Noctalia provides a built-in settings interface that makes configuration easy and accessible. You can configure almost every aspect of the shell through the graphical user interface.

Accessing the Settings

You can open the Noctalia settings in several ways:

  1. From the Control Center: Click the settings icon in the control center panel
  2. From the Bar: Right-Click on the bar to access the Control Center then click on the settings button
  3. Using keybinds: Search for “Settings” in the Keybinds Reference

All settings are organized into intuitive categories, allowing you to customize:

  • General appearance and behavior
  • Theming and colors
  • Bar configuration and widgets
  • Panel settings
  • Notifications
  • And much more

Changes take effect immediately, and all settings are automatically saved.

Taskbar spacing

The taskbar leaves 4 logical pixels between window items by default. Change Item Spacing in the taskbar widget settings, or set item_spacing on the named widget:

[widget.taskbar]
type = "taskbar"
item_spacing = 4

This spacing is separate from the taskbar capsule’s outer padding. Capsule Padding inherits the bar default of 6 logical pixels and can also be overridden per widget.

NixOS Users If you’re using the Noctalia Home Manager or NixOS module, refer to the NixOS Configuration Reference for declarative configuration options.


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