diff --git a/.config/profile/local_profile b/.config/profile/local_profile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aeb900b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.config/profile/local_profile
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# relevant for: record_replay_start, record_start
+export CAPTURE_INPUT_AUDIO="easyeffects_sink.monitor"
+export CAPTURE_OUTPUT_AUDIO="easyeffects_source"
+export CAPTURE_DIR="$HOME/downloads"
+# relevant for: monitor
+export EXTERNAL_MONITOR="HDMI2"
+export INTERNAL_MONITOR="LVDS1"
+# relevant for: textemp
+export LATEX_TEMPLATE_DIR="~/code/main/latextemplates"
+# relevant for: lmc
+export LOOPBACK_DEVICE="PCM2902 Audio Codec Analog Stereo"
+# relevant for: disk
+export STATUSBAR_DISK="/home"
+# relevant for: wallpaper
+export WALLPAPER_DESKTOP="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/bg"
+export WALLPAPER_LOCK="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/lock"
+# relevant for: screenshot
+export SCREENSHOT_DIR="$HOME/downloads"
diff --git a/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_replay_start b/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_replay_start
index 69404a2..1d45701 100755
--- a/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_replay_start
+++ b/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_replay_start
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+[ -z "$CAPTURE_INPUT_AUDIO" ] && audio_1="easyeffects_sink.monitor" || audio_1="$CAPTURE_INPUT_AUDIO"
+[ -z "$CAPTURE_OUTPUT_AUDIO" ] && audio_2="easyeffects_source" || audio_2="$CAPTURE_OUTPUT_AUDIO"
+[ -z "$CAPTURE_DIR" ] && output="$HOME/downloads" || output="$CAPTURE_DIR"
+
 window=$(xdotool getwindowfocus)
 fps=60
-audio_1="easyeffects_sink.monitor"
-audio_2="easyeffects_source"
 format="mp4"
 v_codec="h264"
 a_codec="opus"
 lenght=20
-output="$HOME/downloads"
 
 gpu-screen-recorder -w $window -f $fps -a $audio_1 -a $audio_2 -c $format -k $v_codec -ac $a_codec -r $lenght -o $output &
 notify-send -u low 'Screen record' 'Replay started'
diff --git a/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_start b/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_start
index 477f6fc..5dd1190 100755
--- a/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_start
+++ b/.local/bin/etc/screen_capture/record_start
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+[ -z "$CAPTURE_INPUT_AUDIO" ] && audio_1="easyeffects_sink.monitor" || audio_1="$CAPTURE_INPUT_AUDIO"
+[ -z "$CAPTURE_OUTPUT_AUDIO" ] && audio_2="easyeffects_source" || audio_2="$CAPTURE_OUTPUT_AUDIO"
+[ -z "$CAPTURE_DIR" ] && output_dir="$HOME/downloads" || output_dir="$CAPTURE_DIR"
+
 window=$(xdotool getwindowfocus)
 fps=30
-audio_1="$(pactl get-default-sink).monitor"
-audio_2="$(pactl get-default-source)"
 format="mp4"
 v_codec="h264"
 a_codec="opus"
-output="$HOME/downloads/recording-$(date '+%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S').$format"
+output="$output_dir/recording-$(date '+%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S').$format"
 
 gpu-screen-recorder -w $window -c $format -k $v_codec -ac $a_codec -f $fps -a $audio_1 -a $audio_2 -o $output &
 notify-send -u low 'Screen record' 'Recording started'
diff --git a/.local/bin/etc/statusbar/disk b/.local/bin/etc/statusbar/disk
index 8ab67a1..5352897 100755
--- a/.local/bin/etc/statusbar/disk
+++ b/.local/bin/etc/statusbar/disk
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 # Status bar module for disk space
 # $1 should be drive mountpoint
 
