Handles¶

Every Klangk user has a unique handle (e.g., @alice). Handles are used throughout the platform:

• Chat — @mention other users in workspace chat messages
• Terminal — your $HOME directory is /home/<handle>/
• Presence — avatar tooltips show your handle in the workspace
• Shared terminals — shared tabs are prefixed with the owner's handle (e.g., alice:build)

How handles are assigned¶

When you first create an account, your handle is derived from the local part of your email address (e.g., alice@example.com becomes alice). If that handle is already taken, a numeric suffix is appended (alice-2, alice-3, etc.).

Handles must be lowercase and may contain letters, digits, dots, dashes, and underscores.

Handle and HOME directory¶

Your handle determines your home directory path inside workspace containers. When you open a terminal, $HOME is set to /home/<handle>/, which is a symlink to .users/<user-id>/ on the host filesystem.

If you change your handle, your $HOME path changes on your next terminal session — but the underlying directory (keyed by user ID) stays the same. Your files, dotfiles, and history are preserved.

Changing your handle¶

You can change your handle from the Settings page. The new handle must be unique and follow the naming rules above. A password confirmation is required.

Admins can change any user's handle from the Admin panel without needing the user's password.