Tinty - A Tinted Theming CLI tool written in Rust 🦀

April 28, 2026 · View on GitHub

Tinty mascot

Change the theme of your terminal, text editor and anything else with one command. Immediately switch between over 250 themes!

Tinty is a Base16, Base24 and Tinted8 theming manager for all Tinted Theming projects including any third-party template repository that follows the relevant specifications.

To learn more about Tinted Theming and the base16 specification, have a look at our home repository and preview the themes supported by Tinty have a look at our Tinted Gallery.

How it works
Installation
Basic usage
Usage
Configuration
Migration from Flavours
Debugging Tinty issues
Contributing
License

How it Works

At its core, Tinty is designed to simplify the theming process across different tools and environments by leveraging the power of Base16 and Base24 template themes. Here's a closer look at how Tinty operates:

Theme Application Process

When you setup Tinty and apply a theme, Tinty performs several steps to ensure that your selected theme is seamlessly integrated across your specified applications:

Configuration Loading: Tinty starts by reading your config.toml file to understand your settings and the specific theming components ([[items]]) you've defined. This configuration dictates everything from which shell to use for executing hooks to what themes and templates are applied.
Theme Repository Management: For each item in your configuration, Tinty checks if the necessary theme template repository is already cloned to your local machine. If not, it clones the repository to ~/.local/share/tinted-theming/tinty, ensuring that the latest themes are always at your fingertips.
Theme Copying: Once the repositories are set up, Tinty copies the relevant theme files from each template repository based on the scheme you've chosen to apply. This step gathers all necessary template theme files in one place.
Executed Hooks: With all theme files ready, Tinty then executes the optional shell hooks specified in your config.toml. These hooks might apply the theme directly (e.g., by sourcing a shell script) or perform additional actions like copying theme files to specific locations. This is where the actual theme application occurs, affecting your terminal, text editor, and any other tools you've configured.

Beyond Basic Theming

Tinty's functionality extends beyond applying themes:

Scheme Listing and Information: Tinty can list all available schemes and provide detailed information about them. This feature helps you explore and choose from over 250 themes supported by Tinty, including those from third-party repositories following the Base16 builder specification.
Dynamic Updates: The tinty update executes a git pull command on your local copy of theme template repositories. This ensures that you have access to the latest themes and updates from the community.
Initialization and Persistence: Using tinty init, the tool can reapply the last used theme or a default scheme at startup, making your theming preferences persistent across sessions.

Designed for Flexibility

Tinty is built with flexibility in mind, accommodating a wide range of theming needs and preferences. Whether you're looking to quickly switch themes across multiple tools, explore new color schemes, or ensure a consistent look and feel in your development environment, Tinty provides the necessary mechanisms to make it happen.

By understanding the sequence of actions Tinty performs and the options available to you, you can tailor the theming process to suit your workflow, making your experience more enjoyable and productive.

Installation

Cargo

cargo install tinty

Homebrew

brew tap tinted-theming/tinted
brew install tinty

Arch Linux

paru -S tinty-git

Nix

nix run github:tinted-theming/tinty

Or add to your flake inputs and use inputs.tinty.packages.${system}.default.

Binaries

Download the relevant binary from the repository releases page.

Manual

git clone https://github.com/tinted-theming/tinty path/to/tinty
cd path/to/tinty
make install
make build
cp target/release/tinty /path/to/bin/dir

Basic usage

For the most basic usage without configuration, install Tinty and run the following to apply base16-mocha:

tinty sync # Required initially for setup and when your `tinty/config.toml` is updated
tinty apply base16-mocha

To get a list of schemes and more information about the colors:

tinty list
tinty info base16-oceanicnext

Without any config.toml file, tinty will apply your shell theme using tinted-shell using sh shell.

Usage

For advanced usage and setup, have a look at the USAGE.md document.

CLI

The following is a table of the available subcommands for the CLI tool (Tinty), including the descriptions and any notable arguments.

