# Usage

## Quick Start

Play a video with SubMiner:

```bash
subminer video.mkv
```

On **Windows**, use the **SubMiner mpv** shortcut created during first-run setup - double-click it, or drag a video file onto it.

That's the simplest way to get started. The `subminer` launcher handles mpv, the IPC socket, and the overlay automatically.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> SubMiner requires the bundled Yomitan instance to have at least one dictionary imported for lookups to work.
> See [Yomitan setup](#yomitan-setup) for details.

::: tip Anki card enrichment
If you want sentence, audio, and screenshot fields on your Anki cards, add this to your config:

```jsonc
{
  "ankiConnect": {
    "enabled": true,
    "deck": "Mining",
    "fields": {
      "sentence": "Sentence",
      "audio": "SentenceAudio",
      "image": "Picture",
    },
  },
}
```

Field names must match a field on your Anki note type. Matching is case-insensitive (an exact match wins, then a lowercase comparison), but the spelling must otherwise match. See [Anki Integration](/anki-integration) for the full reference.
:::

## How It Works

When you launch SubMiner, it wires up mpv and the overlay for you:

1. SubMiner starts the overlay app in the background
2. mpv runs with an **IPC socket** at `/tmp/subminer-socket` - a small local channel two programs use to talk to each other, so the overlay can ask mpv what subtitle is on screen right now
3. The overlay connects and subscribes to subtitle changes

From there, subtitles render as interactive, hoverable word spans and you mine cards directly from the overlay. For the overlay anatomy and the full mining loop - word lookup, card creation, annotations - see [Mining Workflow](/mining-workflow).

### Ways to Launch

| Approach                            | Use when                                                                                                                               | How                                                                   |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`subminer` launcher**             | You want SubMiner to handle everything - launch mpv, set up the socket, start the overlay. **Recommended for most users.**             | `subminer video.mkv`                                                  |
| **SubMiner mpv shortcut** (Windows) | The recommended Windows entry point. Created during first-run setup, launches mpv with SubMiner's defaults.                            | Double-click, drag a file onto it, or run `SubMiner.exe --launch-mpv` |
| **mpv plugin** (all platforms)      | Bundled and injected at runtime. Provides `y` chord keybindings for controlling the overlay from within mpv. No manual install needed. | Automatic when using the launcher or shortcut                         |

The mpv plugin is always available - it's bundled with SubMiner and injected at runtime. On Linux, normal `subminer` playback auto-installs the launcher-managed runtime plugin copy from the bundled app if that managed copy is missing, so no separate plugin install is needed for standard launcher usage. If you launch mpv yourself (without the launcher), pass `--input-ipc-server=/tmp/subminer-socket` in your mpv config for the overlay to connect.

## Commands

These are the commands you will actually use day to day. The full inventory of subcommands and flags lives in [Launcher Script](/launcher-script#subcommands).

```bash
subminer video.mkv                # Play a specific file
subminer                          # Browse the current directory (fzf picker)
subminer -R                       # Browse with the rofi picker instead
subminer -d ~/Anime -r            # Browse a specific directory, recursively
subminer -H                       # Browse watch history, then replay/next/previous
subminer https://youtu.be/...     # Play a YouTube URL
subminer stats                    # Open the immersion stats dashboard
subminer doctor                   # Check dependencies, config, and the mpv socket
subminer settings                 # Open the SubMiner settings window
subminer app --setup              # Re-open first-run setup
subminer -u                       # Check for updates
```

On **Windows** there is no `subminer` launcher. Use the **SubMiner mpv** shortcut for playback (see [Windows mpv Shortcut](#windows-mpv-shortcut)), and run `SubMiner.exe` directly for everything else.

Two flags are worth knowing early:

- `-a/--args` passes extra arguments straight to mpv, for example `subminer --args "--ao=alsa --volume=80" video.mkv`.
- `--log-level debug` turns on verbose logging when something is not working.

