Add a remote control command to change colors

Also add a FAQ entry about changing colors in a running kitty instance.
I'm tired of all the bug reports asking for this feature. Apparently,
people find it hard to google for the existing escape codes based
solution.

README.asciidoc

@@ -522,6 +522,14 @@ have ssh do this automatically when connecting to a server, so that all
 terminals work transparently.
 
 
+=== How do I change the colors in a running kitty instance?
+
+You can either use the
+link:http://invisible-island.net/xterm/ctlseqs/ctlseqs.html#h2-Operating-System-Commands[OSC
+terminal escape codes] to set colors or you can enable link:remote-control.asciidoc[remote control]
+for kitty and use `kitty @ set-colors --help`.
+
+
 === How do I specify command line options for kitty on macOS?
 
 Apple does not want you to use command line options with GUI applications. To

kitty/boss.py

@@ -126,24 +126,35 @@ class Boss:
                 'tabs': list(tm.list_tabs()),
             }
 
+    @property
+    def all_tab_managers(self):
+        yield from self.os_window_map.values()
+
+    @property
+    def all_tabs(self):
+        for tm in self.all_tab_managers:
+            yield from tm
+
+    @property
+    def all_windows(self):
+        for tab in self.all_tabs:
+            yield from tab
+
     def match_windows(self, match):
         try:
             field, exp = match.split(':', 1)
         except ValueError:
             return
         pat = re.compile(exp)
-        for tm in self.os_window_map.values():
+        for window in self.all_windows:
-            for tab in tm:
+            if window.matches(field, pat):
-                for window in tab:
+                yield window
-                    if window.matches(field, pat):
-                        yield window
 
     def tab_for_window(self, window):
-        for tm in self.os_window_map.values():
+        for tab in self.all_tabs:
-            for tab in tm:
+            for w in tab:
-                for w in tab:
+                if w.id == window.id:
-                    if w.id == window.id:
+                    return tab
-                        return tab
 
     def match_tabs(self, match):
         try:
@@ -151,14 +162,12 @@ class Boss:
         except ValueError:
             return
         pat = re.compile(exp)
-        tms = tuple(self.os_window_map.values())
         found = False
         if field in ('title', 'id'):
-            for tm in tms:
+            for tab in self.all_tabs:
-                for tab in tm:
+                if tab.matches(field, pat):
-                    if tab.matches(field, pat):
+                    yield tab
-                        yield tab
+                    found = True
-                        found = True
         if not found:
             tabs = {self.tab_for_window(w) for w in self.match_windows(match)}
             for tab in tabs:
@@ -687,3 +696,12 @@ class Boss:
         tm = self.active_tab_manager
         if tm is not None:
             tm.move_tab(-1)
+
+    def patch_colors(self, spec, configured=False):
+        from .rgb import color_from_int
+        if configured:
+            for k, v in spec.items():
+                if hasattr(self.opts, k):
+                    setattr(self.opts, k, color_from_int(v))
+        for tm in self.all_tab_managers:
+            tm.tab_bar.patch_colors(spec)

kitty/colors.c

@@ -98,6 +98,43 @@ update_ansi_color_table(ColorProfile *self, PyObject *val) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+static PyObject*
+patch_color_profiles(PyObject *module UNUSED, PyObject *args) {
+    PyObject *spec, *profiles, *v; ColorProfile *self; int change_configured;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!O!p", &PyDict_Type, &spec, &PyTuple_Type, &profiles, &change_configured)) return NULL;
+    char key[32] = {0};
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < arraysz(FG_BG_256); i++) {
+        snprintf(key, sizeof(key) - 1, "color%zu", i);
+        v = PyDict_GetItemString(spec, key);
+        if (v) {
+            color_type color = PyLong_AsUnsignedLong(v);
+            for (Py_ssize_t i = 0; i < PyTuple_GET_SIZE(profiles); i++) {
+                self = (ColorProfile*)PyTuple_GET_ITEM(profiles, i);
+                self->color_table[i] = color;
+                if (change_configured) self->orig_color_table[i] = color;
+                self->dirty = true;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+#define S(config_name, profile_name) { \
+    v = PyDict_GetItemString(spec, #config_name); \
+    if (v) { \
+        color_type color = PyLong_AsUnsignedLong(v); \
+        for (Py_ssize_t i = 0; i < PyTuple_GET_SIZE(profiles); i++) { \
+            self = (ColorProfile*)PyTuple_GET_ITEM(profiles, i); \
+            self->overridden.profile_name = (color << 8) | 2; \
+            if (change_configured) self->configured.profile_name = color; \
+            self->dirty = true; \
+        } \
+    } \
+}
+        S(foreground, default_fg); S(background, default_bg); S(cursor, cursor_color);
+        S(selection_foreground, highlight_fg); S(selection_background, highlight_bg);
+#undef S
+
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
 color_type
 colorprofile_to_color(ColorProfile *self, color_type entry, color_type defval) {
     color_type t = entry & 0xFF, r;
@@ -247,6 +284,7 @@ PyTypeObject ColorProfile_Type = {
 
