On GNU/Linux, the configuration directory is: `"${HOME}/.purple"`, which is generally `/home/USERNAME/.purple`

On Windows, the configuration directory is: `"%userprofile%\Application Data\.purple"`, which is generally `C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\.purple` (Windows 2K/XP) or `C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\.purple` (Windows Vista), and Application Data or !AppData is a hidden directory.

The configuration directory contains the following subdirectories:
 * icons - Buddy icons received from other users.  Icons are named by forty hexadecimal characters followed by a file extension (png, gif, bmp) and referenced by blist.xml.
 * icons(old) - Old buddy icons, migrated from gaim installation.  Icons are named by eight hexadecimal characters and referenced by blist.xml.
 * logs - Stores the logs of prior chats (if this feature is enabled).  The logs are stored in the format `.purple/logs/${Protocol}/${ScreenName}/${RemoteScreenName}/${YYYY-MM-DD.HHmmSS-UTCOffsetTimeZone}.html"`  In the case of chat rooms/channels, `${RemoteScreenName}` is `"#ChannelName.chat"`.  In the case of logged availability information, `${RemoteScreenName}` is `".system"`.
 * plugins (Optional)
 * smileys (Optional)
 * certificates - Currently used only for SSL host certificate caching

The configuration directory contains the following files:
 * accels - Any menu shortcuts you may have modified in pidgin. This file is an automated accelerator map dump. [wiki:shortcuts Default Keyboard Shortcuts]
 * accounts.xml - Information about your accounts, including passwords.
 * blist.xml - A local copy of your buddy lists, for use in keeping locally applied aliases and group and buddy ordering between accounts.
 * pounces.xml - Your Buddy Pounce settings (Optional)
 * prefs.xml - Your preference settings
 * status.xml - Your status messages
 * gtkrc-2.0 - [http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/Using%20Pidgin#WhatisagtkrcfileandwherecanIfindit FAQ-Entry] [http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/SampleGtkrc2.0 Sample File]