<details>
<summary><b>Less common launcher commands</b></summary>

```bash
subminer --start video.mkv        # Explicit overlay start (when mpv.autoStartSubMiner is false)
subminer -S video.mkv             # Also force the visible overlay on start
subminer -T video.mkv             # Disable the texthooker server
subminer -b x11 video.mkv         # Force a window backend
subminer -p gpu-hq video.mkv      # Use a specific mpv profile
subminer ytsearch:"jp news"       # Play the first YouTube search result
subminer texthooker               # Texthooker-only mode (-o also opens the browser)
subminer stats -b                 # Start/reuse the background stats daemon
subminer stats -s                 # Stop the background stats daemon
subminer stats cleanup            # Backfill vocabulary metadata, prune stale rows
subminer stats cleanup -d --dry-run  # Preview cleanup of repeated typeset subtitle lines
subminer stats cleanup -d --lookback-days 30  # Clean only lines recorded in the last 30 days
subminer stats rebuild            # Rebuild rollup data
subminer doctor --refresh-known-words  # Refresh the known-word cache
subminer logs -e                  # Export a sanitized log ZIP and print its path
subminer config path              # Print the active config path
subminer config show              # Print the active config contents
subminer mpv socket               # Print the active mpv socket path
subminer mpv status               # Exit 0 if the socket is ready, else exit 1
subminer mpv idle                 # Launch a detached idle mpv with SubMiner defaults
subminer app --stop               # Stop the background app
subminer --version                # Print the launcher's version
```

`stats cleanup` runs one mode per invocation: `-v`/`--vocab` (the default), `-l`/`--lifetime`, or `-d`/`--duplicate-lines`; explicitly selected modes cannot be combined. `--dry-run` and `--lookback-days <days>` apply to `--duplicate-lines` only and are rejected without it; `--lookback-days` must be at least one day, and leaving it off scans all history.

Jellyfin, cross-machine sync, and character-dictionary commands have their own sections: [Jellyfin](/jellyfin-integration), [Sync Between Machines](/launcher-script#sync-between-machines), and [Character Dictionary](/character-dictionary).

</details>

<details>
<summary><b>Direct packaged-app flags (advanced)</b></summary>

These call the app binary directly rather than going through the launcher. On Windows, replace `SubMiner.AppImage` with `SubMiner.exe`.

```bash
SubMiner.AppImage --background            # Start in background (tray + IPC wait, minimal logs)
SubMiner.AppImage --start --texthooker    # Start overlay with texthooker
SubMiner.AppImage --texthooker            # Texthooker only (no overlay window)
SubMiner.AppImage --setup                 # Open first-run setup
SubMiner.AppImage --stop                  # Stop overlay
SubMiner.AppImage --start --toggle        # Start mpv IPC + toggle visibility
SubMiner.AppImage --show-visible-overlay  # Force show the visible overlay
SubMiner.AppImage --hide-visible-overlay  # Force hide the visible overlay
SubMiner.AppImage --toggle-primary-subtitle-bar  # Toggle the primary subtitle bar
SubMiner.AppImage --toggle-subtitle-sidebar      # Toggle the subtitle sidebar
SubMiner.AppImage --open-tsukihime        # Open TsukiHime subtitle search
SubMiner.AppImage --yomitan               # Open Yomitan settings
SubMiner.AppImage --settings              # Open the SubMiner settings window
SubMiner.AppImage --jellyfin              # Open the Jellyfin setup window
SubMiner.AppImage --dictionary            # Generate a character dictionary ZIP
SubMiner.AppImage --start --dev           # Enable app/dev mode
SubMiner.AppImage --start --log-level debug  # Verbose logging without dev mode
SubMiner.AppImage --help                  # Show all options
```

The remaining flags are internal or scripting-only surfaces: the `--jellyfin-*` family (login, library listing, item playback, cast announce), `--sync-cli` (the app's headless sync entrypoint that `subminer sync` proxies to), the `--stats-cleanup-*` family that `subminer stats cleanup` forwards (`--stats-cleanup-vocab`, `--stats-cleanup-lifetime`, `--stats-cleanup-duplicate-lines`, and its `--stats-cleanup-dry-run` / `--stats-cleanup-lookback-days <days>` modifiers), `--dictionary-candidates` / `--dictionary-select`, and `--playback-feedback <text>`. Run `SubMiner.AppImage --help` for the complete list. The previous `--open-animetosho` flag is still accepted as a deprecated alias for `--open-tsukihime`.

