The GConf
repository contains
a series of storage locations that are called configuration sources. The configuration sources are listed in the GConf
path file. The location of the GConf
path file is /etc/gconf/version-number/path. Each user has a path file. Each line in the path file specifies
the following information:
The backend module to use to read the repository.
The permissions on the repository.
The location of the repository.
By default, the contents of the GConf
path
file are as follows:
xml:readonly:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory include "$(HOME)/.gconf.path" xml:readwrite:$(HOME)/.gconf xml:readonly:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults
When GConf
searches for a preference value, GConf
reads the configuration sources in the order specified
in the path file. The following table describes the configuration sources
in the path file:
Configuration Source |
Description |
---|---|
Mandatory |
The permissions on this configuration source are set to read only. Users cannot overwrite the values in this source, so the preferences in the source are mandatory. |
User |
This configuration source is stored in the .gconf directory in the home directory of the user. When the user sets a preference, the new preference information is added to this location. |
Default |
This configuration source contains the default preference settings. |
The sequence of the configuration sources in the path file ensures that
mandatory preference settings override user preference settings. The sequence
also ensures that user preference settings override default preference settings.
That is, GConf
applies preferences in the following
order of priority:
Mandatory preferences
User-specified preferences
Default preferences
The include instruction in the GConf
path file enables users to use another configuration source.
To use another configuration source, the user must specify the location of
the configuration source. The user specifies the location of the configuration
source in the home directory, in a file that is called .gconf.path.