Where Does Movim Store Config and Data?
Where a Movim install keeps its config, cache, and log folders on Linux, and how Docker setups change it.
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Movim keeps behavior in a .env file with log, cache, and public media folders branching from the install root. Chat content stays on the XMPP server; Movim holds presentation and session state. Docker images create the same folders with www-data ownership.
Deploys must sit at a domain root with the web server pointed at the public entry. Uploads flow through the XMPP server's file sharing, not Movim disk. Back up config plus mounts; the codebase itself reinstalls cleanly. Document custom paths for the next admin.
Where Movim stores this, by platform
/var/www/html/.env
Env-based config plus log, cache, and public media folders under the install root. Chat history lives on the XMPP server instead. Mount the stateful folders in Docker; never deploy under a subdirectory.
Frequently asked questions
how do I back up Movim
Back up the .env file plus any mounted log, cache, and images folders with services stopped. Chat history itself lives on the XMPP server, not in Movim. Container setups persist only mounted paths across updates.
how do I configure a new install
Copy .env.example to .env and fill database, daemon, and URL settings, or export the same as environment variables. Point the web root at public/index.php behind nginx, Apache, or Caddy. Never deploy under a subdirectory.
what persists in Docker setups
Mount log, cache, and images folders from the host to keep them across container rebuilds. Unmounted paths evaporate with the container layer. Composer dependencies bake into the image and need no volume.
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