DbVisualizer saves user settings such as tool properties, database connections and all other properties in the user's home folder. The location for this folder depends on the OS:


Windows
C:\Users\<user>\.dbvis
Linux/UNIX
/home/<user>/.dbvis
macOS/Users/<user>/.dbvis


There are situations when an alternative user settings folder is needed. Check the following for options.


1) Set in Tools->Tool Properties (from 10.0)

Open Tools->Tool Properties and click the General category

  1. In Specify Overridden Java VM Properties here enter:
    -Ddbvis.prefsdir=<path>/.dbvis
  2. Restart DbVisualizer


2) Modifying the dbvis.vmoptions (vmoptions.txt on macOS) file

Note 1: This works only if in Tools->Tool Properties and the General category, there is a Java VM Properties section

Note 2: This will modify the user settings for the DbVisualizer installation resulting in that all users will use that folder

  1. Navigate to the DbVisualizer installation folder
  2. Open the dbvis.vmoptions file in a text editor (DbVisualizer.app/Contents/vmoptions.txt on macOS)
  3. Add the following last in the editor:
    -Ddbvis.prefsdir=<path>/.dbvis
  4. All your settings will now be saved in the <path>/.dbvis folder

If you don't specify a full path the folder will be saved relative to the installation folder, environment variables such as ${USERPROFILE} and ${HOME} may be used depending on what OS is used.


Note: If the specified path doesn't contain any variables the same user settings folder will be used for all users running DbVisualizer


3) Using the -prefsdir program argument

The following shows how to specify an alternative folder for the user settings using a command-line argument.


Windows


dbvis.exe -prefsdir "C:\Users\brian\MyDbVisSettings"
dbviscmd.bat -prefsdir "C:\Users\brian\MyDbVisSettings"
Linux/UNIX

sh dbvis.sh -prefsdir /home/brian/mysettings

sh dbviscmd.sh -prefsdir /home/brian/mysettings

macOS

open DbVisualizer.app --args -prefsdir /Users/brian/mysettings

sh DbVisualizer.app/Contents/java/app/dbviscmd.sh -prefsdir /Users/brian/mysettings


If there are problems reading or saving the user settings open DbVisualizer and the Tools->Tool Properties window. In the General category the path to the User Preferences Directory is listed. That information may help determine what problem there is accessing the folder.


Related information in Install and run DbVisualizer on a USB device