Where Does Tmuxinator Store Project Files?
Tmuxinator looks for project files in $TMUXINATOR_CONFIG, then XDG config, then ~/.tmuxinator, plus a local file per directory.
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Tmuxinator project files are plain YAML, one per layout, and the tool searches a short ordered list of directories for them. New projects land in whichever directory already exists, which is why two machines can disagree about where a file went.
A project can also live beside the code it controls. A .tmuxinator.yml file in the current directory wins over the global folders when no named project matches, a setup meant for sharing layouts with a team.
Where Tmuxinator stores this, by platform
~/.config/tmuxinator
Default for fresh installs per XDG rules. Older setups keep using ~/.tmuxinator instead, and $TMUXINATOR_CONFIG beats both when set. List what tmuxinator actually sees with tmuxinator list.
~/.config/tmuxinator
Same precedence as Linux. Homebrew installs do not change the lookup order. A ./.tmuxinator.yml in the working directory takes priority as a local project file.
Frequently asked questions
where should i put a new tmuxinator project file
Save it as ~/.config/tmuxinator/<name>.yml on a new machine. On an old one that already has ~/.tmuxinator, use that folder instead so all projects stay in one place.
how do i share a tmuxinator layout with my team
Commit a .tmuxinator.yml file at the repo root. Tmuxinator picks up the local file when no global project matches, so teammates get the layout without installing anything into their config.
why does tmuxinator say project could not be found
The file is probably in a directory tmuxinator is not searching. Check $TMUXINATOR_CONFIG, ~/.config/tmuxinator and ~/.tmuxinator in that order, and confirm the extension is .yml.
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