[SOLVED] wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Forum rules
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
[SOLVED] wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
With 17.1 came some wonderful enhancements like the bootup showing a slideshow of backgrounds. Also it is great to see some of the old favourites in wallpapers being added back in. I have however, reached a point at which my own images are equal or better over half the time. I want to add a folder under /usr/share/backgrounds which would contain my images. Maybe yeah even release some and see them used in 17.2 or another release.
I added my own subfolder under /usr/share/backgrounds - nothing. It does not come up in the desktop management for wallpapers, despite identical permissions on files and folder as the Mint ones. Someone somewhere suggested a $HOME/backgrounds folder instead. Tried that - also nothing (and varieties like$HOME/Backgrounds and $HOME/.backgrounds .. same zero result.
This is Linux (and Mint to boot), not Microsoft or Apple where secrets abound. Can someone please reveal the non-obvious sauce to add a folder of one's own images under /usr/share/backgrounds? The installer / updater does it, somehow - so it can be done. What scripts or config utils must be invoked and in which order? What files should be changed / edited?
I added my own subfolder under /usr/share/backgrounds - nothing. It does not come up in the desktop management for wallpapers, despite identical permissions on files and folder as the Mint ones. Someone somewhere suggested a $HOME/backgrounds folder instead. Tried that - also nothing (and varieties like$HOME/Backgrounds and $HOME/.backgrounds .. same zero result.
This is Linux (and Mint to boot), not Microsoft or Apple where secrets abound. Can someone please reveal the non-obvious sauce to add a folder of one's own images under /usr/share/backgrounds? The installer / updater does it, somehow - so it can be done. What scripts or config utils must be invoked and in which order? What files should be changed / edited?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
Re: wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Unless you specifically want to have those backgrounds in a system folder, then you may have over complicated it..
If you open the 'Backgrounds' menu window and take a look at the left pane, with the folders of mint wallpaper in, there is a + and a - at the bottom.. Simply click the + and add any pre-existing directory from your system.
I'll be honest now and say I'm not sure what happens between users on a multi user system.. which is probably why you're asking about usr/share now I come to think of it
If you open the 'Backgrounds' menu window and take a look at the left pane, with the folders of mint wallpaper in, there is a + and a - at the bottom.. Simply click the + and add any pre-existing directory from your system.
I'll be honest now and say I'm not sure what happens between users on a multi user system.. which is probably why you're asking about usr/share now I come to think of it
Re: wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
I've just realised you may also be interested in adding images to the MDM slideshow, if so, then after a little digging I believe you would need to look at this conf file that is headed by instructions on how to add images.
I've not tested it myself, so obviously use suitable caution
Code: Select all
/usr/share/mdm/html-themes/Mint-X/slideshow.conf
I've not tested it myself, so obviously use suitable caution
Re: wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Look in /usr/share/cinnamon-background-properties. You will find .xml files in there that the background settings uses to get info about each background or folder of backgrounds.
When I give opinions, they are my own. Not necessarily those of any other Linux Mint developer or the Linux Mint project as a whole.
Re: wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Hi JosephM
I have added a folder of backgrounds using the GUI method I stated above and when checking /usr/share/cinnamon-background-properties there is no .xml file or other mention of it, so the link to my folder specified in the GUI must be stored somewhere else. This obviously doesn't prevent me using my own backgrounds, I simply mention it for clarity
I have added a folder of backgrounds using the GUI method I stated above and when checking /usr/share/cinnamon-background-properties there is no .xml file or other mention of it, so the link to my folder specified in the GUI must be stored somewhere else. This obviously doesn't prevent me using my own backgrounds, I simply mention it for clarity
Re: wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Ok.. the links to user specified folders are stored in /home/<user name>/.cinnamon/backgrounds/user-folders.lst which is a plain text document simply listing paths to specified folders
Re: wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Yeah, sorry for the misunderstanding. The cinnamon-background-properties folder is where the system supplied wallpapers are stored. They are picked up by the background settings and are available to all users.
When I give opinions, they are my own. Not necessarily those of any other Linux Mint developer or the Linux Mint project as a whole.
Re: wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
No worries.. Prompted me to go digging an learn something newJosephM wrote:Yeah, sorry for the misunderstanding...
Re: [SOLVED] wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Thank you to all for weighing in on this. I hope this discussion can be a good reference in future for others who may encounter this. Adding one's own images to the MDM rotation - now that will be tried out too! A few of my machines are multi-user, so getting the images into system folders will be a great advantage.
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
Re: [SOLVED] wallpaper, how worketh ye o wallpaper
Just to be clear, as you've marked this solved, I'm not sure we've directly provided the solution for a multi user environment.. unless we've managed to post something I've not fully understood.fotonix wrote: A few of my machines are multi-user, so getting the images into system folders will be a great advantage.
However, copying the /user-folders.lst file created in one users /home/<user name>/.cinnamon/backgrounds to each of the other users relevant locations should provide you with the opportunity to simply use one 'master' backgrounds folder for all users. Providing the file permissions are set correctly of course.