The Windows Registry is far better than the the INI Hell(tm) that preceded it or the chaos that is assorted text files on Linux.
Please tell me you know nothing about the Windows Registry without telling me you know nothing about the Windows Registry.
In case the snark by itself isn't useful: Windows provides the Registry Editor which, as its name implies, lets you modify the Registry using a GUI.
If you prefer a text-based method, you can modify the Registry by loading in human readable (and editable) .reg plain text files.
Powershell also provides a CLI environment, if that is preferred.
That database is only accessible through one tool. Ok, two since powershell, but they probably call the same API so one single point of failure.
And its correctness cannot be verified - or fixed - if that tool fails.
What excuse is there for the registry? Why are we stuck with 1980s solutions for 2024 problems? Why is there not simply some directory devoted per-app for configuration? How is this any better than "chaos that is assorted text files on Linux"? Of note—you can edit the linux configuration files with any editor you give a shit about, not just a one-off proprietary tool that obviously sucks ass.
Because one of the key objectives of the Windows Registry is to centralize the chaos induced by programmers being programmers.
Of course, if you bothered to learn how it all works you will know each program gets its own "directory" inside the Registry. Or they should, anyway; programmers gonna be programmers.
>Of note—you can edit the linux configuration files with any editor you give a shit about, not just a one-off proprietary tool that obviously sucks ass.
You can access and modify the Registry using any of: Registry Editor, Powershell, and plain text files imported into or exported from Registry Editor.
>Why are we stuck with 1980s solutions for 2024 problems?
The only people stuck in the 80s are the FOSS neckbeards such as yourself insisting on doing things the One Holy Way(tm), which is plain text files of arbitrary formatting located and accessed in arbitrary fashion.
The Windows Registry mandates a single format and central location and access scheme, which reins in at least some of the programmer chaos.
The issue is the registry. Macs manage configuration without it just fine!
> You can access and modify the Registry using any of: Registry Editor, Powershell, and plain text files imported into or exported from Registry Editor.
Oof. Instant failure.