---
name: "alacritty-msg"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "alacritty"
version: "0.17.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/alacritty-msg"
---

# alacritty-msg(1)

Send messages to Alacritty.

## NAME

alacritty-msg - Send messages to Alacritty.

## SYNOPSIS

This command communicates with running Alacritty instances through a socket, making it possible to control Alacritty without directly accessing it.

## OPTIONS

- **-s, --socket** *\<SOCKET\>*

  Path for IPC socket communication.

## MESSAGES

**create-window**

Create a new window in the same Alacritty process.

**FLAGS**

**--hold**

Remain open after child process exits.

**OPTIONS**

**--working-directory** *\<WORKING\_DIRECTORY\>*

Start the shell in the specified working directory.

**-T, --title** *\<TITLE\>*

Defines the window title.

Default: *Alacritty*

**--class** *\<GENERAL\>* \| *\<GENERAL\>*,*\<INSTANCE\>*

Defines window class/app\_id on X11/Wayland.

Default: *Alacritty,Alacritty*

**-o, --option** *\<OPTION\>...*

Override configuration file options.

Example: *alacritty msg create-window -o 'cursor.style="Beam"'*

**-e, --command** *\<COMMAND\>...*

Command and args to execute (must be last argument).

**config**

Update the Alacritty configuration.

**ARGS**

**\<CONFIG\_OPTIONS\>...**

Configuration file options.

Example: *alacritty msg config 'cursor.style="Beam"'*

**FLAGS**

**-r, --reset**

Clear all runtime configuration changes.

**OPTIONS**

**-w, --window-id** *\<WINDOW\_ID\>*

Window ID for the new config.

Use *-1* to apply this change to all windows.

Default: *$ALACRITTY\_WINDOW\_ID*

**get-config**

Read runtime Alacritty configuration.

**OPTIONS**

**-w, --window-id** *\<WINDOW\_ID\>*

Window ID for the config request.

Use *-1* to get the global config.

Default: *$ALACRITTY\_WINDOW\_ID*

## SEE ALSO

[**alacritty**(1)](/alacritty/1.md), [**alacritty**(5)](/alacritty/5.md), [**alacritty-bindings**(5)](/alacritty-bindings/5.md), **alacritty-escapes**(7)

## BUGS

Found a bug? Please report it at *https://github.com/alacritty/alacritty/issues*.

## MAINTAINERS

- •

  Christian Duerr \<contact@christianduerr.com\>

- •

  Kirill Chibisov \<contact@kchibisov.com\>