Mathematica Temporary Working Directory

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  • Thread starter enahmad
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In summary, to change the temporary-file folder in Mathematica, you need to edit the Mathematica preferences file and change the file path for the "TmpDir" line to the desired location on your second drive.
  • #1
enahmad
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I have problems in computer intensive calculations, obtaining a message saying

"Your Mac OS X startup disk has no more space available for application memory"

Obviously, Mathematica's temporary working-file folder fills up the disk and has no more space. I asked Wolfram Research's technical support people how to change the appropriate settings in order to use a temporary folder on a second drive, that I am willing to fully dedicate to Mathematica's operation; ...they refused to let me know (?!).

Can anyone guide me through the steps for re-addressing the temporary-file folder in Mathematica? I am using version 8 (same happened in version 7, though) running on a Mac Pro 2 x 2.26 GHz quad-core Intel Xeon with 12 GB Ram memory.

Many thanks.
 
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  • #2
The answer is that you need to edit the Mathematica preferences file. You can do this by opening the Mathematica folder (usually located in "Applications/Mathematica 8.0") and then selecting the "Preferences" folder. Then open the "FrontEnd" folder and look for the file named "Kernel" (it is probably a text file). In this file, you will find a line that reads "TmpDir=", followed by a file path. Change this file path to the directory on your second drive that you wish to use for temporary files. Save the changes, then restart Mathematica. The new temporary folder should now be used.
 

1. What is the purpose of the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory?

The Mathematica Temporary Working Directory is a folder that is automatically created by the Mathematica software to store temporary files and data. It is used to temporarily store intermediate results and calculations that are generated during a Mathematica session.

2. How do I access the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory?

The Mathematica Temporary Working Directory can be accessed by using the command "Directory[]", which will return the path of the current directory. Alternatively, you can also use the command "SetDirectory[Directory[]]" to set the current directory to the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory.

3. Can I change the location of the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory?

Yes, you can change the location of the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory by using the command "SetDirectory[path]" and specifying the desired path. However, it is recommended to use the default location as it is specifically designed for temporary files and data storage.

4. How long are files stored in the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory?

The files in the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory are only stored temporarily and will be automatically deleted when the Mathematica session is closed. However, you can use the command "DeleteFile[file]" to manually delete specific files from the directory.

5. Can the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory be used for permanent storage?

No, the Mathematica Temporary Working Directory is not intended for permanent storage. It is designed for temporary use only and files should be moved to a permanent location if they need to be saved for future use.

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