Configuration

This page contains information related to the Configuration menu in Plover, which is accessed by clicking the top left gear icon in the graphical user interface (GUI):

Interface Tab

Start minimized	Determines whether Plover is minimized or opened when the application starts.
Show paper tape	Determines whether Plover's paper tape window is open when the application starts.
Show suggestions	Determines whether Plover's suggestions window is open when the application starts.
Add translation dialog opacity	Sets the opacity of the Add Translation dialog. 100 is opaque, and 0 is transparent.
Dictionaries display order	Determines whether dictionaries display in order from top-down or bottom-up. Dictionaries higher in the list take priority in top-down mode, and vice-versa for bottom-up.

Logging Tab

Log file	Sets the file path and file name of your log file. Click the Browse button to set a path in your OS file browser.
Log strokes	Determines whether Plover logs your strokes to your log file
Log translations	Determines whether Plover logs your translations to your log file

Machine Tab

The machine tab allows you to choose a machine type and set its configurations. Each machine type may have different options.

Machine: Keyboard

Learn how the Arpeggiate mode works here.

First-up chord send will send your chord when Plover detects any key has been released. This is particularly useful for navigation chords and finger spelling.

Remapping Keys to Different Actions

The Key column enumerates every key that Plover can control on your machine. This is a list of all keys on the keyboard. For American steno machines, the key names will be the Ireland layout defaults (S, T, K, etc.)

The Action column is what you'd like Plover to see when the key is pressed. The available actions will change depending on which system (e.g. English Stenotype) you have enabled.

Disabling Keyboard Keys

Remapping keys is especially useful when using your keyboard as a steno machine, as you may want to set keys to no-op (short for "no operation") which will disable that key while Plover is running.

The escape key will be disabled while Plover's output is enabled with the configuration above, where the "Escape" key has been mapped to the "no-op" Action.

Machine: Gemini PR, TX Bolt, Passport, ProCat, or Stentura

Options Section

Connection

Your machine will use a serial connection, which must be configured here.

Port	The serial port for serial connections. No default value. The value will most likely be different between platforms; Windows uses COM ports, e.g. COM3, whereas Unix-like platforms use device paths, e.g. /dev/cu.usbmodem14403 or /dev/ttyACM0.
Scan	Click to scan for connected devices
Baudrate	The baud rate for serial connections. 9600 by default.

Data Format

Data bits	The number of bits in a byte for serial connections. 8 by default.
Stop bits	The number of stop bits for serial connections. 1 by default.
Parity	The parity bit mode for serial connections, one of N (none), O (odd), E (even), M (mark) or S (space). N by default.

Timeout

The read timeout for serial connections in seconds. May be disabled with the Use timeout check box. Defaults to 2.00 (seconds).

Flow control

Xon/Xoff: Whether to use XON/XOFF flow control for serial connections. False by default.

RTS/CTS: Whether to use RTS/CTS flow control for serial connections. False by default.

Keymap Section

Map keys from your machine to their outputs in Plover. For example, some stenography theories, such as Lapwing, require the top-left S1- key to be remapped to #.

Machine: Treal

Keymap section

Map keys from your machine to their outputs in Plover. For example, some stenography theories, such as Lapwing, require the top-left S1- key to be remapped to #.

Output Tab

Enable at start	Determines whether Plover will start at system boot
Start attached	Determines whether Plover will start without a starting space
Start capitalized	Determines whether Plover will start with the first letter capitalized
Space placement	Determines whether spaces are prepended to your translations with Before Output or appended to your translations with After Output
Undo levels	Determines how many strokes can be undone with *
Key press delay (ms)	Determines how many milliseconds Plover will wait before outputting the translation of your strokes

Plugins Tab

Some plugins, such as plover_clippyor plover_tapey_tapewill have configurations specific to the plugin here.

System Tab

Allows the user to switch to another stenography system.

Theming/Dark Mode

See: Theming Plover with QSS.