How to change default wallpaper for remastersys

[italomaia]

Hi! I'm trying to make a custom distro from mint for my lab. We need bootable SO's with some specific programs, and that's what i'm doing.
I would like to know how to change the default wallpaper that is used in a live-boot from cd. I wish to use a wallpaper with my lab's logo!
thnx

[merlwiz79]

Try this before making the livecd(Gnome DE)

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sudo su

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gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults --type string --set /desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename /usr/share/backgrounds/NAME_OF_BACKGROUND_IMAGE_HERE.xxx

.xxx is for the .png .jpg or whatever it is.

[DaddyX3]

Thanks for the info! I will find out if it works or not here in a few minutes. When I ran your command it told me that there was incorrect options of --direct and --config-source, I got rid of the 'su' after sudo and it did something, but not sure if it worked yet. I'll give it a shot and get back to ya.

[DaddyX3]

OK, sorry- I'm back and with no good news. I don't know what the deal is, but no matter what I do I can not get a wallpaper to show up after using remastersys. All I get is a brown wallpaper with no design on it whatsoever. Is this a problem with remastersys? I would think that I would at least get the stock Hardy wallpaper still if I didn't make the correct adjustment to the gnome configuration files. But I have never gotten a wallpaper- ever.

---Also, I've noticed just recently (after making many coasters) by using qemu to test out the .iso, it asks me for a user name and password on the stock GDM!? Whats up with that?

---> BTW, I'm using 64-bit Ubuntu Hardy for the remaster .iso, does this make any difference?

[merlwiz79]

Ok this should work for the background problem.
"gksu gedit /etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults"
Line: 30

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                                        <stringvalue>/usr/share/backgrounds/Elyssa.png</stringvalue>

Is the default for Elyssa.

Check this file

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gksu gedit /etc/gdm/gdm.conf-custom

and make sure it doesn't have anything in this line

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AutomaticLogin=

Are you making sure it deletes the user folder in the home directory?
I have never used Remastersys and use Reconstuctor for making Live cds.

[DaddyX3]

Well, thank you very much for your reply. I checked the file that you indicated and it appears to not have anything set in there for a default wallpaper. Where would I put this string? You say "Line 30:" but I only have like 10 lines total. Should I add it in the middle somewhere? at the end?

I tried Reconstructor a while ago, and there were issues with Hardy builds with reconstructor, so I have been trying remastersys. Its fairly straight forward - but am having a really difficult time at getting my wallpaper set!! I have custom theme for firefox setup as well as icons/ compiz settings & pretty much everything else I desire except for custom panel launchers (but this really is not a big deal to me, I just put a folder on the desktop with all the launchers in them and you can drag-n-drop them to panel ... takes about 5-seconds)

If you have any other info that could help me out with reconstructor working correctly on Hardy - please share.

-btw, there was nothing in the /etc/gdm/gdm.conf-custom, its totally blank. Is this normal? Once again, I'm working with Ubuntu Hardy Heron.

[Nomad]

Just copy your configuration files from your home folder over to /etc/skel/
So set your desktop like you want and do that. Simplest way.

[merlwiz79]

Here are the defaults from Elyssa.

[DaddyX3]

Just copy your configuration files from your home folder over to /etc/skel/
So set your desktop like you want and do that. Simplest way.

I've done that many times. But, this doesn't save my wallpaper to my .iso using the 'dist' option in remastersys. And the other option that saves all data to an .iso will not accommodate my large setup which is over 4GB. So, I'm not getting why its not working. Have you used remastersys before and does the method you speak of work for you? Just by simply moving your contents of the /home/username to /etc/skel ?? I do this all the time and everything sticks except for the wallpaper and custom launchers.
--thanks for your reply!

merlwiz79 - what am I to do with the tar.gz file you gave me?
Will this bork my setup? It looks like it has a lot of options that I don't have installed on my computer. Where did you get or retrieve this file from? I'm sure I've looked in most places, but maybe I missed this one. Can you post back the location of this file for me? Did you get this from your: /etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults directory?
--Thanks once again for taking the time to help out a fellow *nix user

--PS, I'm getting pretty close to doing a fresh install again, haven't done one since Hardy came out and I'm thinking that if this is how you've had success then maybe somethings wrong with my setup. I'll install Elyssa this next round and see how it runs.

