---
name: "gsettings"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "glib2"
version: "2.90.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gsettings"
---

# gsettings(1)

GSettings configuration tool

## Name

gsettings - GSettings configuration tool

## SYNOPSIS

```
gsettings get SCHEMA*[:*PATH] KEY
gsettings monitor SCHEMA*[:*PATH] KEY
gsettings writable SCHEMA*[:*PATH] KEY
gsettings range SCHEMA*[:*PATH] KEY
gsettings describe SCHEMA*[:*PATH] KEY
gsettings set SCHEMA*[:*PATH] KEY VALUE
gsettings reset SCHEMA*[:*PATH] KEY
gsettings reset-recursively SCHEMA*[:*PATH]
gsettings list-schemas [--print-paths]
gsettings list-relocatable-schemas
gsettings list-keys SCHEMA*[:*PATH]
gsettings list-children SCHEMA*[:*PATH]
gsettings list-recursively [SCHEMA*[:*PATH]]
gsettings help [COMMAND]
```

## DESCRIPTION

**gsettings** offers a simple commandline interface to **GSettings**. It lets you get, set or monitor an individual key for changes.

The **SCHEMA** and **KEY** arguments are required for most commands to specify the schema ID and the name of the key to operate on. The schema ID may optionally have a **:PATH** suffix. Specifying the path is only needed if the schema does not have a fixed path.

When setting a key, you also need specify a **VALUE**. The format for the value is that of a serialized **GVariant**, so e.g. a string must include explicit quotes: **'foo'**. This format is also used when printing out values.

Note that **gsettings** needs a D-Bus session bus connection to write changes to the dconf database.

## COMMANDS

**get**

Gets the value of **KEY**. The value is printed out as a serialized **GVariant**.

**monitor**

Monitors **KEY** for changes and prints the changed values. If no **KEY** is specified, all keys in the schema are monitored. Monitoring will continue until the process is terminated.

**writable**

Finds out whether **KEY** is writable.

**range**

Queries the range of valid values for **KEY**.

**describe**

Queries the description of valid values for **KEY**.

**set**

Sets the value of **KEY** to **VALUE**. The value is specified as a serialized **GVariant**.

**reset**

Resets **KEY** to its default value.

**reset-recursively**

Reset all keys under the given **SCHEMA**.

**list-schemas**

Lists the installed, non-relocatable schemas. See **list-relocatable-schemas** if you are interested in relocatable schemas. If **--print-paths** is given, the path where each schema is mapped is also printed.

**list-relocatable-schemas**

Lists the installed, relocatable schemas. See **list-schemas** if you are interested in non-relocatable schemas.

**list-keys**

Lists the keys in **SCHEMA**.

**list-children**

Lists the children of **SCHEMA**.

**list-recursively**

Lists keys and values, recursively. If no **SCHEMA** is given, list keys in all schemas.

**help**

Prints help and exits.