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Moving jEdit Configuration Between Two Machines

A number of people have asked how to move their jEdit configuration settings to another machine. There is no automated way to do this, and a lot of confusion about whether/if/how it can be done.

This page is to collect what information we know about the process, and to list what solutions there might be.

There are two major variations to the problem--moving conf. between two machines with the same OS, and moving conf. between two machines with a different OS.

If both machines have the same OS platform, you may just be able to copy the entire .jedit directory (in user home) over to the target machine, as long as they have access to the same network resources, have the same version of jEdit, etc. As one person Wiki'd:

Shouldn't this page really be about moving configuration between two machines that are on different platforms? Are there really any issues if you're moving from one machine to another of the same platform? I've got three different Windows machines that I use jEdit on and I keep them in sync by copying the entire ".jedit" folder from one machine to another. This has always Just Worked for me. In fact, I even keep my entire profile directory in a subversion repository to make this easier... - Name withheld (I'll register for an account later)

Overview of the Problem

• there is a general settings directory, located by default in the /.jedit
• jEdit stores most configuration settings in a file called properties in the settings directory
• some information is also read at startup from additional files, such as recent.xml for recently opened files
• plugins generally store their configuration in the properties file, but may have additional configuration in their own files and directories

What one would like to do is just copy these properties files over to the target machine and launch jEdit and have it work. That won't work in many cases. Why?

Things that may not be portable across machines and platforms

• file locations
• file path/name: case sensitivity, file URL conventions, locations of servers, drives, etc.
• paths: for Java, source path, class paths, etc.
• key shortcuts
• macros (their file encoding depends on the platform default)

There should be more (please add to the list).

On the other hand, a great deal of configuration should just work.

Things that should be portable across machines and platforms

• Colors
• Fonts (if using a standard JDK font)
• abbreviations
• a large number of jEdit settings that are too numerous to list: autosave frequency, show splash screen, context menu entries, docking, etc.
• self-contained plugin jars (without problematic configuration like file locations)

Probably easier to work from what we know will not work than from what will.

Probable Requirements

General, about both source and target machine

• should have a working copy of jEdit installed, tested, runnable, etc.
• should use a stable full release of jEdit (pre builds might be OK, but CVS builds are asking for trouble in this context)
• should not, to begin with, use out-of-the-ordinary features like multiple monitors, possibly unstable JDK features (e.g. hardware video acceleration, Swing anti-aliasing)

General, about the source machine

• should be in regular use, stable, no obvious problems with jEdit, macros, or plugins
• should have configuration just as you like it--don't expect to mirror the configuration and start making changes immediately

General, about the target machine

• same JDK as source if possible
• same jEdit version as source
• hopefully a stable OS with a supported JVM, e.g. try to reduce possible external problems

Process

TODO: Not sure, but need to

• distinguish properties that will always port from those that might not, and those that probably will not, and those that surely will not
• backup working .jedit directory on source!
• use a macro to generate a copy of properties given a source
• start with standard, working properties file(s) on source
• macro appends new properties to the end of the standard working source one--properties are read to-bottom and are overridden silently
• copy all completely safe properties over
• copy properties with a straightforward conversion, e.g. file URL naming conventions (/ vs \)
• ?

-- Patrick Wright - 05 Mar 2005

Revision r1.4 - 08 Apr 2005 - 07:50 GMT - Patrick Wright	Copyright © 1999-2011 by the contributing authors. All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors. Ideas, requests, problems regarding jEdit Community Wiki? Send feedback.