Linux

Where Is the Terminator Config File?

Terminator keeps layouts and profiles in one ConfigObj file. The default Linux path and how to point it elsewhere.

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Terminator stores everything in ~/.config/terminator/config. Layouts, profiles, keybindings, and plugin settings all live in that single human readable file. The Preferences GUI edits it directly, so hand editing is rarely needed.

The path follows XDG_CONFIG_HOME when that variable is set. Pass -g or --config to load a different file for a single run, handy for testing a layout without touching your live setup. A misplaced section can stop Terminator loading, so back the file up first.

Where Terminator stores this, by platform

Linux
~/.config/terminator/config

Single config file for the whole app. Honors $XDG_CONFIG_HOME when set. The man page (man terminator_config) documents every section; the -g flag overrides the file per launch.

Frequently asked questions

how do i reset terminator settings

Quit Terminator, then delete or rename ~/.config/terminator/config. The next launch recreates it with defaults. Your shell history and files are untouched since only terminal chrome lives here.

how do i share terminator layouts between machines

Copy ~/.config/terminator/config to the same spot on the other machine. Layouts reference profile names inside that file, so the whole file must travel together, not just one section.

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