# Locations of files

## Location of configuration files

WirePlumber’s default locations of its configuration files are determined at compile time by the build system. Typically, those end up being `$XDG_CONFIG_DIR/wireplumber`, `/etc/wireplumber`, and `/usr/share/wireplumber`, in that order of priority.

In more detail, the latter two are controlled by the `--sysconfdir` and `--datadir` meson options. When those are set to an absolute path, such as `/etc`, the location of the configuration files is set to be `$sysconfdir/wireplumber`. When set to a relative path, such as `etc`, then the installation prefix (`--prefix`) is prepended to the path: `$prefix/$sysconfdir/wireplumber`

The three locations are intended for custom user configuration, host-specific configuration and distribution-provided configuration, respectively. At runtime, WirePlumber will search the directories for the highest-priority directory to contain the needed configuration file. This allows a user or system administrator to easily override the distribution provided configuration files by placing an equally named file in the respective directory.

It is also possible to override the configuration directory by setting the `WIREPLUMBER_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable:

    WIREPLUMBER_CONFIG_DIR=src/config wireplumber

If `WIREPLUMBER_CONFIG_DIR` is set, the default locations are ignored and configuration files are only looked up in this directory.

## Location of scripts

WirePlumber’s default locations of its scripts are the same ones as for the configuration files, but with the `scripts` directory appended. Typically, these end up being `$XDG_CONFIG_DIR/wireplumber/scripts`, `/etc/wireplumber/scripts`, and `/usr/share/wireplumber/scripts`, in that order of priority.

The three locations are intended for custom user scripts, host-specific scripts and distribution-provided scripts, respectively. At runtime, WirePlumber will search the directories for the highest-priority directory to contain the needed script.

It is also possible to override the scripts directory by setting the `WIREPLUMBER_DATA_DIR` environment variable:

    WIREPLUMBER_DATA_DIR=src wireplumber

The “data” directory is a somewhat more generic path that may be used for other kinds of data files in the future. For scripts, WirePlumber still expects to find a `scripts` subdirectory in this “data” directory, so in the above example the scripts would be in `src/scripts`.

If `WIREPLUMBER_DATA_DIR` is set, the default locations are ignored and scripts are only looked up in this directory.

## Location of modules

### WirePlumber modules

Like with configuration files, WirePlumber’s default location of its modules is determined at compile time by the build system. Typically, it ends up being `/usr/lib/wireplumber-0.4` (or `/usr/lib/<arch-triplet>/wireplumber-0.4` on multiarch systems)

In more detail, this is controlled by the `--libdir` meson option. When this is set to an absolute path, such as `/lib`, the location of the modules is set to be `$libdir/wireplumber-$abi_version`. When this is set to a relative path, such as `lib`, then the installation prefix (`--prefix`) is prepended to the path: `$prefix/$libdir/wireplumber-$abi_version`.

It is possible to override this directory at runtime by setting the `WIREPLUMBER_MODULE_DIR` environment variable:

    WIREPLUMBER_MODULE_DIR=build/modules wireplumber

### PipeWire and SPA modules

PipeWire and SPA modules are not loaded from the same location as WirePlumber’s modules. They are loaded from the location that PipeWire loads them.

It is also possible to override these locations by using environment variables: `SPA_PLUGIN_DIR` and `PIPEWIRE_MODULE_DIR`. For more details, refer to PipeWire’s documentation.