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Idea #21807: Make it easier to backup/restore Gnome application settings

Written by pwnedd the 11 Oct 09 at 13:55. Related project: Gnome. Status: New
Rationale
Currently, there is no simple way for backing up specific gconf settings (as opposed to backing up the entire registry).

For example, suppose you want to do a clean install of Karmic and would like to preserve your gnome-terminal, nautilus, and empathy settings, but nothing else. To backup a single one of the above settings by itself might involve a large number of steps. To backup and then restore your gnome-terminal profiles, for example, you would need to:

1. Backup the specific gconf files from ~/.gconf/apps/gnome-terminal/.

2. run gconf-editor on the new system.

3. Navigate to /apps/gnome-terminal/global/profile_list

4. Edit the value of profile_list, click on "Add" and then enter the names of each of your profiles.

So in short, if a user doesn't wish to copy of their entire gconf settings, it quickly becomes a large production.
Tags: gconf

9
votes
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Solution #1: Create a simple GUI tool to backup/restore gconf, etc. settings
Written by pwnedd the 11 Oct 09 at 13:55.
Create a simple GUI tool which allows your to export/import application-specific gconf (and possibly other types) of application settings.

Use case:

1. When you launch the tool, it displays a list of all of the applications which are known to have their settings currently stored in gconf. Icons are displayed next to each application to make it easier to find specific ones, along with checkboxes to specify which setting should be backed-up.

2. The user could then choses which application settings they wish to backup, and a file containing those settings could then be generated.

3. In the new system the user launches the same tool, and loads the backup file. The list of all the settings that were back-up are displayed in a similar manner, along with checkboxes. The user could then chose to restore either all or a subset of these settings.
3
votes
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Solution #2: Add Backup/Restor functionality to gconf-editor
Written by xeniac the 14 Oct 09 at 15:20.
Instead of writing a own Application add backup and restore functionality to gnonf-editor.

In the File Menu add:
"Backup Config..." -> Backups the whole gconf settings.
"Restore Config..." -> opens an import wizard.

Also add a Context Menu to the folder-view in gconf-editor
This should have:
"Add a Bookmark..." -> same as Bookmark/add Bookmark
"Save this Config" -> Exports the marked Key, and everything below.
"Delete" -> deletes this key and everything below, with double check. (restores the system wide configuration)

---

The Import Wizard should let the User choose
a) wich File to import
b) wich keys he wants to import


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