01Reach the folder through Settings
Settings has a Data and profile folders section under Directories, whose Data folder row carries a Browse button. It opens the r2modmanPlus-local directory after a short delay, and that directory holds your profiles and the shared package cache. Use the button rather than typing a path, because it resolves to wherever the running build keeps its data and behaves the same whether the manager came from the Windows setup, a native Linux package or the Flatpak. If your file manager opens somewhere unexpected, the profile list in the manager is still the authority on which profiles exist. Open the folder with no game running so nothing is mid-write.
02What is inside r2modmanPlus-local
Inside that folder are per-game directories containing your profiles, plus a mods/cache directory shared by all of them. A profile directory holds the installed packages, their versions, the enabled state and the supported configuration files the Config Editor reads. The cache holds downloaded package archives rather than installed content, which is why deleting a cache entry does not remove a mod from a profile. Folder names follow package naming, so an Author-PackageName directory corresponds to a package you installed. The folder grows with the number of games and profiles you keep, and the cache is usually the largest part of it.
03How the shared download cache works
The download cache is shared across profiles and games. Once a version of a package has been downloaded, installing it into another profile reuses the archive and finishes almost instantly, which is what makes cloning a profile cheap. Newer or older versions of the same package are cached too when you install them, so stepping back to a previous release usually needs no download at all. Fetching a version that is already cached does not add to its download count on Thunderstore. Cache growth is the usual reason the data folder becomes large.
04Clear the cache when you have a reason
To clear cached archives, open Settings → Directories → Data and profile folders → Browse, go into mods/cache and delete the packages you want gone. The standard troubleshooting sequence disables the download cache in Settings before re-testing, which forces the manager to fetch a fresh copy of a package rather than reusing a suspect download. Clearing a cache entry does not uninstall anything from a profile; the package stays listed and is re-downloaded when next needed. Profile exports, local mods and configuration stored outside the cache are untouched, so this is safe but is not a fix on its own.
05Profiles, game files and saves are three layers
r2modman keeps its data separate from the game. Verifying or deleting game files through Steam, reinstalling the game or clearing a Proton prefix does not touch your profiles, and removing a profile does not touch your saves. Saves generally live with the game or in the platform user-data location, outside r2modmanPlus-local, so a world or character that disappears after a mod change was not removed by editing a profile. Verify the game in Steam when files are missing there and re-import the profile when the mod list is wrong; the two repairs are unrelated.
06Do not copy a path from another platform
Data folder locations differ between Windows, native Linux packages and the Flatpak build, and the Flatpak build keeps its own copy under its application data directory rather than in the home directory a native package would use. A path copied from a forum post can be valid text and still point at a directory the running build cannot read. Treat the Settings button, the active profile and Steam's Browse local files result as the sources of truth. For a path problem, compare the value against the folder Steam opens rather than copying a location from a guide, and if a permission override really is needed, grant the one Steam library instead of the whole home directory.
07Back up the parts that matter
A profile export is the durable copy: it records packages, versions, enabled state and supported configuration, and it imports on any machine with the same game and loader. The data folder itself is a working directory, and copying it wholesale drags platform-specific paths and sandbox assumptions along with it. Copy local mods, custom configuration files and saves deliberately, within the mod author's licence, and rebuild everything else through import. Keep exports somewhere the manager cannot delete, such as cloud storage or an external drive, since rebuilding from a code takes minutes and rebuilding from memory does not.
✦ Frequently asked questions
Common questions, answered directly.
Where are r2modman mods stored?
Installed package content lives in the per-game profile folders inside r2modmanPlus-local, which you can open from Settings → Directories → Data and profile folders → Browse. Downloaded archives sit in mods/cache inside the same directory and are shared by every profile. Neither location is inside the game folder.
Does clearing the cache delete installed mods?
No. Cache entries are downloaded archives, while profiles record which packages and versions are installed. Deleting cache files leaves profiles intact and the packages are re-downloaded when needed. It also does not affect profile exports, local mods or saves. On a slow connection, expect a cleared package to take as long as the first time.
Can I copy the whole data folder to another computer?
It can work, but it carries stale absolute paths and platform-specific assumptions with it. Export the profiles you need, copy local mods and custom configuration deliberately, and back up saves separately. Import on the new machine and check Settings → Directories before launching.
Why can I not find r2modmanPlus-local by searching?
It may sit inside a Flatpak sandbox directory, or on a drive other than the one you searched. Use Settings → Directories → Data and profile folders → Browse in the running build rather than searching the filesystem; the button opens the directory the manager is actually using.
Is the data folder a backup?
No. It is a working directory the manager reads and writes, and the shared cache inside it is disposable by design. Take a profile export and separate copies of saves if you want something you can restore after a reinstall or a failed update.
Each step on this page ends in a result you can see before the next one starts, so a failure points at one layer instead of the whole stack.
Next: download or update the current build, keep one profile with only the loader enabled, confirm a modded launch from Start modded, then add the rest of your mods in small batches.