Subcommand	Description	Arguments	Example Usage
`sync`	Installs and updates schemes and templates defined in `tinty/config.toml`	-	`tinty sync`
`list`	Lists all available themes.	Optional argument `--custom-schemes` to list saved custom theme files using `tinty generate-scheme`. Optional argument `--json` to output more info about each scheme in JSON form	`tinty list`
`gallery`	Opens an interactive browser gallery for available themes.	Optional argument `--dump <DIR>` to write a static site artifact suitable for GitHub Pages. Optional argument `--custom-schemes` to use saved custom theme files. Optional argument `--no-open` to skip opening a browser.	`tinty gallery`
`apply`	Applies a specific theme.	`<scheme_system>-<scheme_name>`: Name of the system and scheme to apply.	`tinty apply base16-mocha`
`cycle`	Applies the next theme in a configured ring. See Configuration.	Optional `--ring <name>` to choose a specific ring.	`tinty cycle --ring dark`
`init`	Initializes the tool with the last applied theme otherwise `default-scheme` from `config.toml`.	-	`tinty init`
`current`	Displays the currently applied theme or current theme values.	`<scheme_property_name>` (Optional argument with the following supported values: `author` \| `description` \| `name` \| `slug` \| `system` \| `variant`)	`tinty current`
`config`	Displays config related information currently in use by Tinty. Without flags it returns `config.yml` content.	-	`tinty config`
`info`	Provides information about themes.	`[<scheme_system>-<scheme_name>]`: Optional argument `--custom-schemes` to provide information on any custom schemes	`tinty info base16-mocha`
`build`	Builds the provided base16 or base24 template using tinted-builder-rust.	`<DIR>`: Path to the base16 or base24 template directory.	`tinty build path/to/tinted-tmux`
`generate-completion`	Generates a shell completion file to source in your shell startup file (`*rc`).	`<shell_name>`: Name of the shell to generate a completion script for. Supports `bash`, `elvish`, `fish`, `powershell`, `zsh`	`tinty generate-completion bash`
`generate-scheme`	Generates a yaml scheme file with colors inferred from provided image.	`<image_path>`: Path to image. Prints to stdout unless `--save` is provided which saves to `~/.local/share/tinted-theming/tinty/custom-schemes` for use within Tinty	`tinty generate-scheme --system=base16 --save /path/to/image.png`
`install`	Installs requirements for the configuration. (Use `tinty sync`)	-	`tinty install`
`update`	Updates the templates and schemes. (Use `tinty sync`)	-	`tinty update`

Some subcommands support additional flags and options to modify their behavior:

Flag/Option	Description	Applicable Subcommands	Default Value	Example Usage
`--config` `-c`	Specifies a custom configuration file path.	All	If not provided tinty looks for `config.toml` at `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/tinted-theming/tinty/config.toml` otherwise `~/.config/tinted-theming/tinty/config.toml`	`tinty apply base16-ayu-dark --config /path/to/custom/config.toml`
`--data-dir`	Specifies a custom path for the data directory.	All	If not provided tinty looks for the data directory at `$XDG_DATA_HOME/tinted-theming/tinty` otherwise `~/.local/share/tinted-theming/tinty`	`tinty install --data-dir /path/to/custom/data-dir`
`--help` `-h`	Displays help information for the subcommand.	All	-	`tinty --help`, `tinty apply --help`, etc.
`--version` `-V`	Shows the version of tinty.	All	-	`tinty --version`
`--config-path`	Shows the config.yml path.	`config`	-	`tinty config --config-path`
`--data-dir-path`	Shows the data directory path.	`config`	-	`tinty config --data-dir-path`
`--custom-schemes`	Uses saved custom theme files manually created or generated by `tinty generate-scheme`	`list`, `gallery`	-	`tinty gallery --custom-schemes`
`--dump`	Writes the gallery as a static website artifact	`gallery`	`$XDG_DATA_HOME/tinted-theming/tinty/artifacts/gallery`	`tinty gallery --dump ./public`
`--no-open`	Generates the gallery without opening a browser	`gallery`	`false`	`tinty gallery --no-open`
`--quiet`	Boolean flag which silences stdout prints	`apply`, `build`, `install`, `update`, `sync`	`false`	`tinty build . --quiet`

