> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jolter.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Storage

> Reference for `JOLTER_HOME`, installed versions, cache, shims, plugins, and active selections.

Jolter owns a self-contained storage root.

Default:

```text theme={null}
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.jolter
Unix:   $HOME/.jolter
```

Override:

```text theme={null}
JOLTER_HOME
```

## Layout

```text theme={null}
.jolter/
|-- runtimes/
|   |-- node/
|   |-- bun/
|   `-- deno/
|-- tools/
|   |-- npm/
|   |-- pnpm/
|   `-- yarn/
|-- plugins/
|-- plugin-tools/
|-- shims/
|-- cache/
|   |-- downloads/
|   |-- metadata/
|   `-- locks/
`-- config/
    `-- active.json
```

Runtime installations contain `.jolter-install.json`. Built-in tools contain `.jolter-tool.json`. Plugins contain `.jolter-plugin.json`. These are implementation state; do not edit them manually.

## Active selections

`config/active.json` stores global fallback versions. Project requirements still win during shim dispatch.

Forced uninstall clears an active selection only when it removes the exact active version.

## Cache

The cache stores:

* provider metadata;
* verified downloaded archives;
* lock files used to coordinate cache and installation activity.

Inspect:

```bash theme={null}
jolter cache status
```

Clean:

```bash theme={null}
jolter cache clean
```

Cleaning cache does not remove installed versions, shims, project configuration, active selections, or lock coordination files.

## Locks and atomic publication

Jolter uses exact-version locks for runtime, tool, and plugin-tool publication and removal. It also uses metadata-key locks and a maintenance lock for cache cleanup.

A version becomes visible at its final path only after integrity verification, extraction, payload checks, manifest writing, and atomic rename.

## Moving storage

Set `JOLTER_HOME` consistently, then run:

```bash theme={null}
jolter setup
jolter doctor
```

The safest migration is to keep project configuration and run `jolter sync` into the new home. Copying installed executables across platforms or architectures is not guaranteed.

## Manual cleanup

Prefer:

```bash theme={null}
jolter uninstall <name>@<exact-version>
jolter prune
jolter cache clean
```

Manual deletion bypasses activation cleanup, locks, reclaimed-size reporting, and compatibility checks. If manual recovery is unavoidable, stop Jolter processes, back up `JOLTER_HOME`, make the smallest targeted change, and run `jolter doctor`.


## Related topics

- [Environment variables](/reference/environment.md)
- [Updating toolchains](/guides/updating-toolchains.md)
- [Automatic switching](/guides/automatic-switching.md)
- [Compatibility](/reference/compatibility.md)