Sakai Admin Guide - The sakai.properties file
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The sakai.properties file
As mentioned in other areas, the sakai.properties file is a central configuration file that is typically stored in a sakai subdirectory relative to the tomcat home directory ([/wiki/spaces/ARCHIVE/pages/19428638958]). All settings in the sakai.properties file are only read on startup, thus any changes you make will only take effect when you restart tomcat.
The sakai.properties file is a non-XML text file containing a series of key/value pairs that can be read using the load method of java.util.properties.
The first type of simple property (used to set booleans, simple strings, integers, etc.) is set simply by separating a key from a value with an equal sign, along the lines of:
sampleboolean=true samplestring=set to a string value with one or more spaces, ending in a new line
Sakai makes use of hierarchical lists of property values, which require that you specify a "count" variable indicating the total number of values. The values themselves are defined by appending a number after each instance of the key. Here's an example:
sampleproperty.count=3 sampleproperty.1=peas sampleproperty.2=porridge sampleproperty.3=hot
Configuring the sakai.properties file
An option set in the sakai.properties file is only meaningful if one or more sections of the Sakai code base read and make use of the option and its configured value. There are at present over 250 configuration options used by portions of the Sakai 2.4 code base.
To assist users in setting the most important of the options, an example sakai.properties file is included with the Sakai source, in the directory reference/docs relative to the root of the source directory. The demo and binary distributions are distributed with a basic sakai.properties file as well, which should be stored in the sakai directory relative to the tomcat install included with the distribution.
Starting with this file, it is most critical to review and edit the following settings:
These and other configuration settings are mentioned throughout the remainder of this document. For a full glossary of available configuration options, consult the Sakai Properties Reference.
The Configuration Viewer tool
There is an optional tool available to provide a detailed guide to the sakai.properties file. For more information, visit the Config Viewer Tool home page.
This tool includes a complete list of known sakai properties, which you can download independently of the tool and open using Excel or any spreadsheet program that can open tab-delimited text files. The latest version of the sakai properties data can be found here: