How to Permanently Disable Telemetry for `orx`

Run orx telemetry off to permanently disable telemetry by writing a persistent opt-out flag to your user configuration file.

The orx command-line tool from the OpenResearch repository includes a built-in telemetry system that reports usage statistics to the backend. If you need to permanently disable telemetry for orx, the codebase provides a straightforward persistence mechanism that stores your preference in the user configuration directory and respects it across all future executions.

Quick Methods to Disable Telemetry

Temporary Disable with CLI Flag

For one-off executions without telemetry, append the --no-telemetry flag to any command. This is parsed in src/main.rs and applies only to the current process without modifying any configuration files.

orx --no-telemetry run my_experiment

Permanent Disable with Command

To permanently disable telemetry for orx, execute the dedicated subcommand handled in src/commands/telemetry.rs. This invokes the set_persisted_disabled function in src/telemetry.rs to update your settings.

orx telemetry off

This command writes telemetry_disabled = Some(true) into the JSON configuration stored at $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/orx/settings.json (or ~/.config/orx/settings.json on most Linux systems).

Manual Configuration File Edit

Advanced users can directly edit the configuration. The Settings struct defined in src/config.rs includes the telemetry_disabled field that controls this behavior.

nano ~/.config/orx/settings.json

Add or modify the following key:

{
  "installId": "...",
  "telemetryDisabled": true
}

How Telemetry Persistence Works

When you run orx telemetry off, the set_persisted_disabled function in src/telemetry.rs writes the boolean flag to your configuration file. On subsequent launches, resolve_telemetry_disabled in the same file reads this setting and skips all telemetry initialization. The global flag parser in src/main.rs also respects this persistent state, ensuring no network calls to the OpenResearch backend occur regardless of other runtime flags.

The configuration follows the XDG Base Directory specification, storing the permanent preference alongside other user settings to survive across tool updates and system restarts.

Verifying and Managing Your Telemetry Settings

Check your current status:

orx telemetry status

Expected output indicates: Telemetry: disabled (persisted)

If you need to reverse the decision and re-enable telemetry:

orx telemetry on

This updates the configuration entry to telemetryDisabled: false, allowing the telemetry system in src/telemetry.rs to resume uploading usage statistics.

Summary

• Temporary opt-out: Append --no-telemetry to any command for single-use disabling parsed by src/main.rs.
• Permanent opt-out: Run orx telemetry off to persist the setting via src/telemetry.rs to $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/orx/settings.json.
• Configuration storage: The telemetryDisabled boolean lives in the XDG config directory, managed by the Settings struct in src/config.rs.
• Status checking: Use orx telemetry status to verify the current state handled by src/commands/telemetry.rs.
• Reversibility: Execute orx telemetry on to re-enable data collection at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does orx store the telemetry configuration?

The persistent setting is stored in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/orx/settings.json (typically ~/.config/orx/settings.json). This JSON file contains the telemetryDisabled field managed by the configuration logic in src/config.rs and updated by the command handlers in src/commands/telemetry.rs through the persistence functions in src/telemetry.rs.

Does the --no-telemetry flag disable telemetry permanently?

No. The --no-telemetry flag parsed in src/main.rs only disables telemetry for the current process execution. It does not modify the configuration file or affect subsequent runs of the orx command. Use orx telemetry off for permanent disabling.

Can I re-enable telemetry after running orx telemetry off?

Yes. Run orx telemetry on to update the configuration file and remove the opt-out flag. The persistence logic in src/telemetry.rs handles both enabling and disabling states, allowing you to toggle telemetry collection as needed.

Will disabling telemetry affect orx functionality?

No. The telemetry system is strictly for usage statistics reporting to the OpenResearch backend. Disabling it via the persistent command or configuration edit prevents only the upload of analytics data, with no impact on the core functionality of the tool or its experiment management features.

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}