App-Groups in App-Picker for all users

Question

I administrate our system at school. I want to group apps by subject in the app-picker and it works fine for my admin-user. However I want to keep this layout for all users.

I tried to set up a dconf database and put the value of my current configuration in it

[org/gnome/shell]
app-picker-layout=myValue

and added a lock on that value. (As described here: How to change default dock applications for new users?)

If I log in as a student or a teacher, I still see all the apps now without any groups and I am unable to change anything because of the dconf-lock.

Probably I used the wrong key for the gsettings.

Does anyone have an idea how to keep these groups for all users on the computer?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Answer 1

I found it out myself:

First there has to be a new dconf-database located in /etc/dconf/.

Create the database by creating the following file:

sudo nano /etc/dconf/profile/user

with the following content:

user-db:user
system-db:local

This shows gnome, where your settings are stored.

Next define, what your profile looks like. To do so create the following folder and file

sudo mkdir /etc/dconf/db/local.d
sudo nano /etc/dconf/db/local.d/my_style

and put something like this in:

[org/gnome/desktop/app-folders]
folder-children=['myfolder']

[org/gnome/desktop/app-folders/folders/myfolder]
name='Preferences'
apps=['app1.desktop', 'app2.desktop']

[org/gnome/shell]
app-picker-layout=[{'firefox.desktop': <{'position': <0>}>,'myfolder': <{'position': <1>}>}]

Then put a lock on these settings to keept the changes (however then they cannot be changed)

sudo mkdir /etc/dconf/db/local.d/locks
sudo nano /etc/ dconf/db/local.d/locks/mystyle

with the following content:

/org/gnome/desktop/app-folders/folder-children
/org/gnome/desktop/app-folders/folders/myfolder/name
/org/gnome/desktop/app-folders/folders/myfolder/apps
/org/gnome/shell/app-picker-layout

Finally reload your dconf:

sudo dconf update

Login, logout. Done.