noentropy/docs/CONFIGURATION.md

Configuration Guide

NoEntropy uses a simple TOML configuration file to store your API key, download folder path, and custom categories.

Configuration File Location

NoEntropy stores configuration in ~/.config/noentropy/config.toml following XDG Base Directory specifications.

Platform-specific paths:

• Linux/macOS: ~/.config/noentropy/config.toml
• Windows: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\noentropy\config.toml

Basic Configuration

Minimal Configuration

The minimum required configuration includes just your API key and download folder:

api_key = "AIzaSyDTEhAq414SHY094A5oy5lxNA0vhbY1O3k"
download_folder = "/home/user/Downloads"

Full Configuration with Custom Categories

api_key = "AIzaSyDTEhAq414SHY094A5oy5lxNA0vhbY1O3k"
download_folder = "/home/user/Downloads"

# Optional: Custom categories for file organization
categories = ["Work", "Personal", "School", "Projects", "Bills", "Media", "Misc"]

Configuration Options

Setting	Description	Example	Required
api_key	Your Google Gemini API key	AIzaSy...	Yes
download_folder	Path to folder to organize	/home/user/Downloads	Yes
categories	Custom categories for organization	["Work", "Personal", "School"]	No

Getting a Gemini API Key

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy the key to your configuration file

Important: Keep your API key secure and never commit it to version control.

Custom Categories

NoEntropy allows you to define your own custom categories instead of using the default ones. This is perfect for organizing files based on your specific workflow or needs.

Default Categories

If you don't specify custom categories, NoEntropy uses these defaults:

• Images - PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, etc.
• Documents - PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, MD, etc.
• Installers - EXE, DMG, APP, PKG, etc.
• Music - MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, etc.
• Archives - ZIP, TAR, RAR, 7Z, etc.
• Code - Source code and configuration files
• Misc - Everything else

Using Custom Categories

To use custom categories, add a categories array to your config.toml:

api_key = "your_api_key_here"
download_folder = "/home/user/Downloads"
categories = ["Work", "Personal", "School", "Projects", "Bills", "Media", "Misc"]

Category Examples by Use Case

For Students

categories = ["Courses", "Assignments", "Research", "Personal", "Textbooks", "Media", "Misc"]

For Professionals

categories = ["Client Work", "Internal", "Invoices", "Contracts", "Marketing", "Resources", "Misc"]

For Creatives

categories = ["Projects", "Assets", "References", "Client Files", "Portfolio", "Tools", "Misc"]

For Personal Use

categories = ["Family", "Finance", "Health", "Home", "Travel", "Hobbies", "Misc"]

Tips for Effective Custom Categories

1. Keep it simple - Use 5-10 categories for best results
2. Be specific - More descriptive names help the AI understand better
3. Include "Misc" - Always have a catch-all category for unclear files
4. Think workflow - Organize based on how you actually use files
5. Test first - Use --dry-run to preview categorization before committing

How Custom Categories Work

When you define custom categories:

1. NoEntropy sends your file list to the Gemini AI
2. The AI is instructed to categorize files into your custom categories
3. Files are organized into folders matching your category names
4. Sub-folders are still created automatically for better organization

Example Output with Custom Categories:

Downloads/
├── Work/
│   ├── Reports/
│   │   └── Q4-Report.pdf
│   └── Presentations/
│       └── Client-Deck.pptx
├── Personal/
│   ├── Photos/
│   │   └── vacation.jpg
│   └── Documents/
│       └── resume.pdf
└── School/
    ├── Assignments/
    │   └── homework.docx
    └── Notes/
        └── lecture-notes.pdf

Interactive Setup

If configuration is missing, NoEntropy will prompt you interactively:

$ ./noentropy

NoEntropy Configuration Setup
=============================

API key not found. Please enter your Google Gemini API key:
> AIzaSy...

Download folder not found. Please enter the path to organize:
(Default: /home/user/Downloads)
> /home/user/Downloads

Configuration saved to ~/.config/noentropy/config.toml

Configuration is automatically saved after interactive setup.

Changing Configuration

Changing API Key

To change your Gemini API key, use the --change-key flag:

./noentropy --change-key

Or manually edit ~/.config/noentropy/config.toml and update the api_key value.

Changing Download Folder

Edit your configuration file and update the download_folder value:

download_folder = "/path/to/new/folder"

Adding or Modifying Categories

Edit your configuration file and add or modify the categories array:

categories = ["Category1", "Category2", "Category3"]

To remove custom categories and use defaults, simply delete the categories line from your config file.

Configuration Best Practices

1. Backup your config - Keep a copy of your configuration, especially if you have custom categories
2. Use absolute paths - Always specify absolute paths for download_folder
3. Test changes - Use --dry-run after changing categories to preview results
4. Keep API key secure - Don't share or commit your API key
5. Regular reviews - Periodically review if your custom categories still match your needs

Next Steps

• Usage Guide - Learn how to use NoEntropy
• How It Works - Understand the organization process
• Troubleshooting - Solve common configuration issues

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