[Nomad]

Did you add the hidden config files? (View/Show hidden files) Select those. on a clean install I'd just select them all. If not clean then the ones about gnome and such. I'll respond again in a little with more information.

I believe the background is in .gconf I'm not 100% sure.
These are the files. Will get your menus, themes, backgrounds etc.
http://lynxlinux.woottechnologies.com/images/files.jpg

[DaddyX3]

Did you add the hidden config files? (View/Show hidden files) Select those. on a clean install I'd just select them all. If not clean then the ones about gnome and such. I'll respond again in a little with more information.

I believe the background is in .gconf I'm not 100% sure.
These are the files. Will get your menus, themes, backgrounds etc.
http://lynxlinux.woottechnologies.com/images/files.jpg

Ya, I hit CNTRL+H (which shows all hidden files) and coppied everything from the home directory of the user I setup. Then I erased the actual user folder after transfering all the files to the /etc/skel location. Is there anything else that you can think of? Do you have to be 'gksudo nautilus' when transfering the files? Will this make it not have the correct permissions when trying to build the .iso? In otherwords, do I have to be in a certain user's desktop when I run remastersys? Should I be logged in as root or just my regular user? I think I've tried about every configuration except for being logged in as root in gnome.

-ps, I like your icon set. is that 'black'n'white' icons? I don't recognize the folder icons, are they custom?

[Nomad]

Its similar to black and white. Its a custom theme for Lynx Linux though.
If they show up in etc/skel thats all you need to do. I wouldn't worry about how you get them there.
Be your regular user. Remastersys ignores the /home directory in dist mode. Just run remaster through the menu and that should be all you need to do.

[DaddyX3]

Its similar to black and white. Its a custom theme for Lynx Linux though.
If they show up in etc/skel thats all you need to do. I wouldn't worry about how you get them there.
Be your regular user. Remastersys ignores the /home directory in dist mode. Just run remaster through the menu and that should be all you need to do.

OK, well thanks for the info! I guess I'm on my way to a fresh install. I see no other solution. Its just a drag, cause of all the updates I have installed so far! Is there a way to save all the updates after they've been installed? I know this is not the section for that question, but thought maybe I'de ask since your here.

[Nomad]

I dont think there is.

[DaddyX3]

I dont think there is.

OK, I have installed Hardy 32-bit and did all my customizations, ran remastersys and I still have no wallpaper! Is anybody actually getting a wallpaper of some sort other than a brown background!? What am I missing? Is this a big secret amoungst distro designers or what? I don't understand how people are making these Ubuntu derived distro's without doing something in here to change the wallpaper from the stock Hardy paper. I've been all over the place looking for an answer and have not one clear cut solution. I burn a disk and it comes out great and with everything I want except a wallpaper .... its killing me!
If anybody else has any ideas, please don't be afraid to post.

[Nomad]

Where are you storing your wallpaper..If your storing it in your home folder then it won't show up. Place it in usr/share/backgrounds. And then put your config settings in etc/skel/
And yes I've got custom backgrounds working perfectly.

[brucewagner]

@italomaia After reading this whole thread, I'm dying of curiousity. Did you ever get your background wallpaper to work on your remastersys ISO....?

[italomaia]

Hi Bruce! Yes, i managed to add the wallpaper, but not with remastersys. I recompiled ubuntu using this tutorial: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization

Had to do a lot of txt editing, but it was worth it. An year later, from what i learned, i made this simple distro: http://www.italomaia.com/files/download ... 910-64amd/ This distro is filled with python scripts, games and great apps.

When ubuntu 10.4 is out, i'll make a new release too.