How To Back Up Discord Settings On Linux
Tired of re-logging into your Discord app on Linux? Want to back up your settings to make it easier? Follow along with this tutorial, and you’ll know all about how to easily backup and restore your Discord settings on Linux!
View Discord settings
If you install Discord on Linux by downloading the DEB package, or through another way of getting the program that doesn’t use Snap or Flatpak, all program settings save in your home folder, inside of the ~/.config directory. To view the contents of this folder, use the ls command. Be sure that you use the -a modifier, to see any hidden files in this directory.
To access the Discord settings folder, do:
cd ~/.config/discord
Then, view the contents of Discord, using ls.
ls -a
Using CD should work and get you instant access to the program’s settings on your Linux PC. If the above commands refuse to work but you have the Discord app installed, you may need to log out and log back in. After logging in again, the settings should be in the correct location.
Back Up Discord Settings
The best way to back up your Discord application settings for Linux is to create a complete, compressed Tar archive of ~/.config/discord. To create a new Tar archive, load up a terminal window and use the CD command to move into your ~/.config folder.
Note: this backup method only works for versions of Discord that install directly to your Linux PC (Deb, TarGZ or AUR). It may not work with the Discord Flatpak or Snap package, as these versions use their own private file system setup.
cd ~/.config
Use the tar command to create a new Tar archive. For best results, use the TarGZ format. It’s a familiar format, and all Linux operating systems work with it.
Note: while TarGZ is preferred, there are other types of Tar archives you can go with such as TarBz.
tar -czvf discord-settings-backup.tar.gz discord
Let the Tar archiving tool compress and create your Discord settings file. When the compression process completes, use the mv command to your Documents directory.
mv discord-settings-backup.tar.gz ~/Documents
With the Discord backup complete, feel free to put this file online for safekeeping. However, this backup is unsafe, so do so at your own risk.
Install GPG
Taking your backup file and uploading it online is possible, but a bad idea. It’s unlocked, and anyone can mess with this file, extract it and use it to access your Discord account. Therefore, if you plan to store this backup online, it’s a good idea to use encryption, like GPG.
With a tool like GPG, it’ll allow you to take your Discord TarGZ archive, obfuscate it and ensure that only you have access to it. Install GPG to your Linux system by entering the commands below for your Linux OS.
Ubuntu
sudo apt install gpg
Debian
sudo apt-get install gpg
Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S gnupg
Fedora
sudo dnf install gpg
OpenSUSE
sudo zypper install gpg
Generic Linux
GPG is widely available on Linux. Even the most obscure distros have it. To install, search your package manager for “gpg.”
Encrypt Backup
Now that the GPG encryption tool is working on your Linux PC, you’ll be able to encrypt your Discord TarGZ archive. Using the terminal, CD to your ~/Documents directory, where the backup is.
cd ~/Documents
Next, use the gpg command to create a new encrypted file. When creating a new encrypted file, be sure to use a secure password. If you do not use a secure password, the encryption will be pointless.
Note: can’t get a good, secure password? Strongpasswordgenerator.com has you covered!
gpg -c discord-settings-backup.tar.gz
Running the gpg command will output a new file. This file is named discord-settings-backup.tar.gz.gpg. It’s fully locked, and inaccessible to everyone unless the special passcode is entered.
Restore Discord Settings Backup
To restore your GPG backup of Discord, open a terminal window. Then use the CD key to move your terminal session to the ~/Documents folder where the backup is stored.
cd ~/Documents
Make a copy of the backup discord-settings-backup.tar.gz.gpg and place it in the ~/.config folder in your home directory, using the cp command.
cp discord-settings-backup.tar.gz.gpg ~/.config
Move from the ~/Documents folder to the ~/.config folder with the CD command.
cd ~/.config
Decrypt your backup file using the gpg command.
gpg discord-settings-backup.tar.gz.gpg
After decrypting the backup, it’s time to extract the Discord settings TarGZ archive to the ~/.config folder. Using the tar command, extract your Discord settings.
tar xvf discord-settings-backup.tar.gz
Running the tar command should instantly extract and restore your Discord settings to your Linux PC.