</details>

The tray menu includes `Export Logs`, which creates the same sanitized local-date log ZIP as `subminer logs -e` and shows the archive path when complete. Export sanitization masks common PII and secrets, including home-directory usernames, IP addresses, emails, auth/cookie headers, yt-dlp cookie arguments, URL credentials, token/key/password fields, and signed YouTube media URL query strings. The exported copy is sanitized; source log files remain unredacted on disk.

Once Jellyfin is configured, the tray menu includes `Jellyfin Discovery` for starting or stopping cast discovery in the current app session without changing config.

The tray menu also includes `View Changelog`, which opens the in-app changelog modal. It fetches the changelog from the newest published release, so you see release notes for versions newer than the one you run; if the download fails it falls back to the changelog bundled with your install and says so. Versions in the current `0.x` line are expanded by default and older lines are folded, matching this site's [Changelog](/changelog). A badge marks the version you have installed, and newer versions are tagged `New`. The same modal opens from the `What's New` button on the update-available overlay notification.

### Logging and App Mode

- `--log-level` controls logger verbosity.
- `--dev` and `--debug` are app/dev-mode switches; they are not log-level aliases.
- `--background` starts at the default quieter logging level (`warn`), then follows `logging.level` after config loads. An explicit `--log-level` remains the override.
- `--background` launched from a terminal detaches and returns the prompt; stop it with tray Quit or `SubMiner.AppImage --stop` (`SubMiner.exe --stop` on Windows).
- Linux desktop launcher starts SubMiner with `--background` by default (via electron-builder `linux.executableArgs`).
- On Hyprland and other Wayland compositors, the tray icon appears only when your panel provides a StatusNotifier/AppIndicator tray host.
- On Linux, the app now defaults `safeStorage` to `gnome-libsecret` for encrypted token persistence.
  Launcher pass-through commands also support `--password-store=<backend>` and forward it to the app when present.
  Override with e.g. `--password-store=basic_text`.
- Use both when needed, for example `SubMiner.AppImage --start --dev --log-level debug` (or `SubMiner.exe --start --dev --log-level debug` on Windows).
- `--playback-feedback <text>` (also `--playback-feedback=<text>`) sends a non-empty text string through the playback-feedback route used for recording/playback prompts. For example: `SubMiner.AppImage --playback-feedback "your feedback"`.

### Windows mpv Shortcut

First-run setup creates the config file, then requires Yomitan dictionaries before it can finish.

If you enabled the optional Windows shortcut during install, SubMiner creates a `SubMiner mpv` shortcut in the Start menu and/or on the desktop. On Windows, that shortcut is the recommended way to launch local files with SubMiner because it starts `mpv.exe` with the right defaults directly.
After setup completes, the shortcut is the normal Windows playback entry point.

You can use it three ways:

- Double-click `SubMiner mpv` to open `mpv` with SubMiner's default socket/subtitle args.
- Drag a video file onto `SubMiner mpv` to launch that file with the same defaults.
- Run it directly from Command Prompt or PowerShell with `--launch-mpv`.

```powershell
& "C:\Program Files\SubMiner\SubMiner.exe" --launch-mpv
& "C:\Program Files\SubMiner\SubMiner.exe" --launch-mpv "C:\Videos\episode 01.mkv"
```

This flow requires `mpv.exe` to be discoverable. Leave `mpv.executablePath` blank to auto-discover from `PATH`, or set it to the full `mpv.exe` path if mpv is installed elsewhere. `SUBMINER_MPV_PATH` is still honored as a fallback.

### Launcher Subcommands

The launcher groups related work under subcommands: `jellyfin` (aliased `jf`), `stats`, `sync`, `dictionary` (aliased `dict`), `texthooker`, `doctor`, `settings`, `config`, `mpv`, `logs`, and `app` (aliased `bin`) for passing arguments straight to the SubMiner binary.

Every subcommand has its own help page, for example `subminer jellyfin -h`. See [Launcher Script - Subcommands](/launcher-script#subcommands) for the full table, and [Sync Between Machines](/launcher-script#sync-between-machines) for the SSH stats/history sync.

A _texthooker_ is a web page that displays the current subtitle line as selectable text, so browser-based dictionary extensions and other tools can read along with playback.

### First-Run Setup

Setup popup appears on first launch, or when setup has not been completed.

You can also open it manually:

```bash
subminer app --setup
SubMiner.AppImage --setup
```

Setup flow:

- config file: create the default config directory and prefer `config.jsonc`
- legacy plugin cleanup: remove detected older global SubMiner mpv plugin files if present (the bundled plugin is injected at runtime automatically)
- Yomitan shortcut: open bundled Yomitan settings directly from the setup window
- dictionary check: ensure at least one bundled Yomitan dictionary is available, unless an external Yomitan profile is configured
- Windows: optionally create or remove `SubMiner mpv` Start Menu/Desktop shortcuts (`SubMiner.exe --launch-mpv`)
- Windows: optionally set `mpv.executablePath` if `mpv.exe` is not on `PATH`
- refresh: re-check dictionary state without restarting
- `Finish setup` stays disabled until the config and dictionary gates are satisfied
- finish action writes setup completion state and suppresses future auto-open prompts

AniList character dictionary auto-sync (optional):

- Enable with `subtitleStyle.nameMatchEnabled=true` in config or **Name Match Enabled** in Settings.
- SubMiner syncs the currently watched AniList media into a per-media snapshot, then rebuilds one merged `SubMiner Character Dictionary` from the most recently used snapshots.
- Rotation limit defaults to 3 recent media snapshots in that merged dictionary (`maxLoaded`).

Use subcommands for Jellyfin workflows (`subminer jellyfin ...`).
Top-level launcher flags like `--jellyfin-*` are intentionally rejected.

### MPV Profile Example (mpv.conf)

`subminer` passes the following MPV options directly on launch by default:

- `--input-ipc-server=/tmp/subminer-socket` (or your configured socket path)
- `--alang=ja,jp,jpn,japanese,en,eng,english,enus,en-us`
- `--slang=ja,jp,jpn,japanese,en,eng,english,enus,en-us`
- `--sub-auto=fuzzy`
- `--sub-file-paths=.;subs;subtitles`
- `--sid=auto`
- `--secondary-sid=auto`
- `--sub-visibility=no` (the overlay renders subtitles instead of mpv)
- `--secondary-sub-visibility=no`

You can append additional MPV arguments with launcher `-a/--args`, for example `--args "--ao=alsa --volume=80"`.

You can define a matching profile in `~/.config/mpv/mpv.conf` for consistency when launching `mpv` manually or from other tools. The Windows `SubMiner.exe --launch-mpv` shortcut path uses equivalent args directly, but skips the extra current-directory subtitle scan to avoid duplicate sidecar detection when you drag a video onto the shortcut; the optional profile remains useful for manual mpv launches. The `subminer` wrapper passes no mpv profile by default; set one with `subminer -p <profile> ...` or with `mpv.profile` in your config (for example `"profile": "subminer"` to use the `[subminer]` profile below):

```ini
[subminer]
# IPC socket (must match SubMiner config)
input-ipc-server=/tmp/subminer-socket

# Prefer JP/EN audio + subtitle language variants
alang=ja,jp,jpn,japanese,en,eng,english,enus,en-us
slang=ja,jp,jpn,japanese,en,eng,english,enus,en-us

# Auto-load external subtitles
sub-auto=fuzzy
sub-file-paths=.;subs;subtitles

# Select primary + secondary subtitle tracks automatically
sid=auto
secondary-sid=auto
secondary-sub-visibility=no
```

### Yomitan setup

SubMiner includes a bundled Yomitan extension for overlay word lookup. This bundled extension is separate from any Yomitan browser extension you may have installed.

