Where Does Midnight Commander Store Config?
Midnight Commander ini config, skins and data split across ~/.config and ~/.local/share.
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Midnight Commander splits its footprint the XDG way. Configuration lives in an mc folder under ~/.config, headed by the ini file with panels, keymap, editor and display options. Runtime data such as history, caches and temporary state lives separately under ~/.local/share/mc.
That split tells you what to back up and what to skip. The config tree is small, portable and worth versioning. The data tree holds history and caches that regenerate on their own, so copying it between machines buys nothing and occasionally carries stale locks.
Where Midnight Commander stores this, by platform
~/.config/mc/ini
Respects $XDG_CONFIG_HOME and $XDG_DATA_HOME when set. Skins live in a skins subfolder and custom keymaps beside the ini. Edit with mc closed, since the app writes panels state on exit.
~/.config/mc/ini
Same XDG style layout as Linux for Homebrew and MacPorts installs. The ini file copies cleanly between the two platforms with no path adjustments in normal setups.
Frequently asked questions
how do i move midnight commander settings to a new pc
Copy the whole ~/.config/mc directory to the new machine. That carries the ini, panels setup, keymap and file highlight rules in one move. History and caches under ~/.local/share/mc can stay behind.
how do i reset midnight commander settings
Delete the ini file with mc closed and relaunch. Defaults regenerate, clearing broken panels, bad keymaps and stuck sort orders. Your actual files are never at risk, since the ini holds interface state only.
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