reset Preferences CFG file

[steve]

Resetting Audacity 2.0.7 Preferences on Linux from a Terminal window (I thing this should work for all Linux distributions):

Code: Select all

rm ~/.audacity-data/audacity.cfg

That could be made into a downloadable bash scipt, but it is arguably easier to just copy and paste that code than to download a file and run it.

[Edgar]

Code: Select all

rm ~/.audacity-data/audacity.cfg

That could be made into a downloadable bash script

Remember, any external sledgehammer must first ensure that Audacity is not currently running. So, even though the above should work just fine, it is not bulletproof. With only a tiny bit of editing the same would work in a Windows CLI.

[steve]

Nothing is foolproof. Fools are too inventive

[Edgar]

partial resets:

incremental.png (45.65 KiB) Viewed 1264 times

patch attached; only the global Reset All and all the new buttons on the Devices pane function. Adding this incremental ability to reset specific individual preferences to each pane will be time-consuming but potentially worthwhile. I will not expand this to the other panes until we have Developer commitment to the concept.

[steve]

Remember, any external sledgehammer must first ensure that Audacity is not currently running

I thought that the main reason for an external application was for when Audacity wouldn't launch.
If Audacity does launch, better to reset preferences from within Audacity.

[waxcylinder]

Ed, I think you've over-complicated this and thereby made more work for yourself.

I thought what we were discussing just providing was two buttons per pane, one to reset all the Prefs shown on that pane and the other to reset all the Prefs.

I'm not sure about the need the finessing of being able to reset selected items from a pane - for my money that overcomplicates the GUI (though I can see that some users might like that as there is no easy way to find out what the defaut for any Pref is.)

The original proposal was just for the first button per pane - but we extended that to the two-button solution as part of our discussions here and on -quality.

I suspect that a simpler GUI here is more likely to attract developer, and importantly TLC, approval.

Remember, any external sledgehammer must first ensure that Audacity is not currently running

I thought that the main reason for an external application was for when Audacity wouldn't launch.
If Audacity does launch, better to reset preferences from within Audacity.

+1

[Edgar]

Ed, I think you've over-complicated this and thereby made more work for yourself.

This is not work, this is fun!

Remember, any external sledgehammer must first ensure that Audacity is not currently running

I thought that the main reason for an external application was for when Audacity wouldn't launch.
If Audacity does launch, better to reset preferences from within Audacity.

+1

Both my external app and the GUI addition to Audacity, as offered here, are just "food for thought". But, given that they are functional, they may also be a good place to start from when crafting the ultimate solution(s). Creating them was also good mental exercise because it gave me an opportunity to explore some not-so-obvious considerations.

Anyway, clearly we need both an external application and an addition to the Audacity GUI. I think what we now need is a solid design decision:

• external application
  • just a sledgehammer
    Swiss Army knife with a sledgehammer blade

• GUI addition to Audacity
  • global button only
    • tucked away on one pane
      always visible
    global button and "reset all in pane" buttons
    global button, "reset all in pane" and "reset selected in pane" buttons

[steve]

This is not work, this is fun!

clearly we need both an external application and an addition to the Audacity GUI.

Yes, I think that is agreed.

I think what we now need is a solid design decision:

I think a very good start would be one (sledgehammer) button in Preferences (perhaps below the "section" list) and one external sledgehammer.
The sledgehammer must reset all preferences to factory defaults, and (imho) delete pluginregistry.cfg

[waxcylinder]

Ed, I think you've over-complicated this and thereby made more work for yourself.

This is not work, this is fun!

Hahahaha

I think a very good start would be one (sledgehammer) button in Preferences (perhaps below the "section" list) and one external sledgehammer.

+1 - yes a very good start - but I think I'd still like to see a button on each pane to reset just the settings on that pane - but we could add that later.

The sledgehammer must reset all preferences to factory defaults, and (imho) delete pluginregistry.cfg

+1

Peter

[Edgar]

External sledgehammer:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h2thp8qg5oziu ... s.zip?dl=0
This zip file contains an entire Window's solution with source code and icon resources. I also have the icon as a 32x32 XPM if we need it.
I have not created a makefile for Linux or Mac. The Windows solution is for MS VS 2013 and is built with wxWidgets 2.8.

All this does is delete both of the Audacity configuration files: audacity.cfg & pluginregistry.cfg with a "are you sure" dialog. With the exception of centering the application and moving the button down 10 pixels and to the right 10 pixels down, all other sizes and placements use the wxWidgets defaults.