Directory setup

Making your setup suitable for long-term

File and directory structure

LMMS has two primary directories with data and files. One is called the native directory, and one is called the working directory. The native directory exists within the LMMS install folder. Additionally, LMMS creates a config file called .lmmsrc.xml that saves the configuration data for LMMS.

The default LMMS installation and settings are standard and need not be modified for most users' cases. It is suggested, if possible, that you leave them as-is when installing for the first time. Different set-ups could have unexpected results for unfamiliar users.

If you do not understand what you are doing, what could go wrong, and why there needs to be an explanation on what is going on, it is recommended you stick with a normal installation.

If you choose to modify your installation or working directory to point to places other than the default locations, please keep them clearly separate from each other so you will never confuse one for the other.

If you are not sure why you cannot place your LMMS working directory near your app folder, and still want to do so, please read the information below.

When LMMS is installed on a system, these directories are created. The native directory is installed in the same location as LMMS, and the working directory is installed in a user folder.

If you install on a Windows system, LMMS by default installs (installation location/LMMS location/install directory) to C:/Program Files/lmms and the native directory (LMMS data files) is installed to C:/Program Files/lmms/data (ie, it is placed in a /data/ subfolder in the LMMS install location).

The working directory (user directory) is placed in C:/Users/[USERNAME]/Documents/lmms. The configuration file is saved as C:/Users/[USERNAME]/.lmmsrc.xml.

Both the working directory and the native directory have some common sorts of folders. Both of them contain data that can be used in LMMS: projects, samples, and presets.

The Native Directory

Ideally, you do not want to ever interact with this directory.

The native directory comes along with LMMS and contains the native data. It is part of the install directory. It has several folders, a set of samples that LMMS ships with, a large collection of presets, and several projects for demonstrating what LMMS can do and sound like. As you update LMMS, your native directory will gain more presets and data, and broken data will be fixed.

By default, it is placed in C:/Program Files/lmms/data .

This directory represents the hardcoded files that LMMS comes with. You must not save your samples, presets, or projects to the native directory. This decision will make it difficult to update LMMS, backup your projects, backup your data properly, share projects with other people, safely uninstall LMMS, or move your files independent of your apps. You may otherwise regret this decision and will have an extremely hard time undoing it.

Do not save your samples, presets, or projects in the native LMMS directory, i.e. the data subfolder in the LMMS application directory.

In a normal install, this is not easily possible anyway, but if you modify your install or working directory positions to be anywhere close to each other, do not set your working directory to be the same your install directory. Additionally, never place your own samples, presets, or projects to the native LMMS directory.

The working directory

The working directory is by default C:/Users/[username]/Documents/lmms . You may save your samples, presets, or projects in the working directory.

It can be changed to any directory through the settings. The sub-directories allow for saving and access of projects, presets, samples, and templates. Anything saved in the default folders of the working directory can be accessed through the corresponding sidebar panel.

VSTs and SoundFont files

It is recommended that instead of storing VSTs or SF2 files directly in the downloads, they be stored in specific VST directory or SF2 directory for convenient search and easy load, and set it up as such in the settings. It is easier to look through a directory of SoundFont files for a specific file than through a directory with several other folders, and it will load faster.

Additionally, a user should consider keeping VST instruments and VST effects in separate directories too, instead of a single collective VST directory. This is because every single VST available in the VST plugin directory is loaded in the effects dialogue when trying to add an effect, and this dialogue does not discriminate against VST instruments. As the number of VSTs you have grows, it will be hard to distinguish an effect from an instrument by glancing at the name, and the effects dialogue can take longer to load.

These choices also make it more convenient for if you need to switch computers, work on multiple devices, or just while clearing up storage.