I started to write my own Gnome Shell Extensions and can't find any answer to this question -> is there any way, how to install gsettings schema on machine just via extension code (e.g. not copying schema.xml into glib-2.0/schemas directory and compiling by terminal)?
If I try to "make" access to not-installed schema it starts crashing and looking glass keeps telling that such a schema doesn't exist. It's really uncomfortable for potential users who wants to install those extensions.
Best Answer
From everything I've been able to find (google and gtk docs), it seems that you've hit on exactly the reason why extensions installed via web browser can't store settings via dconf/GSettings - you have to install dconf schemas at the system level. There doesn't appear to be a way to have per-user schemas - dconf only uses the single compiled binary file.
The statement about adding support for this in Gnome 3.4 leads me to beleive they are going to a) implement an alternate method for extensions to store settings, or b) extend GSettings/dconf in a way that allows users to install/compile schemas under $HOME.
If anyone can confirm this (or refute it, with pointers to documentation), I, and many others I'm sure, would appreciate it.
This post mentions the limitation, but doesn't explain exactly why... http://www.ubuntubuzz.com/2011/12/gnome-shell-extensions-website-has-been.html