How to setup gconf data

[Colin Law]

2009/9/28 Christian Stimming <stimming at tuhh.de>:
> Am Montag, 28. September 2009 22:26 schrieb Colin Law:
>> >> > I have added a checkbox to the preferences, register dialog and
>> >> > entered the data for the gconf key in apps_gnucash_general.schemas.in.
>> >> >  I have done a full rebuild and everything works except that the key
>> >> > is not being initialised
>> >
>> > Sorry, I've got only some random ideas:
>> > - "make install" so that the .schemas file is built and installes
>> > - restarting gconf
>>
>> I had done make install, and have rebooted in fact.  Should the new
>> key appear in gconf before gnucash is run?  It does not appear until I
>> open the preferences dialog and change the new key, and then it does
>> not have the descriptions I have put in the schema.  I have examined
>> the schema data and cannot see anything wrong.
>
> Then I can only think of the install prefix of gnucash which might be
> different from where gconf expects its .schemas file. Other than that I alos
> don't know of anything. Anyone else?

I have got to the bottom of this, it appears to me that it may be an
error in make install, but perhaps it is as intended.  As Christian
suggested it is a problem with the location that the schema files are
installed to.  If a prefix is specified then the schemas are installed
to
$(prefix)/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults
which is not a location that gconf looks in.  Note that
/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults _is_ in the gconf path.
OK, I thought, that is intentional in order that the schemas do not
conflict with those installed for a different prefix or no prefix.  I
then tried an install with no prefix specified, in this case it
installs them to
/usr/local/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults
which is still not in the gconf path.

Is that the expected behaviour?

In order to add the folder to the gconf path one can create a file
~/.gconf.path and put in there the line
xml:readonly:/usr/local/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults
or the equivalent if prefix is used.

Colin