system-wide gnome settings

[Todd Slater]

Hi David,

On 4/11/06, David Woyciesjes <woyciesjes at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Todd Slater wrote:
>
> > On 4/11/06, Daniel Carrera <daniel.carrera at zmsl.com> wrote:
> >
> >>David Woyciesjes wrote:
> >>
> >>>    I don't have a Linux system handy to check, but I seem to recall
> >>>there being a folder, under /etc I think, named skel. This would hold
> >>>the copies of config files that get used for new users. I would think
> >>>you could log in as a user, customize the menus and icons, and logout.
> >>>Then as an administrator, you could copy the tweaked config files from
> >>>that user's home folder to skel.
> >>>    Apologies for the vagueness, I'm working from memory here...
> >>
> >>Thanks for trying. /etc/skel is empty.
> >
> >
> > Try ls -a, there are likely some .bash files in there.
> >
> > Reread David's message (and one I just sent)--you have to copy the
> > tweaked config files to /etc/skel. New users will then have those
> > files copied to their ~/.
> >
> > Todd
> >
>         Todd, thanks for letting me know I wasn't completely nuts, and spouting
> bad info. ;)
>         Anyway, it wouldn't surprise me if /etc/skel was empty. I'd make sure
> to copy _every_ file from the customized user's folder to /etc/skel.
> Nautilus can be set to show all files, including hidden.... Right?

Yep.

>         Just thought of something, would the permissions on the files in
> /etc/skel be set to something specific? Or would the process of adding
> the new user take care of that automagically?

>From what I can tell it happens automagically.

>
>         And Daniel, please do let us know here how this works out for you. I'm
> sure others could benefit...

I can confirm this works for new accounts--I just tried it here.

1. created user skeltest
2. logged in as skeltest and added deskpanel and gaim launcher to
panel, changed the desktop backgroud, dragged muine from the menu to
the desktop to create a desktop launcher.
3. copied all ~/.gnome* ~/.gconf* ~/.nautilus files to /etc/skel
4. created user skeltest2
5. logged in as skeltest2 and had the same environment as skeltest

Todd