Where Does Colima Store VMs and Config?
Colima keeps per profile yaml config plus Lima managed VM disks and sockets under a single base directory. The base defaults to ~/.colima.
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Each profile has its own colima.yaml (default profile at ~/.colima/default/colima.yaml). Generated Lima config, disks, sockets, and state sit alongside it in the same profile folder.
Set COLIMA_HOME to relocate the whole tree and COLIMA_PROFILE to switch profiles. Templates live in ~/.colima/_templates and Lima overrides in ~/.colima/_lima/_config.
Where Colima stores this, by platform
~/.colima/default/colima.yaml
Default profile config. Named profiles use ~/.colima/<profile>/colima.yaml where <profile> is the profile name. Template source is ~/.colima/_templates/default.yaml. Base override is COLIMA_HOME=/path/to/dir.
~/.colima/default/lima.yaml
Generated Lima VM config for the profile, with disks, docker.sock, store.json, and ssh_config nearby in ~/.colima/default and ~/.colima/_lima. VM type (qemu, vz, krunkit) cannot change after creation. Lima override file is ~/.colima/_lima/_config/override.yaml or $LIMA_HOME/_config/override.yaml.
~/.colima/default/colima.yaml
Same profile layout on Linux. Resolution order when COLIMA_HOME is unset is $HOME/.colima if present, then $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/colima if set, then ~/.config/colima if present, else user config default. Set COLIMA_HOME explicitly for a stable path in scripts.
~/.colima/default/lima.yaml
Same Lima managed VM data as macOS under the profile folder. Cache dir follows COLIMA_CACHE_HOME else OS cache dir. Per profile containerd or buildkit overrides go in ~/.colima/<profile>/containerd or buildkit subfolders.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move all Colima data to another disk?
Stop instances, set COLIMA_HOME=/new/path (example: /Volumes/Data/.colima), then start again. All profiles, Lima VMs, and ssh_config will be created under the new base.
Where do I edit Colima settings safely?
Run colima start --edit for the active profile, which opens ~/.colima/<profile>/colima.yaml with validation. Direct edits while the VM is running require a restart to apply.
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