Config Files

Introduction

If a file called conf.lua is present in your game folder (or .love file), it is run before the LÖVE modules are loaded. You can use this file to overwrite the love.conf function, which is later called by the LÖVE 'boot' script. Using the love.conf function, you can set some configuration options, and change things like the default size of the window, which modules are loaded, and other stuff.

love.conf

The love.conf function takes one argument: a table filled with all the default values which you can overwrite to your liking. If you want to change the default window size, for instance, do:

function love.conf(t)
    t.window.width = 1024 -- t.screen.width in 0.8.0 and earlier
    t.window.height = 768 -- t.screen.height in 0.8.0 and earlier
end

If you don't need the physics module or joystick module, do the following.

function love.conf(t)
    t.modules.joystick = false
    t.modules.physics = false
end

Setting unused modules to false is encouraged when you release your game. It reduces startup time slightly (especially if the joystick module is disabled) and reduces memory usage (slightly).

Note that you can't disable love.filesystem; it's mandatory. The same goes for the love module itself. love.graphics needs love.window to be enabled.

Current Configuration File

Here is a full list of options and their default values for LÖVE 0.9.2:

function love.conf(t)
    t.identity = nil                   -- The name of the save directory (string)
    t.version = "0.9.2"                -- The LÖVE version this game was made for (string)
    t.console = false                  -- Attach a console (boolean, Windows only)

    t.window.title = "Untitled"        -- The window title (string)
    t.window.icon = nil                -- Filepath to an image to use as the window's icon (string)
    t.window.width = 800               -- The window width (number)
    t.window.height = 600              -- The window height (number)
    t.window.borderless = false        -- Remove all border visuals from the window (boolean)
    t.window.resizable = false         -- Let the window be user-resizable (boolean)
    t.window.minwidth = 1              -- Minimum window width if the window is resizable (number)
    t.window.minheight = 1             -- Minimum window height if the window is resizable (number)
    t.window.fullscreen = false        -- Enable fullscreen (boolean)
    t.window.fullscreentype = "normal" -- Standard fullscreen or desktop fullscreen mode (string)
    t.window.vsync = true              -- Enable vertical sync (boolean)
    t.window.fsaa = 0                  -- The number of samples to use with multi-sampled antialiasing (number)
    t.window.display = 1               -- Index of the monitor to show the window in (number)
    t.window.highdpi = false           -- Enable high-dpi mode for the window on a Retina display (boolean)
    t.window.srgb = false              -- Enable sRGB gamma correction when drawing to the screen (boolean)
    t.window.x = nil                   -- The x-coordinate of the window's position in the specified display (number)
    t.window.y = nil                   -- The y-coordinate of the window's position in the specified display (number)

    t.modules.audio = true             -- Enable the audio module (boolean)
    t.modules.event = true             -- Enable the event module (boolean)
    t.modules.graphics = true          -- Enable the graphics module (boolean)
    t.modules.image = true             -- Enable the image module (boolean)
    t.modules.joystick = true          -- Enable the joystick module (boolean)
    t.modules.keyboard = true          -- Enable the keyboard module (boolean)
    t.modules.math = true              -- Enable the math module (boolean)
    t.modules.mouse = true             -- Enable the mouse module (boolean)
    t.modules.physics = true           -- Enable the physics module (boolean)
    t.modules.sound = true             -- Enable the sound module (boolean)
    t.modules.system = true            -- Enable the system module (boolean)
    t.modules.timer = true             -- Enable the timer module (boolean)
    t.modules.window = true            -- Enable the window module (boolean)
    t.modules.thread = true            -- Enable the thread module (boolean)
end

Flags

identity

This flag determines the name of the save directory for your game. Note that you can only specify the name, not the location where it will be created:

t.identity = "gabe_HL3" -- Correct
t.identity = "c:/Users/gabe/HL3" -- Incorrect

Alternatively love.filesystem.setIdentity can be used to set the save directory outside of the config file.

version

Available since LÖVE 0.8.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

t.version should be a string, representing the version of LÖVE for which your game was made. It should be formatted as "X.Y.Z" where X is the major release number, Y the minor, and Z the patch level. It allows LÖVE to display a warning if it isn't compatible. Its default is the version of LÖVE running.

console

Determines wether a console should be opened alongside the game window (Windows only) or not. Note: On OSX you can get console output by running LÖVE through the terminal.

window

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

These flags are not supported in earlier versions.

