TEXMF root directories

MiKTeX organizes files in multiple TDS-compliant directory trees. The roots of these trees are called TEXMF root directories.

The TEXMF root directories managed by MiKTeX are the following:

  1. UserConfig: for user-specific configuration files
  2. UserData: for user-specific data files (format files, font caches, ...)
  3. UserInstall: the installation destination for packages installed by the user
  4. CommonConfig: for shared (system-wide) configuration files
  5. CommonData: for shared (system-wide) data files (format files, font caches, ...)
  6. CommonInstall: the installation destination for packages installed by the MiKTeX administrator

Standard locations

The locations of the managed TEXMF root directories vary from platform to platform.

Windows

UserConfig: %USERPROFILE%\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9
UserData: %USERPROFILE%\Local\MiKTeX\2.9
UserInstall: %USERPROFILE%\Roaming\MiKTeX\2.9
CommonConfig: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX 2.9
CommonData: C:\ProgramData\MiKTeX 2.9
CommonInstall: C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9

Linux

UserConfig: $HOME/.miktex/texmfs/config
UserData: $HOME/.miktex/texmfs/data
UserInstall: $HOME/.miktex/texmfs/install
CommonConfig: /var/lib/miktex-texmf
CommonData: /var/cache/miktex-texmf
CommonInstall: /usr/local/share/miktex-texmf

macOS

UserConfig: $HOME/Library/Application Support/MiKTeX/texmfs/config
UserData: $HOME/Library/Application Support/MiKTeX/texmfs/data
UserInstall: $HOME/Library/Application Support/MiKTeX/texmfs/install
CommonConfig: /Library/Application Support/MiKTeX/texmfs/config
CommonData: /Library/Application Support/MiKTeX/texmfs/data
CommonInstall: /Library/Application Support/MiKTeX/texmfs/install

Your own TEXMF root directories

You can register additional TEXMF root directories. For example, if you have files (such as LaTeX styles) that you want to integrate into the MiKTeX setup, you can do the following:

  1. Create a directory, say ~/mytexmf, which serves as the new TEXMF root directory.
  2. Create TDS-compliant subdirectories and move/copy your files here.
  3. Start MiKTeX Console and open the Settings page.
  4. Click the Directories tab.
  5. Click the Add button and browse to the TEXMF root directory created earlier (step 1).