SolutionBase: Get a handle on GNOME settings with Gconf-edit
The only field you can edit is the Value.
Understand that the key we are looking at is not a configuration you can actually configure within Evolution. If you look at the Evolution Contacts module, you'll see the only configuration you can make is to choose an LDAP server for centralizing of contacts. So it becomes very obvious that Gconf houses a lot more configuration options than available to the standard end-user. Changing the value in this particular key would change the minimum required characters the Evolution name completion function needs to match a name. To change the value, click either the up or down arrow and then click OK.
One of the very nice aspects of Gconf is that it when you make a change within one application, that change updates in all applications that are interested in the application you are configuring. For example, you are changing the value of the minimum_query_length in the contacts module of Evolution and by making that change all other modules that use the contacts module will be made instantly aware of the change.
Of course this isn't the most obvious example. A better example would be, for instance, program X also uses the Evolution Contacts module. You make the change in the minimum_query_length key in the Evolution Contacts module and instantly program X knows about the change.
Other nice features
One very handy feature of Gconf is the ability to bookmark more common keys. Say, for example, you visit one particular key frequently (for whatever reason.) Instead of having to navigate deep within the hierarchy of the Gconf tool, you can just add a bookmark associated with that key.
To do this, navigate to the key in question and then click the Bookmarks menu and then click Add Bookmark. You're done. Now the next time you fire up Gconf and have to go to that particular key click on the Bookmarks menu and click on the bookmark you are interested in editing.
Of course, by default, the bookmarks are named by their Key Name which is the full path to the key. In other words our completion (as seen in the Bookmarks menu) is /apps/evolution/addressbook/completion/minimum_query_length. This is certainly not as easily remembered as something like EvoMinQuery. Unfortunately, if you fire up the Bookmark editor (from the Bookmarks menu) the only thing you can do is delete bookmarks. It would be nice if the developers would see to it to add a name editor for this feature.
From the File menu, you will find three interesting entries - New Settings Window, New Defaults Window, and New Mandatory Window. Each of these entries will open up new Gconf windows that, to the eye, look identical. But upon closer inspection you realize they each serve a different purpose. Default settings (set in the Defaults Window) are for when the user has not set a value explicitly. Users can always override settings created within the Defaults Window. Mandatory settings are always used for all users and cannot be overridden. The latter holds high interest for systems administrators.
If you open up either the Defaults or the Mandatory windows without setting any keys as either Default or Mandatory, the windows will be empty. In order to set a key value as either Default or Mandatory you have to right click a key and choose either Set as Default or Set as Mandatory.
So let's say you don't want any of your users to be able to send Smilies from within Evolution. To set this as a Mandatory value (one that users can not change) navigate to the key (through evolution/mail/composer) and right click the send_smilies key and choose Set as Mandatory.
Understand that the key we are looking at is not a configuration you can actually configure within Evolution. If you look at the Evolution Contacts module, you'll see the only configuration you can make is to choose an LDAP server for centralizing of contacts. So it becomes very obvious that Gconf houses a lot more configuration options than available to the standard end-user. Changing the value in this particular key would change the minimum required characters the Evolution name completion function needs to match a name. To change the value, click either the up or down arrow and then click OK.
One of the very nice aspects of Gconf is that it when you make a change within one application, that change updates in all applications that are interested in the application you are configuring. For example, you are changing the value of the minimum_query_length in the contacts module of Evolution and by making that change all other modules that use the contacts module will be made instantly aware of the change.
Of course this isn't the most obvious example. A better example would be, for instance, program X also uses the Evolution Contacts module. You make the change in the minimum_query_length key in the Evolution Contacts module and instantly program X knows about the change.
Other nice features
One very handy feature of Gconf is the ability to bookmark more common keys. Say, for example, you visit one particular key frequently (for whatever reason.) Instead of having to navigate deep within the hierarchy of the Gconf tool, you can just add a bookmark associated with that key.
To do this, navigate to the key in question and then click the Bookmarks menu and then click Add Bookmark. You're done. Now the next time you fire up Gconf and have to go to that particular key click on the Bookmarks menu and click on the bookmark you are interested in editing.
Of course, by default, the bookmarks are named by their Key Name which is the full path to the key. In other words our completion (as seen in the Bookmarks menu) is /apps/evolution/addressbook/completion/minimum_query_length. This is certainly not as easily remembered as something like EvoMinQuery. Unfortunately, if you fire up the Bookmark editor (from the Bookmarks menu) the only thing you can do is delete bookmarks. It would be nice if the developers would see to it to add a name editor for this feature.
From the File menu, you will find three interesting entries - New Settings Window, New Defaults Window, and New Mandatory Window. Each of these entries will open up new Gconf windows that, to the eye, look identical. But upon closer inspection you realize they each serve a different purpose. Default settings (set in the Defaults Window) are for when the user has not set a value explicitly. Users can always override settings created within the Defaults Window. Mandatory settings are always used for all users and cannot be overridden. The latter holds high interest for systems administrators.
If you open up either the Defaults or the Mandatory windows without setting any keys as either Default or Mandatory, the windows will be empty. In order to set a key value as either Default or Mandatory you have to right click a key and choose either Set as Default or Set as Mandatory.
So let's say you don't want any of your users to be able to send Smilies from within Evolution. To set this as a Mandatory value (one that users can not change) navigate to the key (through evolution/mail/composer) and right click the send_smilies key and choose Set as Mandatory.
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 Different Distro Gconf settings?dagar | 07/17/07 |
