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Pager Default Behavior Corrected

· 3 min read
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We've identified and corrected a regression in Atmos where the pager was incorrectly enabled by default, contrary to the intended behavior documented in a previous release.

What Changed​

The pager is now correctly disabled by default in Atmos. This aligns with the behavior that was intended in PR #1430 (September 2025) but was not fully implemented.

Background​

In May 2025, pager support was added to Atmos with the default set to true (enabled). Later, in September 2025, PR #1430 was merged with the intention of changing this default to improve the scripting and automation experience. The PR included:

  • A global --pager flag
  • Support for the NO_PAGER environment variable
  • Documentation stating: "BREAKING CHANGE: Pager is now disabled by default"

However, the actual default value in the configuration system was never changed from true to false, causing the pager to remain enabled by default despite the documentation.

Impact​

If you've been experiencing unexpected pager behavior (output being displayed through a pager like less when you didn't expect it), this fix resolves that issue.

If your workflow relied on the pager being enabled by default, you'll need to explicitly enable it using one of these methods:

Enable Pager via Configuration​

Add to your atmos.yaml:

settings:
  terminal:
    pager: true

Enable Pager via CLI Flag​

Use the --pager flag on any command:

atmos describe component myapp -s prod --pager

Enable Pager via Environment Variable​

Set the ATMOS_PAGER or PAGER environment variable:

export ATMOS_PAGER=true
atmos describe component myapp -s prod

Or specify a custom pager:

export ATMOS_PAGER=less
atmos describe component myapp -s prod

Why This Change Matters​

Having the pager disabled by default provides several benefits:

  1. Better automation/scripting: Output can be piped and processed without unexpected pager interaction
  2. Predictable behavior: Commands behave consistently whether run interactively or in CI/CD
  3. Explicit opt-in: Users who want pagination can easily enable it per their preferences

Migration Guide​

Most users won't need to change anything. If you were relying on the pager being enabled by default:

  1. Add pager: true to your atmos.yaml settings
  2. Or use the --pager flag when you want paginated output
  3. Or set the ATMOS_PAGER environment variable in your shell profile

We apologize for any confusion this regression may have caused and thank the community for bringing it to our attention.