Setting ghostty configuration using CLI is not working

[vivekweb2013]

Ghostty version: 1.1.0
OS: macOS 15.2

https://ghostty.org/docs/config#syntax
As per the above documentation, we can set the config using cli. For example ghostty --background=282c34

I've tried this and I can confirm it is not working. I'm getting below output

ghostty --background=282c34
Usage: ghostty +<action> [flags]

This is the Ghostty helper CLI that accompanies the graphical Ghostty app.
To launch the terminal directly, please launch the graphical app
(i.e. Ghostty.app on macOS). This CLI can be used to perform various
actions such as inspecting the version, listing fonts, etc.

We don't have proper help output yet, sorry! Please refer to the
source code or Discord community for help for now. We'll fix this in time.

The config file remains unchanged.

I'm I missing something or is this a bug?

[00-kat]

As the output you quoted mentions:

To launch the terminal directly, please launch the graphical app (i.e. Ghostty.app on macOS). This CLI can be used to perform various actions such as inspecting the version, listing fonts, etc.

Try open -na Ghostty.app --args --background=282c34.

[vivekweb2013]

ah okay. Got it. Thanks. I'm new to ghostty. After reading below section from the doc

Every configuration key is a valid CLI flag when launching Ghostty from the command-line. For example, the background key can be set with ghostty --background=282c34.

I thought I'd be able to launch ghostty with specific configuration simply by executing the command like ghostty --background=282c34.

So if I understand correctly, one needs to pass the config as an argument to the ghostty-app and not the CLI utility? I was confused because it looked like the cli utility was referred in the doc example rather than the app executable.

I think the Docs needs some improvement.

[rhodes-b]

The config file remains unchanged.

It wont modify the config file, it will use the value specified as if it came from a config file

The helper gives you this prompt below to tell you to run it as the app

This is the Ghostty helper CLI that accompanies the graphical Ghostty app.
To launch the terminal directly, please launch the graphical app
(i.e. Ghostty.app on macOS). This CLI can be used to perform various
actions such as inspecting the version, listing fonts, etc.

you cant just run the app directly on macos as that is not how macos apps work its very standard to use the open App.app --args

It looks like its ran from the cli utility because on Linux you dont spawn apps the macos way you just run them from the command line
ghostty -arg1=X -arg2=Y

[vivekweb2013]

Alright, so the ghostty --background=282c34 is essentially the Linux way for launching Ghostty with a specified configuration. Thanks

[vivekweb2013]

BTW can we not support the same on macOS. IIRC with VS Code on macOS one can also launch the application from command line using code command.

[00-kat]

I'm not too sure about how it works on macOS, but I've heard that Apple really does not want you launching GUI apps from the CLI without using open.

I'm not sure how VSCode does it, but I guess it would be possible for running ghostty to automagically run open -na Ghostty.app, and ghostty --some=flag --or-the=other to run open -na Ghostty.app --args --some=flag --or-the=other.