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tinct files

Track and manage files generated by tinct.

Synopsis​

tinct files <subcommand> [flags]

Description​

Tinct tracks all files it generates in a manifest file. The files command lets you view and manage these tracked files.

Subcommands​

CommandDescription
listShow all tracked files
untrackStop tracking a file

tinct files list​

Display all files currently tracked by tinct:

tinct files list

Output shows:

  • File path
  • Generation timestamp
  • Source plugin
  • Checksum

Example output​

Tracked files:

~/.config/kitty/current-theme.conf
  Generated: 2024-01-15 14:30:22
  Plugin: kitty
  Checksum: abc123...

~/.config/hypr/tinct.conf
  Generated: 2024-01-15 14:30:22
  Plugin: hyprland
  Checksum: def456...

~/.config/waybar/colors.css
  Generated: 2024-01-15 14:30:22
  Plugin: waybar
  Checksum: ghi789...

tinct files untrack​

Stop tracking a file (does not delete it):

tinct files untrack ~/.config/kitty/current-theme.conf

After untracking:

  • File remains on disk
  • Tinct won't overwrite it automatically
  • Use --force to write to untracked locations

Manifest file​

Tinct stores tracking information in ~/.config/tinct/.tinct-manifest.json:

{
  "files": {
    "~/.config/kitty/current-theme.conf": {
      "path": "~/.config/kitty/current-theme.conf",
      "plugin": "kitty",
      "generated_at": "2024-01-15T14:30:22Z",
      "checksum": "abc123..."
    }
  }
}

Why tracking matters​

Avoiding conflicts​

When tinct generates a file, it:

  1. Checks if the location is already tracked
  2. If tracked, overwrites with new content
  3. If not tracked, checks if file exists
  4. If exists and not tracked, refuses to overwrite (unless --force)

This prevents accidentally overwriting user-modified files.

Clean regeneration​

When you switch themes, tracked files are safely updated:

# First theme
tinct generate -i image -p ~/wallpaper1.jpg -o all

# Switch theme - tracked files are updated
tinct generate -i image -p ~/wallpaper2.jpg -o all

Manual file protection​

If you manually edit a generated file:

# Untrack to protect from overwriting
tinct files untrack ~/.config/kitty/current-theme.conf

# Now tinct won't overwrite it (without --force)

Examples​

View tracked files​

tinct files list

Untrack all files for a plugin​

# Get list of files
tinct files list | grep kitty

# Untrack each
tinct files untrack ~/.config/kitty/current-theme.conf

Force overwrite untracked​

# Overwrite even if not tracked
tinct generate -i image -p ~/wallpaper.jpg -o all --force

See also​