i had used windows xp earlier and had found the windows registry very useful..doesnt linux have an analogous something..if yes wat is it?how can i access it??how does it function??how to edit??could any one pleaase help me with this??

There isn't a registry like Windows in Linux. Most configuration is done using text files which are mostly located in /etc. GNOME has something thats similar to the Windows registry, but its only to configure gnome and gtk settings.

Here's a bit more elaboration on what Redazz is saying:
It's worth noting that even the Windows Registry is going out of vogue (at least for "user preferences" type configuration items), and Windows Vista is really annoying about complaining about "legacy apps" that try to write to the registry.

Of course, Windows Vista is annoying for a lot of other reasons, too ;-)

Here are a couple of other links that might help:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...estion-494745/

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-linux-387554/

tat was gr8 help..thank you for the help

I'm sorry, but I'm having extreme difficulty parsing this statement.

I fail to see how anyone could find "the single biggest mistake in computing history" useful at all.
That's just another reason why we don't use GNOME here.

If I was using Windows regularly I suppose I would find the registry useful; at least the ability to edit it would be useful.

Implementing the registry was a pretty huge mistake. Continuing to use Windows may also be a mistake, but it sounds like the OP switched already, and took the time to learn to edit the registry while still a Windows user. I at least find nothing to criticize, even if the OP were to choose Gnome over KDE, Enlightenment, or Fluxbox.

Pardon me, your holiness. I didn't know you were here.

repected senior member
as i had seen only windows xp till the time i thought tat it was gr8 stuff and i hadnt even heard of the much FAMED linux..and I THINK YOU HAVING KNOWN EVERYTHING ABOUT LINUX MUST SURELY FAIL TO SEE HOW A NEWBIE LIKE MYSELF COULD FIND REGISTRY GREAT..KUDOS TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE SIR..I THINK YOU MUST BE REALLY GREAT TO BE SO SINPLE IN WORDS WITH SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE IN YOUYR HEAD..

As vaalu is apparently more than capable of defending himself, I probably *didn't* need to chime in in defense. rkelsen does have over 1000 posts here and it's an admittedly fine line between flaming MS and criticizing their reckless and confusing practices. While I felt that line was crossed I wouldn't want LQ to become soft on MS either. If while making my point I came off as self-righteous and holier-than-thou it isn't the first time.

The Windows registry was developed to add security to config files and other things due to the fact that Windows was first a single user system with too many rights granted to 3rd party installers and apps (and even when it became multi-user it was in such a way that it is extremely awkward to use with limited rights). Many registry hackers switch to Linux and find all their hard work and knowledge useless in Linux and feel somethings missing, often criticizing Linux's simplicity in this regard. That makes us defensive at times.

I'll add to the answers to vaalu's question and say that since you're starting over to some degree, and obviously willing to learn the nitty gritty insides of the OS you use; you may want to learn about chmod chroot cron scripting and bashrc, if you haven't already

I expect many of us are ex windows users and most would agree that learning how to edit the registry was useful for making our computers behave in ways that we wanted. The problem with the registry is that if for some reason it became corrupted it could kill a pc dead. At least with .rc files in our own home folder that isn't a problem. If you mess up a programs .rc file it will just affect that one program, not the entire os.

The windows registry is not really that useful/safe compared to the linux way of doing things. The equivalent is to learn how to edit rc files and read man pages for command line options.

Indeed...


Plain and simple, the registry was a sustitute for the ini files mainly, the problem introduced by this was the fact that you ended up with "one access point of failure", changes, even the little ones, could be fatal.

The Registry didn't add security, on the contrary, as a user, or even as a intruder, you only need access to one part of the infracstructure and from there, you could make whatever you want since the registry database was in control of everything.

Then there was the problem of space limit for this database at the begining, then, as any other database, after many modifications (by the user or software), this database ended up with garbage, and the problem was that this garbage needed to be loaded no matter that it was garbage, making all this ending up weird errors, lack of performance and so on...

So no, the registry wasn't the best choice




Regards

the other advantage is that with most (but not all) apps if you hose the .rc file you can delete it and everything is back to normal

(remembers the dodgey .vimrc that i had :shudders)
or you can look up the syntax on the web and fix it yourself.

Hey vaalu, I didn't mean to upset you. You are clearly upset, and for that I apologise. Friends?

What I was trying to do (and obviously failed) was make the observation that your comment about the Windows registry was somewhat odd. The registry is Windows' "Achilles heel." One mistake with 'regedit.exe' can render a machine unbootable, often times requiring re-installation of the whole OS. Lord knows how many times I've witnessed (or caused) this myself.

Anyhow, to answer your original question:

Under Linux, each piece of software has it's own (usually text-based) configuration file/s.

Most system-wide configuration files are kept under /etc.

User-specific configuration files are kept under the user's home directory and are usually "hidden" (ie: the filename is preceded with a '.' )

You can find 'environment' type settings in /etc/profile or under /etc/profile.d.

You can use any plain old text editor to edit these files. Any distro worth it's salt comes with at least 6 of these!

The best text file editor under Linux is a topic which is hotly debated. Suffice it to say that my personal favourite is "mcedit" because I find it quickest and easiest to use.

Is there a specific setting or configuration that you wanted to change?

There's nothing odd about it, nor is it difficult to see how a Windoze-only user could find it useful. Actually, it's very simple:

1. He's interested enough in computers to have taken the time to learn something about the guts of Windoze, and in the process he found he could solve problems and do useful things by editing the registry.
   
2. Understanding something of the power of the registry, and being uneducated as to its dangers, and having found the registry useful, he's now looking for the equivalent in *nix.
   
3. He doesn't know any better, which is not a crime. (He's new to Linux. Since nobody was born with a sysadmin book in his hand, that's true of everyone at some time. Even you, sir!)

Not hard to understand, and in fact, commendable. He's learning. He's reaching out for new knowledge.

Sounds to me like a reason to commend him, and then educate him, not scorn him. Mr. Kelsen, posts like your first one are the kind that drive newbies away from Linux, back into Gates' world. That's a Bad Thing. Posts like your last one are the kind that draw newbies IN to Linux, and therefore weaken Gates' control over computing. That's a Good Thing.

I'm prone to whipping out the snide answer myself, so I know where you're coming from, but it really doesn't help anything. Especially not with a first response.



By the way, I think a case could be made that DLLs were "the single biggest mistake in computing history", with the registry coming in second. An interesting debate, perhaps. Pointless, but interesting!

thank you BlueRidgeMark and the others for your support..i am sorry mr.rkelsen.i never wanted u to feel bad..actually the single most thing tat drove me into the linux world was the support tat i get from this community...i get an answer to my questions promptly and i get to see different solutions for many a problems..i am an indian and i have been taught in my religious books tat "be worthy things come from a parrot or god himself accept it and if unworthy things come from a parrot or god himself discard it..and we r taught to question in our religion which i see in this world also ...they r analogous tat is i am able to question anything i find curious and hence i love this world..so wen i heard ur words i suddenly felt u making fun of me and tat made me reply as such..i owe u an apology bcoz of the fact tat u have more knowledge and the chances r tat u r elder to me..and i am really enjoying using this operating system and also i am really enjoying the support i get from this community..thank you all