It is possible to defer window creation until love.window.setMode is first called in your code. To do so, set t.window = nil in love.conf (or t.screen = nil in older versions.) If this is done, LÖVE may crash if any function from love.graphics is called before the first love.window.setMode in your code.

The t.window table was named t.screen in versions prior to 0.9.0. The t.screen table doesn't exist in love.conf in 0.9.0, and the t.window table doesn't exist in love.conf in 0.8.0. This means love.conf will fail to execute (therefore it will fall back to default values) if care is not taken to use the correct table for the LÖVE version being used.

The following code enables compatibility for conf.lua in both 0.9.0 and prior versions.

function love.conf(t)
    t.window = t.window or t.screen

    -- Set window/screen flags here.
    t.window.width = 1024
    t.window.height = 768

    t.screen = t.screen or t.window
end

window.title

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

Sets the title of the window the game is in. Alternatively love.window.setTitle can be used to change the window title outside of the config file.

window.icon

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

A filepath to an image to use as the window's icon. Not all operating systems support very large icon images. The icon can also be changed with love.window.setIcon.

window.width & window.height

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

These flags are not supported in earlier versions.

Sets the window's dimensions. If these flags are set to 0 LÖVE automatically uses the user's desktop dimensions.

window.borderless

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

Removes all border visuals from the window. Note that the effects may wary between operating systems.

window.resizable

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

If set to true this allows the user to resize the game's window.

window.minwidth & window.minheight

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

These flags are not supported in earlier versions.

Sets the minimum width and height for the game's window if it can be resized by the user. If you set lower values to window.width and window.height LÖVE will always favor the minimum dimensions set via window.minwidth and window.minheight.

window.fullscreen

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

Wether to run the game in fullscreen (true) or windowed (false) mode. The fullscreen can also be toggled via love.window.setFullscreen or love.window.setMode.

window.fullscreentype

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

Specifies the type of fullscreen mode to use (normal or desktop). Generally the desktop is recommended, as it is less restrictive than normal mode on some operating systems.

window.vsync

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

Enables or deactivates vertical synchronization. Vsync tries to keep the game at a steady framerate and can prevent issues like screen tearing. It is recommended to keep vsync activated if you don't know about the possible implications of turning it off.

window.fsaa

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

The number of samples to use with multi-sampled antialiasing.

window.display

Available since LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

The index of the display to show the window in, if multiple monitors are available.

window.highdpi

Available since LÖVE 0.9.1

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

See love.window.getPixelScale, love.window.toPixels, and love.window.fromPixels. It is recommended to keep this option disabled if you can't test your game on a Mac system with a Retina display, because code will need tweaking to make sure things look correct.

window.srgb

Available since LÖVE 0.9.1

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

Enabling this window flag will automatically convert the colors of everything drawn to the main screen from the linear RGB colorspace to the sRGB colorspace - the window's surface is treated as gamma-space sRGB. This is only one component of gamma-correct rendering, an advanced topic which is easy to mess up, so it's recommended to keep this option disabled if you're not sure about its implications.

window.x & window.y

Available since LÖVE 0.9.2

These flags are not supported in earlier versions.

Determines the position of the window on the user's screen. Alternatively love.window.setPosition can be used to change the position on the fly.

Release Mode

Available since LÖVE 0.8.0

This flag is not supported in earlier versions.

Removed in LÖVE 0.9.0

This flag is not supported in that and later versions.

If t.release is enabled, LÖVE uses the release error handler, which is sparse on information by default, and can, of course, be overridden.