-disk="/home"
+[ -z "$STATUSBAR_DISK" ] && disk="/home" || disk="$STATUSBAR_DISK"
+
 [ ! -z "$1" ] && disk="$1"
 
 icon="$disk"
diff --git a/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/audio/lmc b/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/audio/lmc
index 99ba5b2..9a6978d 100755
--- a/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/audio/lmc
+++ b/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/audio/lmc
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 # Based on a script by lukesmithxyz, checkout github.com/lukesmithxyz/voidrice
 # Heavily extended and updated to a pipewire system
 
-Device="Audio Adapter (Unitek Y-247A) Mono"
-Name=$(wpctl status | grep "$Device")
-Id=$( echo $Name | cut -d '.' -f 1 | cut -c 5-)
-Node=$(wpctl inspect $Id | grep node.name | cut -d '=' -f 2)
+[ -z "$LOOPBACK_DEVICE" ] && device="Easy Effects Source" || device="$LOOPBACK_DEVICE"
+
+name=$(wpctl status | grep "$device")
+id=$( echo $name | cut -d '.' -f 1 | cut -c 5-)
+node=$(wpctl inspect $id | grep node.name | cut -d '=' -f 2)
 
 [ -z "$2" ] && num="5" || num="$2"
 
@@ -59,10 +60,10 @@ case "$1" in
   loop) playerctl loop none
     sleep 1
     pkill -RTMIN+9 $STATUSBAR ;;
-  tap) wpctl set-volume $Id 0.2
+  tap) wpctl set-volume $id 1.0
       touch ~/.local/state/loopback.lock
-      pw-loopback -C $Node &
-      notify-send -u low 'sxhkd' "Started loopback of $Device" ;;
+      pw-loopback -C $node &
+      notify-send -u low 'sxhkd' "Started loopback of $device" ;;
   untap) killall pw-loopback
       rm ~/.local/state/loopback.lock
       notify-send -u low 'sxhkd' "Stopped all loopbacks" ;;
diff --git a/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/monitor b/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/monitor
index ed5e924..d1c8dc7 100755
--- a/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/monitor
+++ b/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/monitor
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 # toggle external monitor
 # by lukesmithxyz, checkout github.com/lukesmithxyz/voidrice
 
-intern=LVDS1
-extern=HDMI2
+[ -z "$INTERNAL_MONITOR" ] && intern="LVDS1" || intern="$EXTERNAL_MONITOR"
+[ -z "$EXTERNAL_MONITOR" ] && extern="HDMI2" || extern="$INTERNAL_MONITOR"
 
 case "$1" in
   toggle) (xrandr | grep "$extern disconnected")
diff --git a/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/screenshot b/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/screenshot
index e818678..1500adb 100755
--- a/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/screenshot
+++ b/.local/bin/etc/sxhkd/screenshot
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 # Requires maim. It lets you choose the kind of screenshot to take,
 # including copying the image or even highlighting an area to copy.
 
-output="$HOME/downloads/screenshot-$(date '+%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S').png"
+[ -z "$SCREENSHOT_DIR" ] && output_dir="$HOME/downloads" || output_dir="$SCREENSHOT_DIR"
+
+output="$output_dir/screenshot-$(date '+%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S').png"
 xclip_img="xclip -sel clip -t image/png"
 xclip_txt="xclip -sel clip -t text/plain"
 
diff --git a/.local/bin/tools/textemp b/.local/bin/tools/textemp
index 04584b3..46c0b95 100755
--- a/.local/bin/tools/textemp
+++ b/.local/bin/tools/textemp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # copying latex templates from my template repository
 # (not included in the dotfiles)
 
-latexdir=~/code/main/latextemplates
+[ -z "$LATEX_TEMPLATE_DIR" ] && latexdir="~/code/main/latextemplates" || latexdir="$LATEX_TEMPLATE_DIR"
 
 articletemp=${latexdir}/article/*
 beamertemp=${latexdir}/beamer/*
diff --git a/.local/bin/tools/wallpaper b/.local/bin/tools/wallpaper
index 9b1d585..918ccec 100755
--- a/.local/bin/tools/wallpaper
+++ b/.local/bin/tools/wallpaper
@@ -2,20 +2,23 @@
 
