GConf Command Line Tool

GConf includes a command line tool, gconftool-2. You can use the gconftool-2 command to perform the following tasks:

Set the values of keys.
Display the values of keys.
Install schemas from schema definition files when you install an application.

For example, use the following command to display the values of all keys in the /desktop/gnome directory and subdirectories.

gconftool-2 --recursive-list /desktop/gnome

Below are listed some of the options that you can use with the gconftool-2 command. For detailed command line options, please see man:gconftool-2(1).

gconftool-2 Command Options

--all-dirs

Lists all subdirectories in a directory that you specify.

--all-entries

Displays the values of all keys in a directory that you specify.

--config-source=configuration-source

Use this option with the --direct option to specify a configuration source to use. If you do not specify a configuration source with this option, the command runs on all configuration sources in the path file.

--direct

Use this option with the --config-source option to access a configuration source directly. When you use this option, GConf bypasses the server. Ensure that the GConf daemon, gconfd-2, is not running before you use this option.

--dump

Generates a list that contains all preference keys in a GConf repository directory that you specify. The list contains XML descriptions of all the keys. The list is contained in a <gconfentryfile> element.

For example, you can redirect the output from this option to generate a file that lists all keys that are related to your panel configuration. You can use the --load option with this file.

--get

Displays the value of a preference key that you specify. Also displays the values of the elements in the schema object for a schema key that you specify.

--help

Displays a help message about the gconftool-2 command, and the options that you can use with the gconftool-2 command.

--load=filename

Use this option to sets the values of preference keys in the current directory in a configuration source to the values in the file that you specify. The file that you specify must contain XML descriptions of the keys, in a <gconfentryfile> element.

--long-desc=description

Use this option with the --set-schema option to specify a long description for a schema key.

--makefile-install-rule

Installs schema definition files to applications.

--owner=owner

Use this option with the --set-schema option to specify an owner for a schema key.

--recursive-list

Displays the values of all preference keys in all subdirectories in a directory that you specify.

--recursive-unset

Resets the values of all preference keys, in all subdirectories in a directory, from the user setting to the setting in the default configuration source.

--set

Sets the value of a preference key, and writes the value to the user configuration source. Use the --type option with the --set option to specify the data type of the value that you want to set. For example, the following command sets the value of the /apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/background_color key in the user configuration source:

gconftool-2 \
  --set "/apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/background_color" \
  --type string "#000000"

You can also use the --direct option and the --config-source option with the --set option to write a value to another configuration source.

--set-schema

Sets the value of an attribute in a schema key, and writes the value to the default configuration source.

Use the following options with the --set-schema option to specify the attribute that you want to update:

--type
--short-desc
--long-desc
--owner

For example, the following command sets the short description in the schema key for the /apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/background_color key:

gconftool-2 \
  --set-schema  "/schemas/apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/background_color" \
  --short-desc "Default  background color of terminal"

--short-desc=description

Use this option with the --set-schema option to specify a short description for a schema key.

--shutdown

Terminates the GConf daemon.

--type=data-type

Use this option to specify the data type when you set a value of a preference key. You can also use this option when you set the value of an attribute in a schema key. The following is a list of valid data types:

bool
float
int
list
pair
string

--unset

Resets the value of a preference key from the user setting to the setting in the default configuration source.

--usage

Displays a brief help message about the gconftool-2 command, and the options that you can use with the gconftool-2 command.

GConf Command Line Tool

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