Where Is the Octave Startup File?
Octave startup file .octaverc and history file in home, and what belongs in each.
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Octave reads a startup file named .octaverc from your home directory on every launch, running whatever customization you placed there. Command history accumulates separately in .octave_hist beside it, feeding recall across sessions.
The two files split duties cleanly. Startup holds deliberate choices like paths, formats and defaults worth keeping forever. History holds everything you typed, useful until it is not. Back up the first, ignore the second, and Octave feels identical on every machine you own.
Where Octave stores this, by platform
~/.octaverc
Plain text Octave commands in .octaverc, readline history in .octave_hist. Both live directly in home rather than under .config. Version the rc file and let history stay disposable.
~/.octaverc
Same home directory files as Linux for Homebrew and app bundle installs. The pair copies between platforms untouched, since neither holds machine specific absolute paths in normal use.
Frequently asked questions
how do i make octave run commands at startup
Edit ~/.octaverc in your home directory. Commands there run at every startup, from path additions to display defaults. Keep it in version control next to your shell rc for a reproducible setup.
how do i clear octave command history
Delete ~/.octave_hist with Octave closed for a clean slate. The file only feeds recall, never computation, so removal is safe and the app recreates it on next use.
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