colord.conf

colord.conf is a configuration file, not an executable command.
It is typically located at: /etc/colord/colord.conf
The file uses an INI-like syntax, with sections enclosed in square brackets (e.g., [Manager]) and key-value pairs (e.g., Logging=debug). Comments usually start with a hash (#).

Logging
    Sets the logging verbosity for the colord daemon. Possible values include debug, info, warning, error, critical. Default is usually info or warning.

Profiling
    A boolean (true or false) that, when set to true, may enable internal profiling for development or debugging purposes, potentially affecting performance.

EnableSane
    A boolean (true or false) to enable integration with the SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) framework, allowing colord to manage color profiles for scanners.

EnableSensors
    A boolean (true or false) to enable integration with sensor devices (like colorimeters) for display calibration. This typically requires the colord-sensors package.

The colord.conf file serves as the primary static configuration file for the colord system daemon. Colord is a critical component of modern Linux desktop environments, responsible for managing color profiles for various devices such as displays, printers, scanners, and cameras. It ensures consistent color reproduction across the system by associating International Color Consortium (ICC) profiles with hardware. While much of colord's operation is dynamic and managed via D-Bus, colord.conf provides an initial set of parameters and overrides for the daemon's behavior upon startup, such as logging verbosity or enabling specific hardware integration.

colord.conf is a static configuration file for the colord daemon, not a command-line utility. Direct manual editing by users is uncommon, as many colord settings are handled dynamically via D-Bus or through graphical user interfaces like GNOME Control Center's Color panel. Most installations rely on default settings, and the file may be sparsely populated or entirely commented out. Incorrect modifications can impact system color management.

The standard location for colord.conf is /etc/colord/colord.conf. System administrators may create or modify this file to override default daemon behavior, although often the default or D-Bus managed settings are sufficient.

While colord.conf provides static configuration, much of colord's runtime management, including device profile associations and active profiles, is handled dynamically via D-Bus, allowing graphical tools and applications to interact with the daemon in real-time.

The colord project was initiated to provide a robust, consistent, and centralized color management solution for the Linux desktop, addressing the fragmentation of color profile handling. It integrates deeply with desktop environments like GNOME and KDE, providing a D-Bus API for applications to interact with color profiles and devices. The colord.conf file has been a part of its architecture since early development to define core daemon parameters before dynamic configuration became prevalent.

colord(8), colormgr(1), colord-sane(1), colord-sensors(1), colord-session(8)