In the K2 Categories screen there is no "Copy" button (using v2.4.1). Is there a way to copy a Category? I'v set a large number of settings just as I want them and need to replicate that in a new category.

There is no way to copy a category.  Just add a new category and then set the "Inherit parameter options from category" to the other category.

But I want a new "reference" category that is just a little different from the one I already have. Rather than just starting from scratch I was hoping to copy the one I have and edit a couple of settings.

Try creating a new category, set it to inherit from the one you want, and change only the parameters you want to be different.

Would that work? After creating a new category and setting it to inherit from another one nothing happens to the options on the right: they don't change into the "reference" category's values, they don't grey out. That sort of implies that they are just being overruled.

test it, i think the one you change will "win"

I'll give it a try but is going to be very confusing: there is no way of seeing which setting is still at default and which setting has been changed and is overriding the inherited value. You'd have to flip back and forth between the categories to figure it out. Sounds like something that an advanced user could play with. I'm still figuring out what all the settings do....

Look at it like this - set it up to inherit, point a temporary menu item to the item view (i assume your working on the item view), open the administrator and the first category in a tab, open the administrator and the new category in a new tab, open the item in a new tab. Look for what you want to change, change one thing at a time and refresh the item view...you can compare the settings back and forth now. using multiple administrator tabs helps to figure things out quickley

OK, so I had a look at the inheritance. And I am sort of worried.....

 

Yes I can override a setting from a "father" category in a 'child' category (which is good) but I noticed that changing a setting in a father does not mean that the setting in the child changes too. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. I am unsure what determines the reaction of the child. What do you think?

if the child is set to anything other than default it should 'win"