 static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
     METHODB(default_color_table, METH_NOARGS),
+    METHODB(patch_color_profiles, METH_VARARGS),
     {NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}        /* Sentinel */
 };
 

kitty/remote_control.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2018, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
 import json
+import os
 import re
 import socket
 import sys
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ import types
 from functools import partial
 
 from .cli import emph, parse_args
-from .config import parse_send_text_bytes
+from .config import parse_config, parse_send_text_bytes
 from .constants import appname, version
 from .tabs import SpecialWindow
 from .utils import non_blocking_read, parse_address_spec, read_with_timeout
@@ -467,6 +468,69 @@ def get_text(boss, window, payload):
 # }}}
 
 
+# set_colors {{{
+@cmd(
+    'Set terminal colors',
+    'Set the terminal colors for the specified windows/tabs (defaults to active window). You can either specify the path to a conf file'
+    ' (in the same format as kitty.conf) to read the colors from or you can specify individual colors,'
+    ' for example: kitty @ set-colors foreground=red background=white',
+    options_spec='''\
+--all -a
+type=bool-set
+By default, colors are only changed for the currently active window. This option will
+cause colors to be changed in all windows.
+
+
+--configured -c
+type=bool-set
+Also change the configured colors (i.e. the colors kitty will use for new
+windows or after a reset).
+''' + '\n\n' + MATCH_WINDOW_OPTION + '\n\n' + MATCH_TAB_OPTION.replace('--match -m', '--match-tab -t'),
+    argspec='COLOR_OR_FILE ...'
+)
+def cmd_set_colors(global_opts, opts, args):
+    from .rgb import color_as_int, Color
+    colors = {}
+    for spec in args:
+        if '=' in spec:
+            colors.update(parse_config((spec.replace('=', ' '),)))
+        else:
+            with open(os.path.expanduser(spec), encoding='utf-8', errors='replace') as f:
+                colors.update(parse_config(f))
+    colors = {k: color_as_int(v) for k, v in colors.items() if isinstance(v, Color)}
+    return {
+            'title': ' '.join(args), 'match_window': opts.match, 'match_tab': opts.match_tab,
+            'all': opts.all, 'configured': opts.configured, 'colors': colors
+    }
+
+
+def set_colors(boss, window, payload):
+    if payload['all']:
+        windows = tuple(boss.all_windows)
+    else:
+        windows = (window or boss.active_window,)
+        if payload['match_window']:
+            windows = tuple(boss.match_windows(payload['match_window']))
+            if not windows:
+                raise MatchError(payload['match_window'])
+        if payload['match_tab']:
+            tabs = tuple(boss.match_tabs(payload['match_tab']))
+            if not tabs:
+                raise MatchError(payload['match_tab'], 'tabs')
+            for tab in tabs:
+                windows += tuple(tab)
+    profiles = tuple(w.screen.color_profile for w in windows)
+    from .fast_data_types import patch_color_profiles
+    patch_color_profiles(payload['colors'], profiles, payload['configured'])
+    boss.patch_colors(payload['colors'], payload['configured'])
+    default_bg_changed = 'background' in payload['colors']
+    for w in windows:
+        if default_bg_changed:
+            boss.default_bg_changed_for(w.id)
+        w.refresh()
+# }}}
+
+
 cmap = {v.name: v for v in globals().values() if hasattr(v, 'is_cmd')}
 
 

kitty/rgb.py

@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ def color_from_int(x):
     return Color((x >> 16) & 255, (x >> 8) & 255, x & 255)
 
 
+def color_as_int(x):
+    return x.red << 16 | x.green << 8 | x.blue
+
+
 def to_color(raw, validate=False):
     # See man XParseColor
     x = raw.strip().lower()

kitty/tabs.py

@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ class TabBar:  # {{{
 
     def __init__(self, os_window_id, opts):
         self.os_window_id = os_window_id
+        self.opts = opts
         self.num_tabs = 1
         self.cell_width = 1
         self.data_buffer_size = 0
@@ -277,6 +278,16 @@ class TabBar:  # {{{
         self.active_bg = as_rgb(color_as_int(opts.active_tab_background))
         self.active_fg = as_rgb(color_as_int(opts.active_tab_foreground))
 
+    def patch_colors(self, spec):
+        if 'active_tab_foreground' in spec:
+            self.active_fg = (spec['active_tab_foreground'] << 8) | 2
+        if 'active_tab_background' in spec:
+            self.active_bg = (spec['active_tab_background'] << 8) | 2
+        self.screen.color_profile.set_configured_colors(
+                spec.get('inactive_tab_foreground', color_as_int(self.opts.inactive_tab_foreground)),
+                spec.get('inactive_tab_background', color_as_int(self.opts.inactive_tab_background))
+        )
+
     def layout(self):
         central, tab_bar, vw, vh, cell_width, cell_height = viewport_for_window(self.os_window_id)
         if tab_bar.width < 2: