Question: I am using Odoo v.8. I want to find out where Odoo finds information where the modules are, to load them. I am aware there is a variable addons\_path in the file openerp-server.conf. The only file I have found the variable in is opt/odoo/odoo/debian/openerp-server.conf. It has the following value:

```
addons_path = /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/openerp/addons 

```

However, the Odoo application is using modules from "/opt/odoo/odoo/addons" path. Where the Odoo retrieves this information from? If I have a new directory with new modules, where I can update the path? I have updated addons\_path in opt/odoo/odoo/debian/openerp-server.conf with new modules path, but Odoo still cannot see the modules in Settings/Update Modules List. I have restarted the server.

Thanks for your help!

Answer: 
You can add to the `addons_path` directive in openerp-server.conf, (separate paths with a comma) or you can use `--addons=` if starting your server from the command line.
Odoo tries to initializes a set of paths to be loaded from the base addons directory. [Check the code for Odoo system path](https://github.com/odoo/odoo/blob/8.0/openerp/modules/module.py#L83)

So, with the help of this method, it loads the basic addons directory and other directories that are added by **addons\_path**.

Generally, we use addons\_path at odoo-server.conf and save our addons directory path at it.

Note: the path must contain atleast one OpenERP/Odoo module in it.