: `show_icons`, `show_actions`, `disable_middle_click`, `preferred_app_names` (map app_name -> icon for missing icons).
- Widget ids usable in `[bar.*].start|center|end` are restricted to "bar widgets" (`is_bar_widget` allowlist in `bar.rs`); non-bar widget ids are silently dropped at load. `group:<id>` entries render capsule groups.
- Capsule groups: `[bar.<name>.capsule_groups]` id = `["widget",...]`.
- Niri layout law for bars: window width must stay **odd** (strut = (W-1)/2); bars reserve via layer-shell, niri's reserved area = layer surface size, so bar height changes need no niri edit.
## Apply/verify loop (no restart, no reload IPC)
1. Edit the repo `settings.toml`.
2. `noctalia config validate` (checks merged layers; also `noctalia config export [full] | yq -p toml` to inspect effective values).
3. Both layers are file-watched → hot-reload. Prove visually: `noctalia msg screenshot-fullscreen` saves a PNG to `~/Pictures`; read the image and inspect the bar.
4. **Screenshot race:** the `ok` return precedes the PNG write. Never chain `noctalia msg screenshot-fullscreen && magick "$(ls -t ~/Pictures/screenshot_*.png | head -1)" ...` in one command — you crop the PREVIOUS capture. List `ls -t` in a separate later call and crop the named file.
5. Crop for reading: `magick <png> -crop 100%x8%+0+0 +repage /tmp/strip.png`, then read the strip; cross-check clocks against `date -u` / `date`.
## Bar styles (GUI-visible, settings.toml keys)
- `[bar.*]`: `thickness`, `font_family`, `font_weight`, `font_size`, `opacity`, `border_width`, `border_offset`, `rounded`, `paddings`, `icon_ratio`, `follow_layout`, `output`, `exclusive`, `layer` (`bottom` = below window layer; `overlay` = above windows), `position` (`top`/`bottom`).
- Per-monitor bars: add a `[bar.<name>]` with `output = "<monitor>"` and `follow_layout = true` (niri) -> per-workspace strut follows tall windows on that monitor. This is the mechanism for "bar shrinks when a window is tall" (the bar is a layer-shell strut, NOT a niri layer rule).
- The GUI "Bar" page is the reference list; anything absent from settings.toml is a built-in default.
## Clock widgets
- `[widget.clock]` settings: `format`, `vertical_format`, `tooltip_format`, `timezone` (IANA id, e.g. `"UTC"`, `""` = system local). Tokens are strftime-compatible (`%H` 24h, `%I:%M %p` 12h, `%F` ISO date); `{:%...}` brace fields optional; `\n` = second line. Docs: docs.noctalia.dev → bar/widgets/clock + configuration/date-format-tokens.
- **One timezone per widget; multiple instances allowed:** any `[widget.<id>]` needs `type = "clock"` for custom ids (bare `clock` id infers it). Each instance converts independently — e.g. local 12h + `timezone = "UTC"` 24h side by side.
- Placement: add ids to `[bar.<name>]` start/center/end, or to a capsule group: `[[bar.default.capsule_group]]` with `id = "g1"` + `members = [...]`, referenced from `start` as `"group:g1"` (member order = left-to-right inside the capsule).
- Local date + local 12h fit in ONE widget (same tz); the UTC 24h clock must be a second widget.
- Expect the date widget (local) and UTC clock to disagree on the day after ~5 PM Seattle — that's correct UTC, not a bug; offer `%F` inside the UTC widget if it irks.
## Slowouts (window-height-aware bars/panels)
- `slowouts` = hidden engine (not a bar capsule): `[slowouts]` keys `enabled`, `duration`, `easing`, `trigger_offset`; per-monitor `[slowouts.<monitor-name>]` overrides (e.g. `DP-1`) with the same keys plus `edge`.
- `position = "top"` + `exclusive = false` + slowouts on the monitor -> panel hides when a window touches its edge, re-reveals otherwise. `slowouts-visible` = toggle capsule.
- **Slowouts needs niri workspace-autoresize ON** (niri `workspace-autoresize` = "per-workspace" in cfg/layout.kdl `output ... { workspace-autoresize per-workspace }`): noctalia computes hide from workspace height < panel bottom edge; uniform-strut layouts never trigger it.
- Per-output bars: slowouts config keys are monitor names, so one `[bar.<x>]` with `output` + `exclusive=false` + `layer=overlay` per slowout monitor is the supported shape.
## Taskbar recipes
- Move window indicator beside workspaces: put `"taskbar"` in `start` after `"workspaces"`.
- Combine workspaces+windows into ONE widget: `[widget.taskbar] group_by_workspace = true` — per-workspace capsules with disc labels (focused/occupied/empty/urgent colors); `workspace_group_content = "icons"|"count"|"dots"` (count/dots: left-click activates the workspace); `hide_empty_workspaces`, `show_workspace_label`, `minimal`, `workspace_label_placement = corner|centered|inside`. Requires compositor per-window workspace assignment (niri: yes; LabWC: no → stays flat).
## Layout modes and window title decorations
- `[layout]`: `mode` (`tiling`|`floating`|`monocle`), `pseudotiled`, `focus_bar` (window-title bar at top, center, layer-shell; style via `[ui.controls...]`/bar-ish settings), `window_follows_cursor`, `gaps`, `border_width`, `rounded`, `blur`, `opacity`, `borderless_csd`, `show_native_decoration`.
- `focus_bar` is the noctalia analog of niri's drawn window title, but ONE global bar (no per-window arrows). True per-window title tags = niri `draw-with-border` on window rules; noctalia adds no per-window decoration (it's a bar app + portal, composites nothing).
- Floating mode: right-click desktop / `SUPER+Shift+F` / toggle widget; widgets `floating-directories`, `floating-files`, `pins` (sticky notes), `canvas`, `sketchpad`, `post-its`. Float windows snap to screen quarters (`SUPER+Ctrl+Alt+Arrows`) and tile into current layout (`SUPER+Shift+T`). `[layout.floating.files]` = icon/view/sort/preview size.
- `[bar.*].window_display` = `disabled`|`icons`|`text`|`combined` - per-window chips in the bar strip (niri only; this is what niri-taskbar could not do). Values: `disabled`|`icons`|`centered`|`inside`. Requires compositor per-window workspace assignment (niri: yes; LabWC: no -> stays flat).
- The `workspaces` widget itself has no window display; styles are regular/minimal/focus_hint only.
## Law
- Full widget/setting tables: https://docs.noctalia.dev/noctalia/bar/ and .../bar/widgets/<name>/ . Commit bar changes atomically to the command-center repo (checkout is the deployment).
- **Ask before applying.** Frank asks "how do I X" questions about the live bar; answer with the exact snippet + file, apply ONLY on explicit go. A settings.toml edit is a live-deployment change, not a demo. (Exception: restoring Frank's own layout after data loss, on his ask.)
- Git `M` on settings.toml usually carries noctalia's own runtime churn (wallpaper path, nightlight, panel positions) alongside your edit — mention it when committing.
- **Ask before applying.** Frank asks "how do I X" questions about the live bar; answer with the exact snippet + file, apply ONLY on explicit go. A settings.toml edit is a live-deployment change, not a demo.
- Git `M` on settings.toml usually carries noctalia's own runtime churn (wallpaper path, nightlight, panel positions) alongside your edit - mention it when committing.
- Right after building layout in the GUI, commit settings.toml (or trigger `scripts/live-sync.sh`) before any branch/merge work: the uncommitted-GUI-edit window is exactly where the 2026-10-18 clobber happened.