For SubMiner overlay lookups to work, open Yomitan settings (`subminer app --yomitan` or `SubMiner.AppImage --yomitan`) and import at least one dictionary in the bundled Yomitan instance.

If you also use Yomitan in a browser, configure that browser profile separately; it does not inherit dictionaries or settings from the bundled instance.

### YouTube Playback

`subminer` accepts direct URLs (for example, YouTube links) and `ytsearch:` targets.
For YouTube playback, SubMiner resolves subtitle selection during startup while mpv is paused: it auto-selects the default primary subtitle track plus a best-effort secondary track, then resumes when primary subtitles are ready.

Notes:

- Install `yt-dlp` so mpv can resolve YouTube streams and subtitle tracks reliably.
- For YouTube URLs, startup no longer requires opening the picker first; SubMiner loads subtitles and keeps the overlay available for retries.
- Press `Ctrl+Alt+C` during active YouTube playback to open the manual YouTube subtitle picker and retry track selection.
- For YouTube URLs, `subminer` probes available YouTube subtitle tracks, reuses existing authoritative tracks when available, and downloads only missing sides.
- Native mpv secondary subtitle rendering stays hidden so the overlay remains the visible secondary subtitle surface.
- YouTube auto-selection always targets a Japanese primary track and an English secondary track (manual uploads preferred over auto-generated captions). `youtube.primarySubLanguages` (defaults to `["ja","jpn"]`) defines which loaded track counts as a satisfactory primary for the missing-subtitle notification and for managed local/playlist selection.
- When multiple matching secondary tracks exist, SubMiner prefers a non-Signs/Songs track.
- Configure defaults in `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/SubMiner/config.jsonc` (or `~/.config/SubMiner/config.jsonc`) under `youtube` and `secondarySub`.

For local video files, SubMiner uses the same config-driven language priorities to auto-select the primary and secondary subtitle tracks from internal and external subtitle sources.

## Live Config Reload

While SubMiner is running, it watches your active config file and applies safe updates automatically.

Live-updated settings include:

- `subtitleStyle`
- `keybindings`
- `shortcuts`
- `secondarySub.defaultMode`
- `subtitleSidebar`
- `notifications`
- `logging`
- `jimaku`, `subsync`
- `mpv.aniskipEnabled`, `mpv.aniskipButtonKey`
- `stats.toggleKey`, `stats.markWatchedKey`
- `youtube.primarySubLanguages`
- most `ankiConnect.*` settings (including `ankiConnect.ai`)

Invalid config edits are rejected; SubMiner keeps the previous valid runtime config and shows an error notification.
For restart-required sections, SubMiner shows a restart-needed notification.

## Controller Support

SubMiner supports gamepad/controller input for couch-friendly usage via the Chrome Gamepad API. Controller input drives the overlay while keyboard-only mode is enabled.

### Getting Started

1. Connect a controller before or after launching SubMiner.
2. Set `controller.enabled` to `true` in your config.
3. Press `Alt+C` in the overlay by default to pick the controller you want to save and remap any action inline.
4. Enable keyboard-only mode - press `Y` on the controller (default binding) or use the overlay keybinding.
5. Click the binding badge, edit pencil, or `Learn` on the overlay action you want, then press the matching button, trigger, or stick direction on the controller.
6. Use the left stick to navigate subtitle tokens and scroll the popup; use the right stick vertically for popup page jumps.
7. Press `A` to look up the selected word, `X` to mine a card, `B` to close the popup.

