Import a tones.cfg file

ToneWatch can preview and apply a legacy tones.cfg file. The importer only changes tone sets; it does not create sources or alert targets.

Command line

Preview the proposed tone sets without changing the saved configuration:

tonewatch import tones-cfg tones.cfg

Use JSON output for automation:

tonewatch import tones-cfg tones.cfg --json

Apply valid sections and keep existing tone sets with merge mode:

tonewatch import tones-cfg tones.cfg --apply --mode merge

Use --mode replace to replace all current tone sets with the valid imported sections. The importer accepts files up to 256 KiB and 500 sections. Invalid sections are shown as skipped in the preview; no commands from the file are executed.

Web preview and apply

Open Tone sets, choose Import legacy tones.cfg, and select the file. The preview lists imported and skipped sections, proposed frequencies, durations, tolerances, and notes. Choose Merge or Replace after reviewing the preview. Replace asks for confirmation because it removes the current tone sets from the saved configuration.

What is imported

The importer maps two-tone definitions (atone, atonelength, btone, and btonelength) or a long tone (longtone and longtonelength) into ToneWatch tone sequences. It also maps tone_tolerance, record_seconds, ignore_after, and gaplength. Descriptions become tone-set names; missing values use the ToneWatch model defaults where the preview says so.

Email recipient keys and email delivery settings are dropped. Command keys are also dropped and are never run. Configure a webhook, MQTT target, or the optional script target separately in ToneWatch's Alerts page.