Comment 0 for bug 290647

GConfd seems to be no longer refreshing the client-side cache properly in Intrepid beta. Changes made by the current user with the configuration-editor (gconf-editor), or using pure gconftool-2 or another program (e.g., gnome-network-preferences) will update GConfd's cache properly, however, changes made using sudo -u $USRE gconftool-2... will not notify GConfd to update it's cache.

This is most easily demonstrated by running the following in a terminal (WARNING: will modify your network proxy settings):
1. Check existing settings:
gconftool-2 --get /system/proxy/mode #will echo the current state as gconfd see's things
sudo -u $USER gconftool-2 --get /system/proxy/mode #will echo the current state as the underlying xml file actually is

2. Change the settings in gconfd
gconftool-2 --type string --set /system/proxy/mode manual #will update the gconfd's settings
gconftool-2 --get /system/proxy/mode #will echo 'manual'
sudo -u $USER gconftool-2 --get /system/proxy/mode #will echo 'manual'

2. Change the settings in the underlying xml file
sudo -u $USER gconftool-2 --type string --set /system/proxy/mode none #will update the gconfd's settings
gconftool-2 --get /system/proxy/mode #WILL STILL ECHO 'manual'
sudo -u $USER gconftool-2 --get /system/proxy/mode #will now echo 'none'

gconf2:
  Installed: 2.24.0-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 2.24.0-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 2.24.0-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://mirror.optus.net intrepid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status