# Software files and User settings files

There are two groups of files for running Ancestris.

- The **software files** run the application,
- The **user settings files** store user preferences.

<p class="callout warning">You may lose the software files because you can always get them from the Ancestris website;   
but **you should backup you user settings files** as they are specific to you.</p>

## Software files

Ancestris software files will be inside the `ancestris` folder used during the installation.

You can type `whereis ancestris` on a terminal to find out what that folder is (not in **Windows**).

This `ancestris` folder contains the following sub-folders.

- `ancestris`
- `bin`
    - `ancestris` : executable file to start Ancestris under **MacOS** and **Linux**
    - `ancestris.exe` : executable file to start Ancestris under **Windows**
    - `ancestris64.exe` : executable file to start Ancestris under **Windows** with Java 64-bit architecture (recommended)
    - `ancestris.gif` : Ancestris icon to use when creating an application launcher shortcut
    - other Ancestris icons
- `etc`
    - ancestris.conf : application configuration file``
- `harness`
- `platform`

When you reinstall Ancestris, you simply replace those software files.

## User settings files

### The **user directory**

Ancestris user settings files are in the **user directory**.

<p class="callout info">You can see the location of the **user directory** on the About dialogue.   
This dialogue can be accessed from the main menu / Help / About Ancestris or else by clicking on the About button [![About_box_button.png](https://docs.ancestris.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-06/scaled-1680-/About_box_button.png)](https://docs.ancestris.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-06/About_box_button.png).  
  
Example :  
[![About_box_info.png](https://docs.ancestris.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-06/scaled-1680-/About_box_info.png)](https://docs.ancestris.org/uploads/images/gallery/2020-06/About_box_info.png)</p>

This **user directory** depends on your operating system.

- Windows : `C:\Users\[your name]\.ancestris\<version>`
- MacOS : `${HOME}/Library/Application Support/ancestris/<version>`
- Linux : `~/.ancestris/<version>`

Where `<version>` is the installed version number.

- `11` : in this case, the main version 11
- `trunk` : in this case, the daily version 12

### The **configuration file** and the **log file**

There are two especially important files in the user's folder for startup and diagnostic of eventual bugs.

- **The configuration file** : `<user's folder>/etc/ancestris.conf` defines the launch settings.
- **The log file** : `<user's folder>/ancestris/ancestris.log` stores all warnings and error messages occurring while you use Ancestris.

Here are also located your preferences and customised templates.

- Your **preferences** : `<user's folder>/ancestris/config`
- Your personal **templates** : `<user's folder>/ancestris/blueprints`
- Your **almanacs** : `<user's folder>/ancestris/almanac`
- Your **individual and family record** templates : `<user's folder>/ancestris/gedart`
- Your **history of modifications** : `<user's folder>/var/cache/ModificationsHistory`

Please check the user guide to learn what these templates are for.

### Detailed description

<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="bkmrk-%7E%2F.ancestris%2Ftrunk-%3D" style="height: 888px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 10px;">~/.ancestris/trunk</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 10px;">**User directory**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 10px;">- ancestris

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 10px;">- User defined templates

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - almanac

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - Almanacs for the chronology view and for chronology reporting.

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 29px;">- - - blueprints

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 29px;">- - - Blueprints available for displaying genealogy information in dynamic tree view, Gedcom editor, etc.

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 29px;">- - - gedart

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 29px;">- - - Standard models and user-defined models for the individual and family record / Gedart report.

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 29px;">- - - **ancestris.log**

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 29px;">- - - **Ancestris log file.**
        - This is the file Ancestris support might need in case you submit an error.
        - You can define the size of the log file in the Preferences.

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 29px;">- config

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 29px;">- User defined preferences

</td></tr><tr style="height: 53px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - Modules

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - User preferences of installed extensions

</td></tr><tr style="height: 53px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - Preferences

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - User preferences of all views and tools except those of the installed extensions

</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 40.6174%;">- - - Toolbars

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%;">- - - Main toolbar settings

</td></tr><tr style="height: 53px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - Windows2Local

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - Position of windows

</td></tr><tr style="height: 53px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - shortcuts.html

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - Shortcuts

</td></tr><tr style="height: 53px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- etc

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;"> </td></tr><tr style="height: 53px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - **ancestris.conf**

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - **Ancestris configuration file for Launch settings**
        - This configuration file complements the Ancestris application configuration file placed in the [software files described above.](#bkmrk-software-files)

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- modules

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- Installed extensions

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- update\_tracking

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- Installed extensions update information

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- var

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;"> </td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - cache

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;"> </td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - - - ModificationsHistory

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - - - Modification history of Gedcom files opened by Ancestris

</td></tr><tr style="height: 53px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 53px;">- - - - - ...

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 53px;">- - - - - Temporary information stored by Ancestris

</td></tr><tr style="height: 10px;"><td style="width: 40.6174%; height: 10px;">- - - log

</td><td style="width: 62.3455%; height: 10px;">- - - Temporary log files

</td></tr></tbody></table>

When you reinstall Ancestris, user settings files are not modified and you should be able to run the updated version with all your previous settings.

<p class="callout warning">However, there could be some changes in the way the new version uses some of the settings.  
 - If this is the case, we recommend you to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">only keep</span> the **ancestris**, **config**, **etc** and **ModificationsHistory** folders.   
 - If you have trouble with the windows, we recommend you to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">remove</span> the **Windows2Local** folder.</p>

## Uninstall Ancestris

To uninstall Ancestris, just delete the 2 folders of the software files and the user settings files.