Where Does Atari800 Store Config?
Atari800 keeps its options in .atari800.cfg in the home directory, with atari800.cfg variants on managed installs like RetroPie.
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Atari800 uses a single config file in the home directory, which keeps the whole setup visible in one place. Machine type, artifacting, keyboard behavior, and file paths all live in .atari800.cfg. The emulator writes it from its internal menu, so most users never touch it directly.
Managed installs relocate the file without changing its role. RetroPie keeps atari800.cfg under its configs tree and symlinks the home path to it. Libretro cores generate their own copy in the frontend's directories. Same format everywhere, different address.
Where Atari800 stores this, by platform
~/.atari800.cfg
Machine type, artifacting, and paths in one file. The emulator menu (F1) edits it safely. Managed installs symlink this path to their own config trees.
~/.atari800.cfg
Same home-directory convention on macOS builds. Libretro and RetroPie variants keep their copies in frontend directories instead; check those when the home file has no effect.
%USERPROFILE%\.atari800.cfg
Same dotfile convention under the user profile for Windows builds. Frontend-managed copies (RetroArch, RetroPie-style setups) take precedence when present.
Frequently asked questions
Should I edit the config file or use the menu?
Open the emulator menu with F1 and change options there; they persist to the config file on exit. Hand-editing works too, but the menu validates values the file never will.
Do Atari 8-bit and 5200 share settings?
One file serves both systems in multi-system setups, so a 5200-specific tweak affects 8-bit mode too. Keep separate core-option overrides per system when the frontend supports them.
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