Where Does virt-manager Store Settings?
virt-manager keeps UI prefs in ~/.config/virt-manager. VM disks and XML live with libvirt, not virt-manager.
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virt-manager stores almost nothing itself. Window layout, preferences, and connection list sit in ~/.config/virt-manager. The virtual machines belong to libvirt in system paths.
That split confuses every first migration. Copying the config folder moves the UI, not the guests. Guests need their XML plus disk images from libvirt locations. Move all three or the new box shows an empty list.
Where virt-manager stores this, by platform
~/.config/virt-manager
UI preferences and connection list. Small folder, quick to back up. Guests are not here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I migrate VMs managed by virt-manager?
Copy ~/.config/virt-manager for window and connection prefs. Then dump each domain with virsh dumpxml and copy the disk images from /var/lib/libvirt/images. All three parts must move.
I reinstalled virt-manager. Where are my VMs?
virt-manager is only the console. Definitions live in /etc/libvirt/qemu and disks default to /var/lib/libvirt/images. Reinstalling the UI loses nothing.
Where are saved connections?
Connection URIs like qemu:///system persist in virt-manager settings. Re-add any remote SSH connections by hand on the new machine.
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