GConf

  • A standardised daemon and API for storing configuration information.

  • Information stored under a path into a registry-like structure.

  • Originally designed to store parameters for running applications, not so much for persistent state.

    That is changing a bit now, since there is nothing else to server the "persistent state" requirement.

  • Best description and overview of GConf is Havoc Pennington's paper from OLS 2002.

Warning

Do not be tempted to use gnome-config in place of GConf. The former is not safe except when the user is only logged in once and running a single copy of the application.