Indeed this "mirror" of the ODB in settings option can cause frustration in 
particular when we think the ODB is empty but is not.
In the other hand, over time the settings are adjusted to a particular 
configuration or touched or not by the individual run preset parameters. Later, if 
a bug or code correction requires multiple restart of the fe, for every start of 
the application, you loose the latest configuration. This can be frustrating as 
well until you force a post-setting or report the specifics parameters in the fe 
code.
BTW I believe, we originally went for the ODB priority for that specific reason.
 
I would be in favour for having a general flag (FALSE) in /experiment which would 
define this global behaviour.  
PAA

> Today I addressed a topic which bugged me since long time. The ODB contains 
> settings under /Equipment/<name>/Common which are a "mirror" of the equipment[] 
> setting in a frontend (using the mfe.cxx framework). If the "Common" entry in 
> the ODB is not present (fresh experiment), the equipment[] settings from the 
> frontend are copied to the ODB. But if it exists, it takes precedence over the 
> equipment[] entries, which is wrong in my opinion. Like if you change some 
> settings in equipment[] (like the logging period of the history), then recompile 
> and restart the frontend, the old values in the ODB are kept and your 
> modification in the frontend code has no effect.
> 
> Starting on commit c3017c6c on Nov. 17th 2020 I reversed the precedence: Now, on 
> each start of the frontend program, the values from equipment[] are written to 
> the ODB. They are still "live". If one changes them when the frontend is 
> running, that change takes effect immediately. But on the next restart of the 
> frontend, the old values from equipment[] is put back there.
> 
> I fell too many times into this trap, and I hope the modification helps 
> everybody. If there are however experiments which rely on the fact that the 
> common settings in the ODB are NOT overwritten by the frontend, please let me 
> know and I can put a flag "EQUIPMENT_FE_PRECEDENCE = FALSE" somewhere to restore 
> the old behaviour.
> 
> Stefan