Datoso uses INI-style configuration files to manage settings across different sections. The configuration system supports both global and local configurations with a clear precedence order.
Configuration File Locations
Datoso reads configuration files in the following order, with later files overriding earlier ones:
- Default configuration:
src/datoso/datoso.ini (bundled with Datoso)
- Home directory:
~/.datosorc (user-specific global config)
- XDG config directory:
~/.config/datoso/datoso.config (preferred global location)
- Current working directory:
.datosorc (project-specific local config)
Configuration files are read in order, with each subsequent file overriding values from previous files. This allows you to set global defaults and override them per-project.
Configuration File Structure
The configuration file uses INI format with sections and key-value pairs:
[GENERAL]
# This is the default union character
UnionCharacter = -
[COMMAND]
# This will try to quiet output
Quiet = false
# This will show every command executed and its output
Verbose = false
[LOG]
# This will log every command executed and its output
Logging = false
LogLevel = INFO
# This is the path to the log file
LogFile = datoso.log
[PATHS]
# the relative path to the database and configuration file
DatosoPath = ~/.config/datoso
# The path for the dats inside RomVaultPath
DatPath = ~/ROMVault/DatRoot
# the name of the database file
DatabaseFile = datoso.json
# the relative path to the temporary file
DownloadPath = ~/.datoso/dats
Configuration Sections
GENERAL
General application settings.
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
UnionCharacter | string | - | Character used to join string elements |
COMMAND
Command-line behavior settings.
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
Quiet | boolean | false | Suppress output messages |
Verbose | boolean | false | Show detailed command execution and output |
LOG
Logging configuration.
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
Logging | boolean | false | Enable file logging (independent of Quiet setting) |
LogLevel | string | INFO | Logging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR) |
LogFile | string | datoso.log | Name of the log file |
PREFIXES
Platform prefixes for organizing DAT files. These replace modifiers when processing.
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|
Arcade | Arcade | Arcade systems |
Audio | Other/Audio | Audio devices |
Book | Other/Book | E-book readers |
Calculator | Other/Calculator | Calculators |
Computer | Computer | Computer systems |
Console | Consoles | Console systems |
Handheld | Consoles | Handheld consoles |
PDA | Mobile | PDAs |
Phone | Mobile | Phone systems |
Source Code | Other/Source Code | Source code archives |
Video | Other/Video | Video players |
Mobile | Mobile | Mobile devices |
Manuals | Other/Manuals | Manual collections |
BIOS Images | Other/BIOS Images | BIOS files |
IMPORT
Import operation settings.
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
IgnoreRegEx | regex | (empty) | Regular expression to ignore files during import |
PROCESS
Processing behavior settings.
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
Overwrite | boolean | false | Overwrite existing DAT files |
DatIgnoreRegEx | regex | .*(?:Update ROMs).* | Ignore DAT files matching this pattern |
SeedIgnoreRegEx | regex | (empty) | Ignore seeds matching this pattern when using all |
ProcessMissingInAction | boolean | false | Process MIA (Missing In Action) ROMs if found |
MarkAllRomsInSet | boolean | true | Mark all ROMs in a set if one is MIA |
AutoMergeEnabled | boolean | true | Remove duplicates within the same DAT |
ParentMergeEnabled | boolean | true | Remove duplicates from parent DAT |
UPDATE_URLS
External data source URLs.
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|
GoogleSheetUrl | https://laromicas.github.io/data/systems.json | URL for system rules configuration |
GoogleSheetMIAUrl | https://laromicas.github.io/data/mia.json | URL for MIA data |
DOWNLOAD
Download behavior settings.
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
PrefferDownloadUtility | string | wget | Preferred download tool (wget, urllib, curl, aria2c) |
Workers | integer | 10 | Number of simultaneous downloads |
Getting Configuration Values
Use the datoso config --get command to retrieve configuration values:
# Get the current active value
datoso config --get PATHS.DatPath
# Get value from global config only
datoso config --get PATHS.DatPath --global
# Get value from local config only
datoso config --get PATHS.DatPath --local
SECTION.Option (case-sensitive).
Setting Configuration Values
Use the datoso config --set command to modify configuration values:
# Set in global config (~/.config/datoso/datoso.config)
datoso config --set PATHS.DatPath ~/MyDats
# Set in local config (.datosorc in current directory)
datoso config --set PATHS.DatPath ~/MyDats --local
The --set command creates the configuration file if it doesn’t exist and adds the section if needed.
Environment Variables
Configuration values can be overridden using environment variables with the format SECTION.OPTION:
# Override the DatPath configuration
export PATHS.DATPATH=~/CustomDats
datoso seed redump
# Override logging settings
export LOG.LOGGING=true
export LOG.LOGLEVEL=DEBUG
datoso seed redump
Local vs Global Configuration
Global Configuration
Global configuration affects all Datoso operations for your user account:
- Location:
~/.config/datoso/datoso.config (preferred) or ~/.datosorc
- Use case: System-wide defaults, paths, credentials
- Set with:
datoso config --set SECTION.Option value
Local Configuration
Local configuration is project-specific:
- Location:
.datosorc in your project directory
- Use case: Project-specific overrides, testing settings
- Set with:
datoso config --set SECTION.Option value --local
Use local configuration files in project directories to override global settings for specific workflows or testing scenarios.
Best Practices
- Keep sensitive data out of config files: Use environment variables for credentials
- Use local configs for testing: Override settings temporarily without affecting global config
- Document custom settings: Add comments to explain non-standard configurations
- Version control: Add
.datosorc to .gitignore if it contains machine-specific paths
- Use absolute paths: Prefix paths with
~ for home directory or use absolute paths to avoid confusion
Programmatic Access
In Python code, access configuration using the config object:
from datoso.configuration import config
# Get a string value
dat_path = config.get('PATHS', 'DatPath', fallback='~/ROMVault/DatRoot')
# Get a boolean value
verbose = config.getboolean('COMMAND', 'Verbose', fallback=False)
# Access with dictionary syntax
log_level = config['LOG']['LogLevel']