# Home folder

MiniCut keeps your settings, library, projects and tools in one home folder. Set MINICUT_HOME to use another folder.

The home folder holds everything you own in MiniCut: your settings, the pictures and takes you saved, and your projects. It also holds the programs MiniCut brings. `minicut doctor` shows the folder and whether each part exists.

## Location

| Computer | Home folder |
|---|---|
| macOS and Linux | `~/.minicut` |
| Windows | `%LOCALAPPDATA%\minicut` |

On Windows, a `%LOCALAPPDATA%` path with non-ASCII characters is not used. The home folder is then `C:\minicut-` plus 8 characters taken from your Windows user.

Set `MINICUT_HOME` to a folder to use that folder instead. Every `minicut` command then reads and writes it. See [Global options](/docs/cli/global-options).

## Contents

```text Home folder
~/.minicut/
  settings.json         your defaults: language, screen shape, resolution, frame rate, projects folder
  auth.json             your sign-in key on Windows and Linux. macOS keeps it in the Keychain
  library/
    characters/         one folder for each saved character, with its pictures
    locations/          one folder for each saved location
    props/              one folder for each saved prop
    styles/             one folder for each saved style
    takes/              every take you saved, in one folder for each project
  projects/             your projects, one folder for each
  canvas/               canvas boards that belong to no project
  tools/                the programs MiniCut brings. Run minicut setup to download them again
  cache/                downloads and the model list
  bin/                  the minicut launcher
  versions/             the installed copies of MiniCut
  install.log           what the last install or update did
  minicut-home.json     the list of names MiniCut made here
```

`minicut setup` makes the folders and `settings.json`. A project folder is described on [Project directory](/docs/cli/project-directory).

## Settings

`settings.json` holds the defaults `minicut new` copies into a new project. `"projects_dir"` sets the folder new projects go in. `"auto_update": false` and `"error_reports": false` turn off the automatic update and crash reports.

## Uninstall

`minicut uninstall` removes the tools and the app, signs the computer out, stops the app and removes the skill folder. It keeps `projects`, `library`, `canvas` and `settings.json`. With `--all` it removes those too. It removes only the names listed in `minicut-home.json`, so a file of yours in the home folder stays. It refuses a folder with no `minicut-home.json`. See [minicut uninstall](/docs/cli/setup#minicut-uninstall).

## Next

[Project directory](/docs/cli/project-directory) [Setup](/docs/cli/setup) [Global options](/docs/cli/global-options)