Using kreadconfig5 (with examples)

Reading a key from the global configuration

Code:

kreadconfig5 --group group_name --key key_name

Motivation:

This command is used to read a specific key from the global configuration of KDE Plasma. By retrieving the value of a key, we can access and utilize various settings and preferences within the Plasma environment.

Explanation:

• --group group_name: Specifies the group in which the key is located. Groups are used to organize related keys within the configuration.
• --key key_name: Specifies the name of the key to be read.

Example output:

Example output: font-size=11

Reading a key from a specific configuration file

Code:

kreadconfig5 --file path/to/file --group group_name --key key_name

Motivation:

Sometimes it is necessary to access the configuration settings stored in a specific file, rather than the global configuration. This command allows us to read a key from a particular configuration file and retrieve its value for further use.

Explanation:

• --file path/to/file: Specifies the path to the configuration file from which the key should be read.
• --group group_name: Specifies the group in which the key is located. Groups are used to organize related keys within the configuration.
• --key key_name: Specifies the name of the key to be read.

Example output:

Example output: timeout=10

Checking if systemd is used to start the Plasma session

Code:

kreadconfig5 --file startkderc --group General --key systemdBoot

Motivation:

There are different methods and configurations for starting the Plasma session. Checking whether systemd is used to start the session can be essential for system administration or troubleshooting purposes.

Explanation:

• --file startkderc: Specifies the path to the startkderc file, which contains various settings for initializing the Plasma session.
• --group General: Specifies the group in which the key is located. In this case, we are interested in the General group, which contains general session-related settings.
• --key systemdBoot: Specifies the name of the key to be checked for its value. In this case, we check if systemd is used to start the Plasma session.

Example output:

Example output: false

In the example output above, the value “false” indicates that systemd is not used to start the Plasma session.