By default SubMiner uses the first connected controller after controller support is enabled. `Alt+C` opens the controller config modal, where you can save the preferred controller and remap bindings inline per controller. The reset button beside each edit pencil restores that binding to its built-in default for the selected controller. `Alt+Shift+C` opens the live debug modal with raw axes/button values for non-standard pads. Both modals stay closed while `controller.enabled` is false, and both shortcuts can be changed through `shortcuts.openControllerSelect` and `shortcuts.openControllerDebug`.

### Default Button Mapping

| Button                  | Action                                  |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `A` (South)             | Toggle lookup                           |
| `B` (East)              | Close lookup                            |
| `Y` (North)             | Toggle keyboard-only mode               |
| `X` (West)              | Mine card                               |
| `L1`                    | Play current Yomitan audio              |
| `R1`                    | Next Yomitan audio track                |
| `L3` (left stick press) | Toggle mpv pause                        |
| `Select` / `Minus`      | Quit mpv                                |
| `L2` / `R2`             | Unbound (available for custom bindings) |

Note: the default quit binding uses gamepad button index 6. Pads that follow the W3C standard gamepad layout report L2 as index 6 (Select is index 8), so on those controllers the quit action may fire on L2 instead - use `Alt+C` learn mode to remap it for your pad.

### Analog Controls

| Input                 | Action                                        |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Left stick horizontal | Move token selection left/right               |
| Left stick vertical   | Scroll Yomitan popup                          |
| Right stick vertical  | Jump through Yomitan popup                    |
| D-pad                 | Fallback for stick navigation when configured |

Learn mode ignores already-held inputs and waits for the next fresh button press or axis direction, which avoids accidental captures when you open the modal mid-input.

All button and axis mappings are configurable under the `controller` config block. Learned remaps are saved under `controller.profiles` for the selected controller id. See [Configuration - Controller Support](/configuration#controller-support) for the full options.

## Keybindings

See [Keyboard Shortcuts](/shortcuts) for the full reference, including mining shortcuts, overlay controls, and customization.

**App-wide shortcuts:**

| Keybind       | Action                 | Scope                                                                                              |
| ------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Alt+Shift+O` | Toggle visible overlay | Works while the overlay or mpv has focus (configurable via `shortcuts.toggleVisibleOverlayGlobal`) |
| `Alt+Shift+Y` | Open Yomitan settings  | OS-global - registered with the system, works from any window                                      |

`Alt+Shift+Y` is fixed and not configurable. All other shortcuts can be changed under `shortcuts` in your config.

Useful overlay-local default keybinding: `Ctrl+Alt+P` opens the playlist browser for the current video's parent directory and the live mpv queue so you can append, reorder, remove, or jump between episodes without leaving playback.

Press `V` to cycle the primary SubMiner subtitle bar through hidden → visible → hover modes. The bundled mpv plugin also binds bare `v` to the same action (injected at runtime).

`Ctrl/Cmd+/` opens the session help modal with the current overlay and mpv keybindings. The same help view is also available through the `y-h` chord in mpv.

The changelog modal (tray > `View Changelog`) works the same way: it renders over mpv when a video is playing and in its own window otherwise. Use `J`/`K` or the arrow keys to move between versions, `Enter` to fold or unfold one, `R` to refetch, and `Esc` to close.

Hovering over subtitle text pauses mpv by default; leaving resumes it. Yomitan popups also pause playback by default. Set `subtitleStyle.autoPauseVideoOnHover: false` or `subtitleStyle.autoPauseVideoOnYomitanPopup: false` to disable either behavior.

### Drag-and-Drop

- Drop video files onto the overlay to replace current playback.
- Hold `Shift` while dropping to append to the playlist instead.
- Drop subtitle files onto the overlay to load them as a new subtitle track.

Next: [Mining Workflow](/mining-workflow) - word lookup, card creation, and the full mining loop.
