CentOS - Jul 2009 - Replicate desktop configuration for other users using /etc/skel

Hi,

The subject says it all. I'd like to copy my own custom desktop 
configuration for other users on the machine without having to go 
manually through the hassle.

Here's a non-exhaustive list of what I usually tweak :

* Theme + icons
* background image
* panel
* screensaver
* Nautilus behaviour
* Handling of removable devices
* Gnome Terminal
* Gnome Dictionary (french servers)
* GEdit options

And so on...

I used to do this before, a few years ago, when I was a Slackware user, 
but only with KDE (or XFCE on older hardware). Usually it boiled down to 
copy the relevant hidden directory trees (.kde/ or .config) to /etc/skel 
before creating new users.

Would something similar work with GNOME? And if so, what are the 
relevant hidden configuration directories to copy over?

Cheers,

Niki

On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Niki Kovacs<contact at kikinovak.net>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The subject says it all. I'd like to copy my own custom desktop
> configuration for other users on the machine without having to go
> manually through the hassle.
>
> Here's a non-exhaustive list of what I usually tweak :
>
> * Theme + icons
> * background image
> * panel
> * screensaver
> * Nautilus behaviour
> * Handling of removable devices
> * Gnome Terminal
> * Gnome Dictionary (french servers)
> * GEdit options
>
> And so on...
>
> I used to do this before, a few years ago, when I was a Slackware user,
> but only with KDE (or XFCE on older hardware). Usually it boiled down to
> copy the relevant hidden directory trees (.kde/ or .config) to /etc/skel
> before creating new users.
>
> Would something similar work with GNOME? And if so, what are the
> relevant hidden configuration directories to copy over?
You could create a new dummy user, customize her desktop as you wish
and then look for the dot-g* hidden directories in her home.
Directories called .gconf, .gnome, .gnome2, .gnome2_private and such
are candidates. Some apps will use .local or .config also.

-- 
Eduardo Grosclaude
Universidad Nacional del Comahue
Neuquen, Argentina