Re: gconf as the 'linux-registry'?

["Dave Cridland [Away]" <dave cridland net>]

Ville Jutvik said:

> As we all know, Linux is using configuration-files. Microsoft replaced
> window's .ini-files with the registry in Windows 95 and it solved a lot of
> problems. Programs written for windows can alter the system's behaviour
> for example (such as installing a new driver). This can't be done in Linux
> due it's configuration files that virtually only humans can edit. I think
> that this is a big obstacle that could stop Linux from entering the
> desktop market on a large scale.

Of course, the Windows registry suffers from the reverse problem - that
humans *can't* edit it, only machines. Critical systems require very
simple - for humans - configuration.

But I disgress - the specific example you gave - that drivers can be
installed by tweaking the registry in Windows - is a bad one, since it's
just as simple to install a driver in Linux in any case.

In fact, very few of Linux's various configuration files can't be edited
by a program. Witness the various programs around for doing just that. The
most complex one of them all - sendmail.cf - is generally regarded as
being too complex to edit directly at all. (Although I personally find it
easier, perversely).

> A couple of days ago, a friend of mine told me about the gconf-project. I
> have looked at it and I think it's a brilliant solution to a common
> problem. Why don't we try to extend gconf's borders across Gnome's and try
> to make a common, all-purpose "linux-registry", that could store the
> majority of Linux's configuration-files? If this could be achived a large
> step towards the desktop-market would have been taken.

And hence gconf was designed not to need GNOME at all, from the outset.

While I don't know if this is still the case, I suspect it probably is.

However, this doesn't help the *Desktop* market at all.

What would help the *desktop* market would be to have all the Linux
desktop email clients know what my email address is without my having to
tell each and every one I use, for instance. (Solvable cross-platform,
incidentally, by using ACAP)

But that requires a lot more comminucation between different projects than
we can ever really hope to expect, I think.

Moreover, getting non-GNOME projects to read configuration from gconf at
all is a pretty tall order, although I'd love to get KDE using the same
configuration system.

Dave.
-- 
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Currently loading entire DMOZ into Infotrope ACAP server.