For others interested I have sorted out a way to script the changes I make to Cinnamon. So, first I would reset it to the "Cinnamon factory defaults" (if we want to call it that
), then I run the script that I made to reset it to "MY defaults". To script the changes you need to make, first we need to find them.
To get started, launch a terminal and run:
(note: you need the package dconf-editor installed first). Then, after it is running, just keep this active but on the side somewhere.
Now go in the Cinnamon Settings GUI and make the changes you want to make (to learn how to automate them). The appropriate settings changes should be outputted to the terminal that is watching. For example, the first thing I do is disable the hot-corner (I use keyboard shortcuts for expo or scale). So, when I uncheck the Hot Corner | Hot Corner Enabled box in Cinnamon Settings, the following is outputted to the terminal watching dconf:
Code: Select all
/org/cinnamon/overview-corner-hover
false
This output can now be formatted as a statement for a bash script like this:
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# disable "hotcorner"
gsettings set org.cinnamon overview-corner-hover false
There is a way to use gsettings to do the watching as well, but I got along well with "dconf watch /" so I didn't try it. Note that you change the "/" to "." but the last element of the dconf path is separated by a space.
Here are some other examples with basic comments to indicate what they are doing:
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# use default "cinnamon" theme
gsettings set org.cinnamon.theme name ''
# enable thumbnail previews with alt+tab
gsettings set org.cinnamon alttab-switcher-style 'icons+thumbnails'
# change clock to 12 hour format (default is 24 hour)
gsettings set org.cinnamon.calendar date-format ' %a %b %e, %l:%M %p'
# confirm nothing put on desktop
gsettings set org.nemo.desktop computer-icon-visible false
gsettings set org.nemo.desktop home-icon-visible false
gsettings set org.nemo.desktop network-icon-visible false
gsettings set org.nemo.desktop trash-icon-visible false
gsettings set org.nemo.desktop volumes-visible false
# change nemo launcher shortcut (default super+e doesn't seem to work)
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys home '<Primary><Alt>e'
# set panel launcher shortcuts
gsettings set org.cinnamon panel-launchers "['firefox.desktop', 'thunderbird.desktop', 'nemo.desktop', 'libreoffice-writer.desktop', 'vlc.desktop']"
# set menu favorites
gsettings set org.cinnamon favorite-apps "['firefox.desktop', 'thunderbird.desktop', 'nemo.desktop', 'libreoffice-writer.desktop', 'vlc.desktop']"
Note that the [ ] and double quotes (") are needing around the list of desktop launchers for shortcuts.
So, these are some things I am doing but of course make the tweaks you want. Add these above lines to a bash script (start with #!/bin/bash), make it executable, then give it a try (of course be careful! But if you break something then go for the "troubleshoot | restore all settings to default" option in the panel and begin again).
Hopefully this helps some others. It it was just for me I wouldn't bother scripting this. But I am wanting to help out several beginning computer users and having a script to reset things to what I think is the most useful for them in learning to use a computer will be valuable after they possibly muck things up and need reset.
iveand