LinuxWindows

Where Does Hatari Store Config?

Hatari layers config from /etc/hatari.cfg through ~/.config/hatari/hatari.cfg, with a legacy ~/.hatari fallback and per-game overrides.

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Hatari reads settings in layers, and later layers win. Built-in defaults sit at the bottom, then the system file, then your personal config, then command-line flags, then anything changed live in the GUI. That order makes behavior predictable once you see it.

The personal file is where your setup lives: TOS paths, disk mounts, screen and sound choices. Per-game files loaded with -c sit on top for titles with special needs. Legacy installs may still use ~/.hatari, which Hatari honors when the new spot is absent.

Where Hatari stores this, by platform

Linux
~/.config/hatari/hatari.cfg

Personal defaults: TOS paths, disks, video, and sound. Legacy ~/.hatari still works when this folder is absent. System-wide /etc/hatari.cfg sits below it in precedence.

Windows
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Hatari\hatari.cfg

Same layered system on Windows under local AppData. Per-game configs load with -c regardless of platform, so multi-game setups transfer directly.

Frequently asked questions

Config file or GUI: which wins?

Edit ~/.config/hatari/hatari.cfg for personal defaults; command-line flags beat it per launch and -c loads a named file instead. The GUI edits the same file, so both routes agree.

Different games need different settings. How do I manage that?

Create small per-game configs and launch with -c pointing at them. Memory, CPU, and TOS needs vary per title, and a named file per game beats constantly retuning the global one.

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