Where Does Ardour Store Config?
Ardour versioned config folders on every OS, and the per session file people confuse with it.
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Ardour versions its config folder by major release: ~/.config/ardour8 on Linux, ~/Library/Preferences/Ardour8 on Mac (capitalized), %LOCALAPPDATA%\Ardour8 on Windows. New majors start parallel folders, so settings never auto migrate.
The naming trap is instant.xml: the global config dir holds UI and bindings, while each session folder holds its own instant.xml with zoom and view state. Plugin search paths (LADSPA, LV2, VST) default system wide with system_config beside the install. Copy the versioned folder across machines running the same major to migrate.
Where Ardour stores this, by platform
~/.config/ardour8/
Config, ui_config, key bindings and plugin metadata (folder number tracks major version only, e.g. ardour5 for 5.x). System config in /opt/Ardour-*/etc or /etc/ardour<N> for distro builds. Session state in each project instant.xml.
~/Library/Preferences/Ardour8/
Same role as Linux (note the capital A in Ardour<N> on Mac). Versioned per major release with no auto migration between them.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Ardour8\
Same role, LocalAppData plus Ardour<N>. Edit through the GUI rather than by hand. Per project instant.xml holds session view state separately.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Ardour forget my settings after upgrading?
Major versions use parallel folders (ardour7 versus ardour8) with no auto migration. Copy the old versioned folder contents into the new one while versions match closely, then recheck plugin paths.
Which instant.xml holds my window layout?
Depends which you mean: the session folder one stores that project's zoom and views, while global UI defaults live in the versioned config dir. Back up both for a full restore.
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