Configuration

The config.toml file allows you to customize and configure the behavior of the application, enabling personalized themes and functionalities. This file specifies shell settings, the default theme scheme, and configurations for various items such as terminal, editor themes, or any other supported application.

Global `config.toml` table Schema

Below, you'll find the global configuration options for config.toml. These settings apply to the overall operation of Tinty and include essential configurations such as the default shell command and the default theme scheme. Setting these options tailors the Tinty experience to your preferences and environment.

Key	Type	Required	Description	Default	Example
`shell`	`string`	Optional	Specifies the shell command used to execute hooks.	`"sh -c '{}'"`	`shell = "bash -c '{}'"`
`default-scheme`	`string`	Optional	Defines the default theme scheme to be applied if no specific scheme is set.	None	`default-scheme = "base16-mocha"`
`default-cycle-ring`	`string`	Optional	The configured ring used by `tinty cycle` when `--ring` is not provided.	None	`default-cycle-ring = "default"`
`[[rings]]`	`array<rings>`	Optional	Named scheme cycles used by `tinty cycle`.	-	See below
`hooks`	`array<string>`	Optional	A list of strings which are executed after every `tinty apply`	None	`hooks = ["echo \"The current scheme is: $(tinty current)\""]`
`[[items]]`	`array<items>`	Required	An array of `items` configurations. Each item represents a themeable component. Detailed structure provided in the next section.	-	-

default-cycle-ring = "default"

[[rings]]
name = "default"
schemes = ["base16-gruvbox-dark", "base16-gruvbox-light"]

hooks

New in Tinty 0.29+: Theme & color values are now available to hooks as environment variables:

Variable name	Description
`TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH`	Path to the theme file for that `[[items]]` entry e.g. `/home/user/.local/share/tinted-theming/tinty/tinted-alacritty-colors-file.toml`
`TINTY_THEME_OPERATION`	The command operation that is running the hook e.g. `apply` or `init`
`TINTY_SCHEME_ID`	The unique name of the applied theme e.g. `base16-ayu-dark`
`TINTY_SCHEME_SYSTEM`	The system-part of the theme ID e.g. `base16` or `base24`
`TINTY_SCHEME_SLUG`	The slug-part of the theme ID e.g. `ayu-dark`
`TINTY_SCHEME_VARIANT`	Whether the theme is a light or dark variant e.g. `light` or `dark`
`TINTY_SCHEME_PALETTE_BASE{*}_HEX_{R,G,B}`	The R, G, or B value of the given `base*` color, in hex e.g. `$TINTY_SCHEME_PALETTE_BASE01_HEX_R` is the red color hex value of the applied theme's `base01` color
`TINTY_SCHEME_PALETTE_BASE{*}_RGB_{R,G,B}`	The R, G, or B value of the given `base*` color, in `0-255` range e.g. `$TINTY_SCHEME_PALETTE_BASE08_RGB_G` is the green color `{0...255}` value of the applied theme's `base08` color
`TINTY_SCHEME_PALETTE_BASE{*}_DEC_{R,G,B}`	The R, G, or B value of the given `base*` color, in `0-1.0` floating-point range e.g. `$TINTY_SCHEME_PALETTE_BASE0C_DEC_B` is the blue color `{0...1.0}` float value of the applied theme's `base0C` color
`TINTY_SCHEME_LIGHTNESS_FOREGROUND`	The lightness value of the applied theme's foreground color e.g. `89.47651`
`TINTY_SCHEME_LIGHTNESS_BACKGROUND`	The lightness value of the applied theme's background color e.g. `6.0706663`

