Configuration

cc-deck installs with sensible defaults that work out of the box. This page covers how to customize keybindings, choose layout variants, and integrate with your terminal emulator.

Layout Variants

cc-deck ships with three layout variants that control what appears alongside the sidebar:

Variant Description

Variant	Description
`standard`	Sidebar + tab-bar at top + status-bar at bottom. The most informative layout, recommended for users new to Zellij. This is the default.
`minimal`	Sidebar + compact-bar at bottom. Less visual clutter while still showing tab names.
`clean`	Sidebar only, no bars at all. Maximum terminal space. For experienced users who navigate entirely by keyboard.

standard

Sidebar + tab-bar at top + status-bar at bottom. The most informative layout, recommended for users new to Zellij. This is the default.

minimal

Sidebar + compact-bar at bottom. Less visual clutter while still showing tab names.

clean

Sidebar only, no bars at all. Maximum terminal space. For experienced users who navigate entirely by keyboard.

All three variants are installed as separate layout files. The --layout flag during install sets which one becomes the default cc-deck.kdl:

cc-deck plugin install --layout minimal

You can always try a different variant without changing the default:

zellij --layout cc-deck-standard
zellij --layout cc-deck-minimal
zellij --layout cc-deck-clean

Custom Keybindings

The two global shortcuts (Alt+s for navigation, Alt+a for attend) can be changed.

Using the Personal Layout

The recommended approach is to create a personal layout file that is never overwritten by cc-deck plugin install:

Copy the default layout:

cp ~/.config/zellij/layouts/cc-deck.kdl ~/.config/zellij/layouts/cc-deck-personal.kdl

Edit the plugin configuration block to change the key bindings:

plugin location="file:~/.config/zellij/plugins/cc_deck.wasm" {
    navigate_key "Super s"
    attend_key "Super n"
}

Set the personal layout as your default in ~/.config/zellij/config.kdl:
```
default_layout "cc-deck-personal"
```

The personal layout is never modified by cc-deck plugin install, so your custom keybindings are preserved across updates.

Ghostty Integration

If you use Ghostty as your terminal emulator, you can pass Cmd (Super) keys through to Zellij for a macOS-native feel.

In your Ghostty config, unbind the keys you want to pass through:

keybind = cmd+t=unbind
keybind = cmd+s=unbind
keybind = cmd+n=unbind

Then bind them in your Zellij config:

keybinds {
    shared {
        bind "Super t" { NewTab; }
    }
}

And configure cc-deck to use Super keys in your personal layout:

plugin location="file:~/.config/zellij/plugins/cc_deck.wasm" {
    navigate_key "Super s"
    attend_key "Super n"
}

This gives you Cmd+S for navigation and Cmd+N for smart attend, matching the macOS convention of using Cmd for app-level shortcuts.

Setting cc-deck as Default

To start Zellij with cc-deck automatically, add to ~/.config/zellij/config.kdl:

default_layout "cc-deck"

Then simply running zellij will start with the cc-deck sidebar.

Plugin Installation

The plugin is installed via the cc-deck CLI:

# Install with defaults (standard layout)
cc-deck plugin install

# Install with minimal layout as default
cc-deck plugin install --layout minimal

# Force overwrite without prompts
cc-deck plugin install --force

# Check installation status
cc-deck plugin status

# Remove the plugin, layouts, and hooks
cc-deck plugin remove

When layout files have local changes, the installer shows a colored diff and offers three options: overwrite, skip, or backup and overwrite.