Configuration

KiLM uses configuration files to manage library paths, environment variables, and KiCad integration settings.

Configuration File Locations

KiLM Configuration

KiLM stores its main configuration in standard user directories:

Linux/macOS: ~/.config/kicad-lib-manager/config.yaml
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.config\kicad-lib-manager\config.yaml

KiCad Configuration

KiLM automatically detects and modifies KiCad’s configuration files:

Library Tables: sym-lib-table (symbols) and fp-lib-table (footprints)
Environment Variables: kicad_common.json
Platform-specific paths:
- Linux: ~/.config/kicad/
- macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/kicad/
- Windows: %APPDATA%\kicad\

KiLM Configuration (`config.yaml`)

The config.yaml file manages KiLM’s global settings and library registry:

Configuration Structure

libraries: Array of registered library entries
- name: Unique identifier for the library
- path: Absolute path to the library directory
- type: Library type (github, cloud, etc.)
current_library: Path to the active library (used by kilm status)
max_backups: Number of backup files to retain (default: 5)

Example Configuration

current_library: /home/user/kicad-libraries/company-lib
libraries:
  - name: company-symbols-footprints
    path: /home/user/kicad-libraries/company-lib
    type: github
  - name: shared-3d-models
    path: /mnt/shared/kicad/3d-models
    type: cloud
  - name: personal-components
    path: /home/user/personal-kicad-lib
    type: github
max_backups: 5

Library Metadata (`kilm.yaml`)

Each library directory can contain a kilm.yaml file with metadata:

name: company-library
description: Main component library for ACME Corp
env_var: ACME_LIB_PATH
version: "1.0.0"

This file is created by kilm init and used to share library information across teams.

Backup files: *.backup.YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS format
Location: Same directory as original KiCad config files
Retention: Controlled by max_backups setting
Files backed up:
- sym-lib-table (symbol library table)
- fp-lib-table (footprint library table)
- kicad_common.json (environment variables)

Configuration Commands

Common configuration management commands:

# View current configuration
kilm status

# Set default library
kilm config set-default /path/to/library

# View configuration file location
kilm config --help