Examples

Copy an applied theme to a path on your system:

# Copy the generated Alacritty theme file to the expected destination:
hook = "cp -f \"$TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH ~/.config/alacritty/colors.yml"

Send info about the applied theme somewhere:

hook = "echo 'Theme $TINTY_SCHEME_ID applied' | tee -a /var/log/tinty-theme-history.log | xargs notify-send"

Conditionally run hooks based on the operation:

# Only change Alacritty theme on tinty apply, not on init.
hook = "[ \"$TINTY_THEME_OPERATION\" = \"apply\" ] && cp -f \"$TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH\" ~/.config/alacritty/colors.yml"

Run programs that read colorscheme info

hook = "ruby /path/to/my/tinty_hook.rb" # Reads stuff from ENV['TINTY_****']

`printf`-style formatting

Only a limited set of variables are available to Tinty 0.28 & lower. They came in the form of % format specifiers:

%f - Equivalent to $TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH
%n - Equivalent to $TINTY_SCHEME_ID
%o - Equivalent to $TINTY_THEME_OPERATION

These still work, but are now deprecated & subject to removal in a future Tinty version.

Items table `config.toml` Schema

The [[items]] section within config.toml allows for detailed customization of individual themeable components. Each item represents a specific element you can theme, such as a text editor or terminal. The table below outlines the structure for these items, including how to specify templates, directories for theme files, and hooks for applying themes. Configuring items effectively enables you to manage multiple themes across different applications seamlessly.

Key	Type	Required	Description	Default	Example
`name`	`string`	Required	A unique name for the item being configured.	-	`name = "vim"`
`path`	`string`	Required	The file system path or URL to the theme template repository. Paths beginning with `~/` map to home dir.	-	`path = "https://github.com/tinted-tmux"`
`revision`	`string`	Optional	The Git revision to use. Accepts a branch name, a tag, or a commit SHA1	`main`	`revision = "1.2.0"`
`themes-dir`	`string`	Required	The directory within the repository where theme files are located.	-	`themes-dir = "colors"`
`hook`	`string`	Optional	A command to be executed after the theme is applied. Useful for reloading configurations.	None	`hook = "source ~/.vimrc"`
`theme-file-extension`	`string`	Optional	Define a custom theme file extension that isn't `/\.$/`. Tinty looks for themes named `base16-uwunicorn.` (for example), but when the theme file isn't structured that way, this option can help specify the pattern.	-	`theme-file-extension = ".module.css"`
`supported-systems`	`array<"base16" or "base24" or "tinted8">`	Optional	Defines which theming systems ("base16" and or "base24") are supported by the item.	`["base16"]`	`supported-systems = ["base16", "base24"]`
`write-to-file`	`array<"target_filename", "optional_start_marker", "optional_end_marker">`	Optional	A feature where Tinty writes the theme content directly into an existing file.	None	`write-to-file = ["~/.config/alacritty/config.toml", "# Tinty Start", "# Tinty End"]`

Note on `supported-systems`

The supported-systems key within an [[items]] table allows for specifying compatibility with different theming systems. The available options are "base16", "base24", and "tinted8" indicating support for Base16, Base24 and Tinted8 theming systems, respectively. If the template repository does not support a system, it should not be included in this property.

