Editing GConf

{{Short description|Software}}
{{distinguish|text = gpgconf, the configuration utility of [[GNU_Privacy_Guard|GPG]]}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = GConf
| logo                   = Gconf-editor logo.png
| screenshot             = GConf 3.0.1.png
| caption                = ''obsolete:'' GConf editor
| collapsible            = 
| author                 = 
| developer              = Havoc Pennington
| released               = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| discontinued           = yes
| latest release version = 3.2.6
| latest release date    = {{Start date and age|2013|01|22}}
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date    = <!-- {{start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| programming language   = [[C (programming language)|C]]
| operating system       = 
| platform               = 
| size                   = 
| language               = 
| genre                  = Configuration
| license                = [[GNU Lesser General Public License]]
}}
'''GConf''' was a system used by the [[GNOME]] desktop environment for storing [[computer configuration|configuration]] settings for the desktop and [[List of GNOME applications|applications]]. It is similar to the [[Windows Registry]]. 

It was [[deprecation|deprecated]] as part of the [[GNOME 3]] transition. Migration to its replacement, [[dconf#GSettings|GSettings]] and [[dconf]], is ongoing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gnome.org/Initiatives/GnomeGoals/GSettingsMigration|title=GNOME Goal: Gconf to GSettings migration|publisher=GNOME|accessdate=2014-11-05}}</ref>

Changes to this system are controlled by GConfd, a [[daemon (computer software)|daemon]]. GConfd watches out for changes to the [[database]], and when they are changed, it applies the new settings to applications using it. This technology is known as "auto-apply", compared to "explicit-apply", which requires users to press an OK or Apply button to make changes come into effect. The term "instant-apply" is sometimes used, compared to plain "apply".

The GConf database by default uses a system of [[directory (file systems)|directories]] and [[XML]] files, stored in a directory called <code>~/.gconf</code>. GConf can also use other backends, such as a database [[Server (computing)|server]], but XML file storage is the most common configuration.

The application [[gconf-editor]] is provided to allow users to change settings manually, but it is not normally used for [[end-user]] preferences.

==Architecture==
'''GConf''' is currently based on the [[C (programming language)|C]] implementation of [[CORBA]] named ORBit. Its architecture consists of a session daemon that initializes various sources of configuration [[Database schema|schemas]] on user login. Each source is based on a specific [[Front and back ends|backend]] that translates the key and value pairs that compose the configuration [[database]]; the default backend is based on [[XML]]. At this time, this is the only working backend for GConf, although an [[Lightweight Directory Access Protocol|LDAP]] backend existed in embryonic form. Each source can also be set to read-only, in order to create a default basic configuration, e.g. in a corporate [[Computer network|network]].

The values inside the GConf database are indexed using a [[Path (computing)|path]] string in the form of <code>/path/to/application/key</code>.

The proper way to access the GConf database held by the GConf daemon is to use the [[GConfClient]] [[GObject]]-based class.

==Changes notification==
When writing an application that uses GConf, one should never directly poll the database. Instead, one should attach a [[Callback (computer science)|callback]] to a given key, thus using a [[model-view-controller]] (MVC) paradigm. Each time an application changes the value bound to a specific key, the notification callbacks will be invoked.

==Schemas==
An application using GConf should provide a description for each key it creates inside the GConf database. This configuration meta-data is also stored inside the configuration database, and is called a ''schema''; it could contain a (possibly [[software localization|localized]]) descriptive text, the valid type of the value bound to a key, and a default value.

==Bindings==
Like many libraries in the [[GNOME]] platform, '''GConf''' can be accessed using various programming languages, such as
C, [[C++]], [[Perl]], [[Java (programming language)|Java]], C#, VB.NET and [[Python (programming language)|Python]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101133032/https://projects-old.gnome.org/gconf/|title=GConf configuration system}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101133028/https://projects-old.gnome.org/gconf/plans.html|title=Future GConf Plans}}
* [https://gtk2-perl.sourceforge.net/doc/pod/Gnome2/GConf.html Gnome2::GConf Perl Module]
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101133026/https://www.florian-diesch.de/software/easygconf/|title=easygconf Python Module}}

{{GNOME}}

[[Category:Free system software]]
[[Category:GNOME obsolete]]