The default release mode error handler also outputs a message to the player informing them to contact the author using the values title, author and url as specified in conf.lua.

When a fused game in release mode is run it will not save in the love save dir, but rather one for itself, whereas previously it would be %APPDATA%\\LOVE\\game on Windows, it now is %APPDATA%\\game. This concept applies to other platforms as well.

Older Versions

Here is a full list of options and their default values for LÖVE 0.9.1:

function love.conf(t)
    t.identity = nil                   -- The name of the save directory (string)
    t.version = "0.9.1"                -- The LÖVE version this game was made for (string)
    t.console = false                  -- Attach a console (boolean, Windows only)

    t.window.title = "Untitled"        -- The window title (string)
    t.window.icon = nil                -- Filepath to an image to use as the window's icon (string)
    t.window.width = 800               -- The window width (number)
    t.window.height = 600              -- The window height (number)
    t.window.borderless = false        -- Remove all border visuals from the window (boolean)
    t.window.resizable = false         -- Let the window be user-resizable (boolean)
    t.window.minwidth = 1              -- Minimum window width if the window is resizable (number)
    t.window.minheight = 1             -- Minimum window height if the window is resizable (number)
    t.window.fullscreen = false        -- Enable fullscreen (boolean)
    t.window.fullscreentype = "normal" -- Standard fullscreen or desktop fullscreen mode (string)
    t.window.vsync = true              -- Enable vertical sync (boolean)
    t.window.fsaa = 0                  -- The number of samples to use with multi-sampled antialiasing (number)
    t.window.display = 1               -- Index of the monitor to show the window in (number)
    t.window.highdpi = false           -- Enable high-dpi mode for the window on a Retina display (boolean)
    t.window.srgb = false              -- Enable sRGB gamma correction when drawing to the screen (boolean)

    t.modules.audio = true             -- Enable the audio module (boolean)
    t.modules.event = true             -- Enable the event module (boolean)
    t.modules.graphics = true          -- Enable the graphics module (boolean)
    t.modules.image = true             -- Enable the image module (boolean)
    t.modules.joystick = true          -- Enable the joystick module (boolean)
    t.modules.keyboard = true          -- Enable the keyboard module (boolean)
    t.modules.math = true              -- Enable the math module (boolean)
    t.modules.mouse = true             -- Enable the mouse module (boolean)
    t.modules.physics = true           -- Enable the physics module (boolean)
    t.modules.sound = true             -- Enable the sound module (boolean)
    t.modules.system = true            -- Enable the system module (boolean)
    t.modules.timer = true             -- Enable the timer module (boolean)
    t.modules.window = true            -- Enable the window module (boolean)
    t.modules.thread = true            -- Enable the thread module (boolean)
end

Here is a full list of options and their default values for LÖVE 0.9.0:

function love.conf(t)
    t.identity = nil                   -- The name of the save directory (string)
    t.version = "0.9.0"                -- The LÖVE version this game was made for (string)
    t.console = false                  -- Attach a console (boolean, Windows only)

    t.window.title = "Untitled"        -- The window title (string)
    t.window.icon = nil                -- Filepath to an image to use as the window's icon (string)
    t.window.width = 800               -- The window width (number)
    t.window.height = 600              -- The window height (number)
    t.window.borderless = false        -- Remove all border visuals from the window (boolean)
    t.window.resizable = false         -- Let the window be user-resizable (boolean)
    t.window.minwidth = 1              -- Minimum window width if the window is resizable (number)
    t.window.minheight = 1             -- Minimum window height if the window is resizable (number)
    t.window.fullscreen = false        -- Enable fullscreen (boolean)
    t.window.fullscreentype = "normal" -- Standard fullscreen or desktop fullscreen mode (string)
    t.window.vsync = true              -- Enable vertical sync (boolean)
    t.window.fsaa = 0                  -- The number of samples to use with multi-sampled antialiasing (number)
    t.window.display = 1               -- Index of the monitor to show the window in (number)

