Configuration file

A configuration file is a file on a computer, in certain settings (configuration ) of computer programs or hardware components are stored.

Usually a text format such as ASCII is used for storage, so the files can be changed with any text editor. Some programs manage their configuration files entirely on its own, the user has to deal with the configuration files then do not deal directly.

File Formats

There are many file formats in which configuration files are stored. Basically, the file format used is not operating system dependent, but often applications use the same formats as the operating system on which they run.

UNIX

UNIX -like operating systems such as Linux or OSX use many different formats, taking care that there are text files as ASCII. Binary formats are very uncommon. Apple formatted for settings in OSX often as so-called " Property List " the plist file bear the symbol. .

In Unix-like systems, applications place most independently their own configuration files in the user directory (usually / home / username / ) with a leading dot in the file name. By the point the files are considered to be hidden and not displayed by default in the output of the directory contents. When you install an application or by a system administrator applicable configuration files in the / etc can also be created for all users. In OSX the user-specific configuration files of applications are usually stored in / Users / username / Library / Preferences. OSX stores settings that apply to all users, in addition to the / etc directory in / system / library / preferencesPanes.

XML is a popular format for the configuration files of recent software projects.

Windows

On Windows, the initialization (. Ini) were often used. The registration database (registry) user.dat a Windows system is a configuration file. This file is located in front but in a binary format, which makes it special applications and services need to open it and can edit.