Element ignores "features" settings declared in config.json

[asakura42]

Steps to reproduce

1. Where are you starting? What can you see?

I edited config.json and added these lines:

"showLabsSettings": true,
"features": {
    "feature_spaces": true,
    "feature_new_spinner": true,
    "feature_pinning": true,
    "feature_thread": true
  },
.....

Labs showed but no new spinner, pinning or threading appeared.

What happened?

What did you expect?

Adding new features fron config.json

What happened?

No new features, no pinning, no threading

Operating system

ArchLinux

Application version

Element version: 1.7.34 olm version: 3.2.3

How did you install the app?

Repo

Homeserver

No response

Have you submitted a rageshake?

No

[aaronraimist]

If you set showLabsSettings back to false does it go away?

[asakura42]

@aaronraimist
No.

[aaronraimist]

Then it sounds like you are probably editing a config.json file that Element isn't looking at either because it is in the wrong location or maybe has the wrong permissions or something.

Make sure you are putting it at this path https://github.com/vector-im/element-desktop#user-specified-configjson

[asakura42]

No, @aaronraimist, for example "settingDefaults": { ... } works okay. My config locates as described in $HOME/.config/Element/config.json. Also it properly reads "showLabsSettings" (enables and disables Labs as expected).

Also with "showLabsSettings": true and, for example "feature_pinning": false button near Message Pinning becomes disabled, grey and unclickable.
If "showLabsSettings": true and "feature_pinning": true then button near Message Pinning becomes disabled, grey and unclickable too.

[asakura42]

My full config.json is:

{
"showLabsSettings": true,
"features": {
    "feature_spaces": true,
    "feature_new_spinner": true,
    "feature_pinning": true,
    "feature_thread": true
  },
"settingDefaults": {
    "showJoinLeaves": false,
    "hideJoinLeaves": true,
    "showTwelveHourTimestamps": false,
    "showRedactions": false,
    "hideRedactions": true,
    "showAvatarChanges": false,
    "hideAvatarChanges": true,
    "showDisplaynameChanges": false,
    "hideDisplaynameChanges": true,
    "autoplayGifsAndVideos": false,
    "TextualBody.enableBigEmoji": false,
    "TextualBody.disableBigEmoji": true,
    "expandCodeByDefault": true,
    "scrollToBottomOnMessageSent": true,
    "MessageComposerInput.showStickersButton": false,
    "MessageComposerInput.autoReplaceEmoji": false,
    "MessageComposerInput.suggestEmoji": false,
    "MessageComposerInput.dontSuggestEmoji": true,
    "promptBeforeInviteUnknownUsers": true,
    "showChatEffects": false
          }
}

I activated spaces from GUI before, maybe it broke smth.

[Mikaela]

I don't know if this is related, but my config.json uses "enable" where you use true e.g.

  "features": {
    "feature_pinning": "enable",
    "feature_custom_tags": "enable",
    "feature_state_counters": "labs",
  },

---

I am curious where do you find the name "feature_spaces" and "feature_thread" as they don't seem to be documented within the labs.md?

[asakura42]

@Mikaela

feature_spaces

#16538

feature_thread

#18872

[G2G2G2G]

It does work, certain features do not work like "feature_pinning" for example on windows stable build... (not testing on my linux build since it's dev)

"feature_custom_themes" should work on everything, you can easily verify by enabling it and looking in your appearance and seeing the input box, also it's force checked in the labs menu. "showLabsSettings": true / false also works, but labs tab is always viewable since spaces is always there and always viewable (I assume it should be like that but not sure)

"feature_pinning" doesn't work on stable releases currently (not sure if it should or shouldn't, but it doesn't)

Also be sure you use the correct folder, if you've had element installed a long time... since riot.. then your folder is riot in the %appdata% even if it has no config.json you need to copy one in there

[t3chguy]

@asakura42 are you still experiencing this? https://github.com/vector-im/element-web/blob/develop/docs/config.md#labs-flags

We make use of config.json to enable labs by default on develop.element.io quite often

[weeman1337]

I am closing this issue because there has been no response in the last two weeks. If you keep experiencing this defect @asakura42 , please add a comment with @weeman1337 to let me know that it should be reopened.