Broken Gnome, Help needed

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Sun, 2022-09-11 at 13:27 +0100, Colin Law wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Sept 2022 at 13:20, Ralf Mardorf via ubuntu-users
> <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > Now I'm wondering how to restore the settings. I've read the gsettings
> > > manpage, but it doesn't make much sense for me. Looks incomplete.
> > > 
> > > Do you know how to do it?
> > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > by a script that either converts the schema/key syntax of the gsettings
> > command to the path/key syntax of dconf and then by using the dconf
> > command's write or load option or by a script that does use the
> > gsettings command's set option.
> 
> Or by restoring a backup of the file. :)

That's what I mentioned, too ;). But the OP wants to know how to restore
from the human readable file containing the redirected output of
gsettings list-recursively.

The advantage of a backup done with gsettings list-recursively or by
using other gsettings command or dconf command options is, that it
allows to restore partial from the backup, e.g. GNOME only, Mate only,
gedit only or what ever else.

~/.config/dconf/user is a binary blob, it contains human readable
values, but without the information to what keys they belongs:

[rocketmouse at archlinux ~]$ strings ~/.config/dconf/user | tail
Sans 11
sdefault-show-menubar
bstatusbar-visible
bcomputer-icon-visible
bscaling
iautoconnect
icol-7-visible
bgenerate-hdr-white-balance
irecent-languages
de_DE