[DiMag]

After you have set up your XBMC box, and want to tweak some settings, you realize that the GUI interface is either too slow for the job, or simply doesn't do it. SSH-ing into XBMC to do these edits from the PC is, IMHO, an overkill: you need to do the tweaks NOW, while on your couch enjoying XBMC.

In my view a simple XML editor for quick modifications of config files should be as much a part of a stock XBMC as is currently the (equally simple) file manager.

[Montellese]

You think it will be easier to edit an XML file with a lot of settings being numbers instead of strings with no hint what number actually means what than using the nicely organized settings view which will provide you with nice labels etc for every setting? A lot of settings have a well defined set of allowed values, anything else will just cause hard to track bugs/problems. We don't really want users to mess with the guisettings.xml so we certainly won't include an editor within xbmc that will help you do that.

I'm also not sure what you mean with "too slow for the job, or simply doesn't do it". Where is it too slow and which job isn't it doing?

[Robotica]

Did you try this: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=52387

[DiMag]

@Montellese:

I run OpenELEC. For reasons unknown (the developers think it is a bug not worth hunting down, and I agree), I have no access to the ofiicial repository (xbmc.org) unless I set 8.8.4.4 as secondary DNS. This is the only fix needed; no static IP, just Google as secondary DNS server. The easiest way to do this is to fill "8.8.4.4" in the pertinent entry in os.openelec.settings/settings.xml. This settings.xml is a simple, clean, config file, like the inis people of my age have long known and loved: no specially formatted characters, just simple text strings. Of course there is a GUI for os.openelec.settings, but it does not expose the edit tab for secondary DNS unless you also set the system to a static IP ---something I neither wish, nor need. Thus I have to edit the settings.xml over ssh or samba, from the PC. For all I know the GUI is no use to me in that respect.

Would it be fair to say, this factual background considered, that when it comes to tweaking settings the GUI ---any GUI--- is "too slow for the job, or simply doesn't do it"? I submit yes. And so it is with many, many other addons, not just os.openelec.settings.

@Robotica:
This addon does not work with frodo ---in fact, it seems no longer exists (both conditions afflict may of dandar's addons). Thanks anyway

[Montellese]

Sounds to me like the solution would be to figure out why it doesn't work without the google DNS instead of writing an addon just to be able to change a single setting.

[Oak77]

...A lot of settings have a well defined set of allowed values, anything else will just cause hard to track bugs/problems. ...

So please provide link to the documentation.

I agree that changing the XML is like lightning faster than doing it via the silly menu. I get it has probably historical reasons, but it the worst menu structure I've ever seen.

[DiMag]

You are right, of course. Nevertheless, having a quick & dirty (settings) editor among the system tools is a good idea.