Where Is the Zathura Config File?
Where Zathura reads zathurarc on Linux, and how plugins and bookmarks split across folders.
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Zathura keeps settings in zathurarc under ~/.config/zathura (or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME), while runtime state like bookmarks and history goes to the data dir. System behavior stays default until the user file exists.
Plugin choice matters more than theming. The same zathurarc works across PDF, EPUB, and DjVu backends, but only if those plugins are installed. Check your package list when a format opens blank.
Where Zathura stores this, by platform
~/.config/zathura/zathurarc
Main config (set options). Bookmarks and history in ~/.local/share/zathura/. System-wide defaults under /etc/xdg when shipped by the distro.
Frequently asked questions
How do I configure Zathura?
Create ~/.config/zathura/zathurarc with set lines for fonts, colors, and recolor options. Check with zathura --help for supported keys on your build; plugin sets differ between poppler and mupdf variants.
Where are bookmarks stored?
Bookmarks and history live in the data dir (~/.local/share/zathura), not beside zathurarc. Back up both paths to keep marks. Plugins ship with the distro package, so reinstalling restores backends without touching your config.
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