 # Adapted from a script by lukesmithxyz, checkout github.com/lukesmithxyz/voidrice
 
+[ -z "$WALLPAPER_DESKTOP" ] && wall_desk="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/bg" || disk="$WALLPAPER_DESKTOP"
+[ -z "$WALLPAPER_LOCK" ] && wall_desk="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/lock" || disk="$WALLPAPER_LOCK"
+
 case "$1" in
-  desktop) bgloc="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/bg"
+  desktop) wall_desk="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/bg"
       trueloc="$(readlink -f "$2")" &&
       case "$(file --mime-type -b "$trueloc")" in
-          image/* ) ln -f "$(readlink -f "$2")" "$bgloc" && notify-send -i "$bgloc" "Desktop wallpaper has been changed." ;;
-          inode/directory ) ln -f "$(find "$trueloc" -iregex '.*.\(jpg\|jpeg\|png\|gif\)' -type f | shuf -n 1)" "$bgloc" && notify-send -i "$bgloc" "Random desktop wallpaper chosen." ;;
+          image/* ) ln -f "$(readlink -f "$2")" "$wall_desk" && notify-send -i "$wall_desk" "Desktop wallpaper has been changed." ;;
+          inode/directory ) ln -f "$(find "$trueloc" -iregex '.*.\(jpg\|jpeg\|png\|gif\)' -type f | shuf -n 1)" "$wall_desk" && notify-send -i "$wall_desk" "Random desktop wallpaper chosen." ;;
           *) notify-send "🖼️ Error" "Not a valid image or directory." ; exit 1;;
       esac
-      xwallpaper --zoom "$bgloc" ;;
-  lock) bgloc="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/lock"
+      xwallpaper --zoom "$wall_desk" ;;
+  lock) wall_lock="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/lock"
       trueloc="$(readlink -f "$2")" &&
       case "$(file --mime-type -b "$trueloc")" in
-          image/* ) ln -f "$(readlink -f "$2")" "$bgloc" && notify-send -i "$bgloc" "Lock screen wallpaper has been changed." ;;
-          inode/directory ) ln -f "$(find "$trueloc" -iregex '.*.\(jpg\|jpeg\|png\|gif\)' -type f | shuf -n 1)" "$bgloc" && notify-send -i "$bgloc" "Random lock screen wallpaper chosen." ;;
+          image/* ) ln -f "$(readlink -f "$2")" "$wall_lock" && notify-send -i "$wall_lock" "Lock screen wallpaper has been changed." ;;
+          inode/directory ) ln -f "$(find "$trueloc" -iregex '.*.\(jpg\|jpeg\|png\|gif\)' -type f | shuf -n 1)" "$wall_lock" && notify-send -i "$wall_lock" "Random lock screen wallpaper chosen." ;;
           *) notify-send "🖼️ Error" "Not a valid image or directory." ; exit 1;;
       esac ;;
   *) cat << EOF
diff --git a/.profile b/.profile
index 1f0c7a8..ddac26e 100644
--- a/.profile
+++ b/.profile
@@ -79,5 +79,8 @@ export LESS_TERMCAP_ue="$(printf '%b' '')"; a="${a%_}"
 echo "$0" | grep "bash$" >/dev/null && [ -f ~/.bashrc ] && source "${HOME}/.bashrc"
 echo "$0" | grep "zsh$" >/dev/null && [ -f ${ZDOTDIR}/.zshrc ] && source "${ZDOTDIR}/.zshrc"
 
+# load optional variables
+[ -f ~/.config/profile/local_profile ] && source "${HOME}/.config/profile/local_profile"
+
 # Start graphical server if not already running.
 [ "$(tty)" = "/dev/tty1" ] && ! pgrep -x Xorg >/dev/null && exec startx