Elektra Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Elektra Initiative provides an alternative back-end for text configuration files for the Linux
operating system.
Instead of each program having its own text configuration files, with a variety of formats, Elektra tries to provide a universal, hierarchical, fast and consistent namespace and infrastructure to access configuration parameters through a key-value pair mechanism inspired by the Windows Registry. This way any software can read/save its configuration/state using a consistent API
.
Being a common infrastructure, it also lets other applications be aware of this application configurations, leveraging easy software integration.
It is designed to be lightweight, with no dependencies, ready to be used also by early boot stage programs.
Using Elektra, configuration file's syntax and handling will not be a rework for each software.
Elektra lets system administrator
s control security in a more fine grained manner. With the current flat file paradigm it is impossible to control permissions and access times on each of the /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow atoms. Elektra lets you do that because each information atom stored in it (key) has a unique name (key name) and access properties.
The first name for the Elektra Initiative was the Linux Registry Project, which caused controversy
due to its similarities to the Windows registry
.
The mains concepts, documentation, architecture and implementation of the Elektra Initiative was created by Avi Alkalay.
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating system.
Instead of each program having its own text configuration files, with a variety of formats, Elektra tries to provide a universal, hierarchical, fast and consistent namespace and infrastructure to access configuration parameters through a key-value pair mechanism inspired by the Windows Registry. This way any software can read/save its configuration/state using a consistent API
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
.
Being a common infrastructure, it also lets other applications be aware of this application configurations, leveraging easy software integration.
It is designed to be lightweight, with no dependencies, ready to be used also by early boot stage programs.
Using Elektra, configuration file's syntax and handling will not be a rework for each software.
Elektra lets system administrator
System administrator
A system administrator, IT systems administrator, systems administrator, or sysadmin is a person employed to maintain and operate a computer system and/or network...
s control security in a more fine grained manner. With the current flat file paradigm it is impossible to control permissions and access times on each of the /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow atoms. Elektra lets you do that because each information atom stored in it (key) has a unique name (key name) and access properties.
The first name for the Elektra Initiative was the Linux Registry Project, which caused controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
due to its similarities to the Windows registry
Windows registry
The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It contains settings for low-level operating system components as well as the applications running on the platform: the kernel, device drivers, services, SAM, user...
.
The mains concepts, documentation, architecture and implementation of the Elektra Initiative was created by Avi Alkalay.