Configuration

cogitator persists durable settings as JSON at $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/cogitator/config.json (or ~/.config/cogitator/config.json when $XDG_CONFIG_HOME is unset). The file is created on first use and is safe to edit by hand. launchMode and defaultHarness have no in-app setter, so editing this file is the only way to change them.

{
  "repos": [
    "/Users/you/src/cogitator",
    "/Users/you/src/another-project"
  ],
  "defaultHarness": "opencode",
  "launchMode": "session"
}

Field	Type	Default	Description
repos	string array	[]	Absolute paths to the git repositories cogitator tracks for worktree launching. Normally managed from the UI (press A in the Sessions pane to fuzzy-find and add a repo), so entries usually appear here without hand-editing. Paths are canonicalized; a configured repo missing from disk is still listed but its worktree actions are disabled.
defaultHarness	string	opencode	Harness pre-selected when you create a new worktree (n). One of opencode, claude-code, codex, omp. Empty falls back to opencode.
launchMode	string	session	How a worktree opens in tmux: window or session. Empty or any unrecognized value falls back to session.

tmux window vs session

launchMode controls how launching or jumping to a worktree places it in tmux:

• session (default): opens each worktree as its own new tmux session. Each worktree is isolated with its own window list; switch with tmux's session switcher (prefix + s) or cogitator's own switcher (ctrl+P). Best when you prefer one session per task or branch.
• window: opens each worktree as a new window in your current tmux session. Worktrees stay grouped under one session; move between them with your usual tmux window keys (prefix + number / n / p). Best when you run cogitator inside an existing tmux session and want everything in one place.

Either way, cogitator reuses an existing window/session for a worktree when one is already open instead of creating a duplicate. Edits to launchMode take effect on the next launch; no restart needed.