Where Does AbiWord Store Its Profile?
Where AbiWord keeps its user profile on Linux, what the -u flag overrides, and where templates live.
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AbiWord stores preferences in a profile file that modern Linux builds keep under the XDG config home. The path is short and the format is plain text, so hand edits for things like default save format are normal practice. A -u command line flag points the app at an alternate profile.
Older installs used a dot folder directly in home, which explains duplicate locations after upgrades. Templates are the second piece: user templates live in an AbiSuite templates folder while system ones ship with the install. Note that upstream no longer ships Windows builds, so Linux paths are the ones that matter.
Where AbiWord stores this, by platform
~/.config/abiword/profile
Default user profile in plain text; the -u flag substitutes another file for testing. Legacy installs used ~/.AbiSuite instead, so check both on migrated machines. Templates go in ~/.AbiSuite/templates on classic layouts.
Frequently asked questions
how do I change the default save format
Edit the profile file and add DefaultSaveFormat inside the preferences section, then restart. The man page documents a -u flag to use an alternate profile for testing. Keep a copy of the working profile before experimenting.
where does the Normal template go
Place your Normal template in ~/.AbiSuite/templates for Linux builds, creating the folder when missing. System templates ship with the install and apply to every user. The user template wins whenever both exist.
why are there two AbiWord folders
Modern Linux builds follow XDG under ~/.config/abiword, while older installs used ~/.AbiSuite. Check both when migrating an old machine. Flatpak installs sandbox the paths further under the app container.
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