.minecraft

.minecraft (or simply minecraft in OS X) is the folder Minecraft creates to run from. This folder includes the .jar files, sound, music, resource packs, personal options, worlds, etc.

Locating the .minecraft folder is vital to install several mods as the mod files need to be placed in various folders in .minecraft.

OS	Path
Windows	%appdata%\roaming\.minecraft
Linux	~/.minecraft
Mac OS X	~/Library/Application Support/minecraft

If you're a Windows user and are unfamiliar with how to find your appdata folder, follow these steps:

1. Click Start → Run. If you don't see "Run" try holding down your "Windows" key and press the R key.
2. Type %appdata% (case doesn't matter but be sure to include the % markers) and click OK.
3. Open the roaming folder.
4. Open the .minecraft folder.

If you're a Linux or Mac user, the ~ in the path refers to your home directory. Folders startings with a . (dot) are hidden by default.

.minecraft hierarchy

.minecraft assets indexes [VERSION].json objects skins libraries com google code gson gson 2.2.4 gson-2.2.4.jar gson-2.2.4.jar.sha guava guava 17.0 guava-17.0.jar guava-17.0.jar.sha ibm icu icu4j-code-mojang 51.2 icu4j-code-mojang-51.2.jar icu4j-code-mojang-51.2.jar.sha mojang authlib 1.5.17 authlib-1.5.17.jar authlib-1.5.17.jar.sha realms 1.5.4 realms-1.5.4.jar realms-1.5.4.jar.sha paulscode codecjorbis 20101023 codecjorbis-20101023.jar codecjorbis-20101023.jar codecwav 20101023 codecwav-20101023.jar codecwav-20101023.jar.sha libraryjavasound 20101123 libraryjavasound-20101123.jar libraryjavasound-20101123.jar.sha librarylwjglopenal 20100824 librarylwjglopenal-20100824.jar librarylwjglopenal-20100824.jar.sha soundsystem 20120107 soundsystem-20120107.jar soundsystem-20120107.jar.sha commons-codec commons-codec 1.9 commons-codec-1.9.jar commons-codec-1.9.jar.sha commons-io commons-io 2.4 commons-io-2.4.jar commons-io-2.4.jar.sha commons-logging commons-logging 1.1.3 commons-logging-1.1.3.jar commons-logging-1.1.3.jar.sha io netty netty-all 4.0.15.Final netty-all-4.0.15.Final.jar netty-all-4.0.15.Final.jar.sha java3d vecmath 1.5.2 vecmath-1.5.2.jar vecmath-1.5.2.jar.sha net java jinput jinput 2.0.5 jinput-2.0.5.jar jinput-2.0.5.jar.sha jinput-platform 2.0.5 jinput-platform-2.0.5-natives-linux.jar jinput-platform-2.0.5-natives-osx.jar jinput-platform-2.0.5-natives-windows.jar jinput-platform-2.0.5-natives-windows.jar.sha jutils jutils 1.0.0 jutils-1.0.0.jar jutils-1.0.0.jar.sha sf jopt-simple jopt-simple 4.6 jopt-simple-4.6.jar jopt-simple-4.6.jar.sha trove4j trove4j 3.03 trove4j-3.0.3.jar trove4j-3.0.3.jar.sha org apache commons commons-compress 1.8.1 commons-compress-1.8.1.jar commons-compress-1.8.1.jar.sha commons-lang3 3.3.2 commons-lang3-3.3.2.jar commons-lang3-3.3.2.jar.sha httpcomponents httpclient 4.3.3 httpclient-4.4.3.jar httpclient-4.4.3.jar.sha httpcore 4.3.2 httpcore-4.3.2.jar httpcore-4.3.2.jar.sha logging log4j log4j-api 2.0-rc2 log4j-api-2.0-rc2.jar log4j-api-2.0-rc2.jar.sha log4j-core 2.0-rc2 log4j-core-2.0-rc2.jar log4j-core-2.0-rc2.jar.sha lwjgl lwjgl lwjgl 2.9.1 lwjgl-2.9.1.jar lwjgl-2.9.1.jar.sha lwjgl_util 2.9.1 lwjgl_util-2.9.1.jar lwjgl_util-2.9.1.jar.sha lwjgl-platform 2.9.1 lwjgl-platform-2.9.1-natives-linux.jar lwjgl-platform-2.9.1-natives-osx.jar lwjgl-platform-2.9.1-natives-windows.jar lwjgl-platform-2.9.1-natives-windows.jar.sha tv twitch twitch 6.5 twitch-6.5.jar twitch-6.5.jar.sha twitch-external-platform 4.5 twitch-external-platform-4.5-natives-windows-32.jar twitch-external-platform-4.5-natives-windows-32.jar.sha twitch-platform 6.5 twitch-platform-6.5-natives-windows-32.jar twitch-platform-6.5-natives-windows-32.jar.sha logs [YEAR]-[MONTH]-[DAY]-[SESSION#].log.gz latest.log resourcepacks saves [WORLD NAME] data Fortress.dat idcounts.dat map_[#].dat Mineshaft.dat Monument.dat scoreboard.dat Stronghold.dat Temple.dat Village.dat villages.dat villages_end.dat villages_nether.dat DIM1 region r.[#].[#].mca DIM-1 region r.[#].[#].mca playerdata [UUID].dat region r.[#].[#].mca stats [UUID].json level.dat level.dat_mcr level.dat_old session.lock screenshots [YEAR]-[MONTH]-[DAY]_[HOUR].[MINUTES].[SECONDS].png versions [VERSION] [VERSION].jar [VERSION].json launcher.jar launcher.pack.lzma launcher_profiles.json OGLdpf.log options.txt servers.dat textures_0.png textures_1.png textures_2.png textures_3.png textures_4.png usercache.json