The [[items]] configuration allows defining multiple themeable components, each with its own set of configurations as described above. Here's how you might define multiple items in your config.toml:

Full Configuration Example

Here's a complete config.toml example demonstrating how to configure multiple items along with global settings:

# Global settings
shell = "zsh -c '{}'"
default-scheme = "base16-mocha"
default-cycle-ring = "default"

[[rings]]
name = "default"
schemes = ["base16-gruvbox-dark", "base16-gruvbox-light", "base16-github-dark"]

[[rings]]
name = "dark"
schemes = ["base16-gruvbox-dark", "base16-github-dark"]

# Item configurations
[[items]]
name = "tinted-shell"
path = "https://github.com/tinted-theming/tinted-shell"
themes-dir = "scripts"
hook = "source \"$TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH\""
supported-systems = ["base16", "base24"]

[[items]]
name = "base16-vim"
path = "https://github.com/tinted-theming/base16-vim"
themes-dir = "colors"
supported-systems = ["base16"]
# Look at USAGE.md for more information on sourcing the generated file in vim

[[items]]
name = "tmux"
path = "~/path/path/to/base16-tmux"
themes-dir = "colors"
hook = "tmux run 2> /dev/null && tmux source-file \"$TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH\""
supported-systems = ["base16", "base24"]

Select and apply a scheme using fzf

Note: Requires fzf

tinty apply $(tinty list | fzf)

Migration from Flavours

Flavours is a great base16 manager written in Rust and it's where Tinty has gotten a lot of its inspiration. Flavours isn't actively maintained anymore and that's the reason I continued to build and develop Tinty.

Tinty doesn't include base16 builder (Flavours does) and therefore Tinty copies theme files from template directories instead of generating them. Since a builder is not included in Tinty, generating a scheme based on image colors is not functionality included.

If you're looking for a base16 or base24 builder, have a look at builder-go.

CLI mapping

flavours apply mocha -> tinty apply base16-mocha
flavours info mocha -> tinty info base16-mocha
flavours current -> tinty current
flavours update -> tinty sync

config.toml mapping

Flavours

# ~/.config/flavours/config.toml
[[item]]
template = "alacritty"
file = "~/.config/alacritty/colors.toml"

[[items]]
file = "~/.config/waybar/colors.css"
template = "waybar"
rewrite = true

[[items]]
file = "~/.config/sway/config"
template = "sway"
subtemplate = "colors"
hook = "swaymsg reload"
light = false

Tinty

# ~/.config/tinted-theming/tinty/config.toml
[[items]]
path = "https://github.com/tinted-theming/tinted-alacritty"
name = "tinted-alacritty"
themes-dir = "colors"
hook = "cp -f \"$TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH\" ~/.config/alacritty/colors.toml"

[[items]]
path = "https://github.com/tinted-theming/base16-waybar"
name = "base16-waybar"
themes-dir = "colors"
hook = "cp -f \"$TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH\" ~/.config/waybar/colors.css"

[[items]]
path = "https://github.com/rkubosz/base16-sway"
name = "base16-sway"
themes-dir = "themes"
hook = "cp -f \"$TINTY_THEME_FILE_PATH\" ~/.config/sway/config.d/theme && swaymsg reload"

path: A path to the repository is provided in the Tinty config.toml. In Flavours this path was determined using the template property
themes-dir: This is the directory the themes are in within the repository provided in path
name: A unique name used to set theme filename
hook: This property exists in Flavours too, but Tinty offloads a bit of work from the Rust codebase to this hook.

Debugging Tinty issues

tinty config with the relevant flags, --config-path and --data-dir-path, can be useful when attempting to debug an issue with Tinty. These commands can help to make sure that the expected config file is applied and the expected data directory are being used by Tinty.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Have a look at CONTRIBUTING.md for more information.

Development

Common tasks are available via just:

just list          # List available `just` commands
just lint          # Run linting checks
just build         # Build the project
just test          # Run all tests
just test_docker   # Run tests in Docker

Nix

A Nix flake is, optionally, provided for development. With direnv installed, the development environment, with all necessary tooling, will be automatically loaded when entering the project directory. Alternatively, run the following at the project root:

nix develop

License

Tinty falls under the GPL-3.0 license. Have a look at the LICENSE document for more information.

Third-Party Licenses

This project includes third-party code licensed under the MPL-2.0, BSD-2-Clause and BSD-3-Clause License. See the LICENSES-THIRD-PARTY.md file for details.