Application directory/Changing the save directory

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How to set up a different save directory

http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2078&p=15323#p15323

There is a file config-paths.cfg, two directories up from the binary, which points to the config directory with file config.ini inside. In this file, there is a section "paths" and inside it variable "write-data", which you can change to point anywhere you like. This directory contains four subdirs: saves, mods, scenarios and temp, so you would probably have to share these as well (unless you want to do some symlink trickery, but then you wouldn't need moving the directory in the first place).

Relocating only the save directory

By default the save location is at this path:

• Windows (Zip file): {installdirectory}\saves
• Windows (Installer): C:\Users\{username}\AppData\factorio\saves
• OSX: ~/Library/"Application Support"/factorio/saves
• Linux: ???

To store just your saves in something like Dropbox, do the following while the game isn't running:

• Move your saves to the new location
• Remove the existing saves directory
• Make a symlink to the new saves directory

For our examples I'll assume I've created a directory in my Dropbox named factorio and created another directory inside that called saves:

• Windows: D:\Dropbox\factorio\saves
• OSX: ~/Dropbox/factorio/saves

• Windows:
  • Open a command prompt as administrator: Start Menu->All Programs->Accessories->Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
  • Change to the factorio directory: cd \{installdirectory} or cd \Users\{username}\AppData\factorio
  • Make the link: mklink /D saves D:\Dropbox\factorio\saves
  • If done correctly, should look like this: 05/06/2014 07:57 PM <SYMLINKD> saves [d:\Dropbox\factorio\saves]
• OSX:
  • Open Terminal
  • Change to the directory: cd ~/Library/"Application Support"/factorio/"
  • Create the symlink: ln -s ~/Dropbox/factorio/saves
  • If done correctly, ls -alF should show something like: lrwxr-xr-x 1 username staff 37 May 6 17:40 saves -> /Users/username/Dropbox/factorio/saves

Don't load the same save on two different computers at the same time

Dropbox will generate a sync error and create alternate files, other sync programs may have different behaviors.