Where Does MinIO Store Objects and Config?
MinIO stores objects in the data dirs passed on the command line, with server config in .minio.sys inside them. Root creds come from env.
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MinIO takes data directories as startup arguments, not config files. Every drive path passed to the server command becomes object storage, with a hidden .minio.sys tree inside holding server config, IAM, and bucket metadata. Console and API share the same tree.
Credentials arrive as env vars consumed once at bootstrap. TLS certs live in a certs dir beside the data or in the config path. Version upgrades keep the layout, so mounts survive image swaps. Bucket policies and lifecycle rules persist inside the hidden tree.
Where MinIO stores this, by platform
/opt/minio/data
Object data plus hidden server tree. Mount one path per drive for erasure coding. Back up whole, never partial.
/opt/minio/data/.minio.sys/config/config.json
Server config, IAM, and bucket metadata inside every data dir. Created at bootstrap. Travels with the data backup.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up MinIO data?
Back up the whole data dir tree including hidden .minio.sys. Erasure coding spreads objects across drives, so partial copies do not restore.
Where do MinIO root credentials come from?
Set the root user and password env vars before first start. They seed the admin account. Rotate from the console afterwards.
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