Where Does Mutter Store Its Config on Linux?
Mutter monitor layout file and the dconf database holding its GNOME settings on Linux.
Last updated
Mutter splits its state in two places. Display topology lives in a plain XML file. Everything else lives in dconf under org.gnome.mutter keys.
Edit through gsettings or dconf Editor rather than touching the binary database at ~/.config/dconf/user by hand. System defaults sit in /etc/dconf/db with the system monitor layout at /etc/xdg/monitors.xml.
Where Mutter stores this, by platform
~/.config/monitors.xml
File-backed display layout for the user session. System default is /etc/xdg/monitors.xml. Remaining Mutter settings live in the dconf database at ~/.config/dconf/user under org.gnome.mutter keys. There is no ~/.config/mutter directory.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Mutter settings?
Use dconf dump /org/gnome/mutter/ to export the keys and dconf load to restore them. Copying the binary database file while logged in risks corruption. The monitors.xml file can be copied directly.
Why is there no mutter config folder?
There is none. Mutter reads org.gnome.mutter keys from dconf and display topology from monitors.xml. Guides pointing at a mutter config folder describe something that does not exist.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.