    t.modules.audio = true             -- Enable the audio module (boolean)
    t.modules.event = true             -- Enable the event module (boolean)
    t.modules.graphics = true          -- Enable the graphics module (boolean)
    t.modules.image = true             -- Enable the image module (boolean)
    t.modules.joystick = true          -- Enable the joystick module (boolean)
    t.modules.keyboard = true          -- Enable the keyboard module (boolean)
    t.modules.math = true              -- Enable the math module (boolean)
    t.modules.mouse = true             -- Enable the mouse module (boolean)
    t.modules.physics = true           -- Enable the physics module (boolean)
    t.modules.sound = true             -- Enable the sound module (boolean)
    t.modules.system = true            -- Enable the system module (boolean)
    t.modules.timer = true             -- Enable the timer module (boolean)
    t.modules.window = true            -- Enable the window module (boolean)
    t.modules.thread = true            -- Enable the thread module (boolean)
end

Here is a full list of options and their default values for LÖVE 0.8.0:

function love.conf(t)
    t.title = "Untitled"        -- The title of the window the game is in (string)
    t.author = "Unnamed"        -- The author of the game (string)
    t.url = nil                 -- The website of the game (string)
    t.identity = nil            -- The name of the save directory (string)
    t.version = "0.8.0"         -- The LÖVE version this game was made for (string)
    t.console = false           -- Attach a console (boolean, Windows only)
    t.release = false           -- Enable release mode (boolean)
    t.screen.width = 800        -- The window width (number)
    t.screen.height = 600       -- The window height (number)
    t.screen.fullscreen = false -- Enable fullscreen (boolean)
    t.screen.vsync = true       -- Enable vertical sync (boolean)
    t.screen.fsaa = 0           -- The number of FSAA-buffers (number)
    t.modules.joystick = true   -- Enable the joystick module (boolean)
    t.modules.audio = true      -- Enable the audio module (boolean)
    t.modules.keyboard = true   -- Enable the keyboard module (boolean)
    t.modules.event = true      -- Enable the event module (boolean)
    t.modules.image = true      -- Enable the image module (boolean)
    t.modules.graphics = true   -- Enable the graphics module (boolean)
    t.modules.timer = true      -- Enable the timer module (boolean)
    t.modules.mouse = true      -- Enable the mouse module (boolean)
    t.modules.sound = true      -- Enable the sound module (boolean)
    t.modules.physics = true    -- Enable the physics module (boolean)
    t.modules.thread = true     -- Enable the thread module (boolean)
end

Here is a full list of options and their default values for LÖVE 0.7.2 and earlier:

function love.conf(t)
    t.title = "Untitled"        -- The title of the window the game is in (string)
    t.author = "Unnamed"        -- The author of the game (string)
    t.identity = nil            -- The name of the save directory (string)
    t.version = 0               -- The LÖVE version this game was made for (number)
    t.console = false           -- Attach a console (boolean, Windows only)
    t.screen.width = 800        -- The window width (number)
    t.screen.height = 600       -- The window height (number)
    t.screen.fullscreen = false -- Enable fullscreen (boolean)
    t.screen.vsync = true       -- Enable vertical sync (boolean)
    t.screen.fsaa = 0           -- The number of FSAA-buffers (number)
    t.modules.joystick = true   -- Enable the joystick module (boolean)
    t.modules.audio = true      -- Enable the audio module (boolean)
    t.modules.keyboard = true   -- Enable the keyboard module (boolean)
    t.modules.event = true      -- Enable the event module (boolean)
    t.modules.image = true      -- Enable the image module (boolean)
    t.modules.graphics = true   -- Enable the graphics module (boolean)
    t.modules.timer = true      -- Enable the timer module (boolean)
    t.modules.mouse = true      -- Enable the mouse module (boolean)
    t.modules.sound = true      -- Enable the sound module (boolean)
    t.modules.physics = true    -- Enable the physics module (boolean)
end

See Also

• love

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