Warning

This documentation is actively being updated as the project evolves and may not be complete in all areas.

Loading Order

Jumpstarter uses a hierarchical approach to loading configuration, allowing you to override settings at different levels.

Configuration Sources

Jumpstarter loads configuration from the following sources, in order of precedence (highest to lowest):

  1. Command-line arguments - Highest priority, override all other settings

  2. Environment variables - Override file-based configurations

  3. User configuration files - Located in ${HOME}/.config/jumpstarter/

  4. System configuration files - Located in /etc/jumpstarter/

Client Configuration Hierarchy

For client operations, Jumpstarter processes configurations in this order:

  1. Command-line options such as --endpoint or --client-config

  2. Environment variables such as JMP_ENDPOINT, JMP_TOKEN, or JMP_CLIENT_CONFIG

  3. Current client defined in ${HOME}/.config/jumpstarter/config.yaml

  4. Specific client file in ${HOME}/.config/jumpstarter/clients/<n>.yaml

Exporter Configuration Hierarchy

For exporter operations, Jumpstarter processes configurations in this order:

  1. Command-line options such as --exporter or --exporter-config

  2. Environment variables such as JMP_ENDPOINT, JMP_TOKEN, or JMP_NAMESPACE

  3. Specific exporter file in /etc/jumpstarter/exporters/<n>.yaml

Example

Here’s a practical example of how configuration overrides work:

  1. You create a client configuration file at ${HOME}/.config/jumpstarter/clients/default.yaml:

    endpoint: "jumpstarter1.my-lab.com:1443"

  2. You set an environment variable in your terminal:

    $ export JMP_ENDPOINT="jumpstarter2.my-lab.com:1443"

  3. You run a command with an explicit endpoint argument:

    $ jmp --endpoint jumpstarter3.my-lab.com:1443 info

Jumpstarter connects to jumpstarter3.my-lab.com:1443 because the command-line argument has the highest priority.

Use Cases

Choose the appropriate configuration method based on your needs:

  • Development: Use user config files for personal settings

  • CI/CD Pipelines: Use environment variables for automation

  • One-off Tasks: Use command-line arguments for temporary changes

  • System Defaults: Use system config files for shared settings across users

This hierarchical approach allows Jumpstarter to be flexible across different usage scenarios while maintaining consistent behavior.