I've noticed that if a .cfg file is deleted while Karaf is running, the associated configuration record is deleted from Configuration Admin as well. OTOH, if the file is deleted while Karaf is NOT running, the associated configuration record is retained. I would have expected that records for files that no longer exist would be deleted when configuration admin service starts.
Anyway, I assume this is a felix.fileinstall thing really, but I'm wondering if this dichotomy is by design or simply an artifact. I just verified that this still occurs in Karaf 4.0.6 so this is current behavior. Scott