cannot change background image

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relic76
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cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

I cannot change my background image from a default grey image that shows up after upgrading from 18.1 to 18.3 cinnamon. When I login my usual default shows up for a second and it defaults to a grey image. When I shut down it defaults to my selected background image. I don't know how to fix this so that my chosen default background image is good for the entire session. All of my other theme and other settings appear to be o.k. Only the background is screwed up.

There was a similar post in Nov 2017 from a person who had the exact same problem, but no solution was offered.

Anyone able to help with this?

Bob a relic76
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

Look into the settings for the background, if the slideshow is enabled. In this case disable it.
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

Slideshow is not enabled in settings for background. It shows "off".

Bob
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

Next we check, if there is an ownership problem.

Mark the following command and press ctrl-c

Code: Select all

find $HOME ! -user $USER -type f
open a terminal and press ctrl-shift-V
Mark the complete result inclusive the command with the mouse and press ctrl-shift-C
In the forum click the Code-button above the text box, than press ctrl-v.

Report in case, that there is no output.
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

I executed ctrl-shift-v in the terminal. I attached the output as an .odt file.
output.odt
Bob
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

Don't force people to download a file, but provide the information with the method, which I described.
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

Cosmo. wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 6:41 am Next we check, if there is an ownership problem.

Mark the following command and press ctrl-c

Code: Select all

find $HOME ! -user $USER -type f
open a terminal and press ctrl-shift-V
Mark the complete result inclusive the command with the mouse and press ctrl-shift-C
In the forum click the Code-button above the text box, than press ctrl-v.

Report in case, that there is no output.
I don't understand what "Code-button" you refer to. I clicked on the word "CODE" and then "ctrl v" and nothing happens. I had all kinds of output in the terminal that I copied before that.
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

I wrote "in the forum", where you need to click the code button. This button looks like </> and it is the 5th button above the window, where you write your post (aka text box).

If nothing happens, than this means, that there is nothing more in your clipboard. In this case mark the output in the terminal again and press ctrl-shift-C again to copy it again into the clipboard.
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

Code: Select all

bob@bob-Sable-Touch ~ $ find $HOME ! -user $USER -type f
/home/bob/.face

NOTE: over 90000 characters with the following "/home/bob/Downloads/AudacityHelp/manual/ (a directory or file listing)" line after line. The first line as you see was /home/bob/.face and the last line was a permission denied. 

/home/bob/Downloads/AudacityHelp/manual/man/notch_filter.html
/home/bob/Downloads/AudacityHelp/manual/man/file_menu.html
/home/bob/Downloads/AudacityHelp/manual/quick_help.html
find: ‘/home/bob/.cache/dconf’: Permission denied
bob@bob-Sable-Touch ~ $ 
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

Following the output this doesn't seem to be the culprit. Nevertheless there are some objects listed and we will correct this:
Mark the following command completely and make sure, that you do not miss any sign, than press ctrl-c

Code: Select all

find /home/$SUDO_USER ! -user $SUDO_USER -exec chown $SUDO_USER:$SUDO_USER '{}' \;
Open a terminal and enter

Code: Select all

sudo -i
and press the Enter-key; you get prompted for your password, enter it.
Now still in the same terminal press ctrl-shift-V
Run this command and wait until it has finished. It does not produce a readable output.
Press twice ctrl-d
Immediately log off and back into your account.

As said, your original problem lies on another place. To investigate further create a fresh new user account and check the behavior there.
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

I created a new user. The background image I selected for theme stays as the image upon reboot.

The menu gives access to all of the programs I used before, but no access in them to previous data such as the email, gnucash, applications.

There are no files in Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc. when I look in the file browser.

Before I did the upgrade I ran Timeshift as suggested and that folder shows up in the file system. I also had backed up my home folder to an external disk with Back In Time before the upgrade.

So that's what I can tell you for now.

Bob
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

relic76 wrote: Sun Mar 25, 2018 2:10 pm The menu gives ... no access in them to previous data such as the email, gnucash, applications.

There are no files in Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc. when I look in the file browser.
This is expected. A new user account is completely separated from the old one. My advise was to clear up, if you have an account problem or a system problem. Now we know it (it's an account problem). The test account can later get deleted, but leave it for now, perhaps we need it once more.

As we also exclude now an ownership problem, the culprit must be in the account systems.

Do this in your main account.

Open the file manager and make hidden files visible (ctrl-h). In your home you find the folder .config. Rename it to .config.bck. You have also in your home the folder .local. Rename it accordingly. Immediately log out of the account and back in. Both folders - which are the most suspicious places for conflicting settings - will be recreated with default values. Check your original problem.
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

I still have the gray image as my background image. I tried to change what I had and the change shows up for a brief moment when I log off When I log on and it appears for a moment and then reverts to the gray background.

I also found out that some programs had the data files available as usual. The Chromium browser made me log on to my google account to restore its settings. My email client loaded fine with all of my data. But Libre office writer had no recent documents in the menu to load a recent document.

Things like that.

Bob
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

Do I understand your post correctly, that renaming the 2 folders did not help? Delete the newly created folders .config and .local and rename the .bck folders back to their original name. This will restore settings, which you missed at now, e. g. the LO history.

Next try: Rename the folder .cache to .cache.bck. Again log out and back in.
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

Nothing has changed. I tried a few more applications and the result was the same. No configuration file for Back In Time. No recent images to load in Gimp. Skpe didn't save any data and when I tried to log in it just disappeared without connecting.

Kind of the same old.

Bob
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

You must have done something wrong. After renaming the first named folders back to their original names and logging out and back in the most application configs must be back to their original. The example Gimp is a special case, as Gimp uses a quite stand-alone folder for the user's config and with my advices we never touched it.

Are you really talking about your main account?
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

Slight correction to last reply. I failed to revert to the original .config and .local. When I did that I did find the Libre Office writer had recent documents in the open menu. Back in Time had my configuration and recent backups. Chromium now has the speed dial settings from before with new tab showing web sites I put on it.

Skype still fails to stay up and running. But still with the gray background.

Bob
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

relic76 wrote: Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:15 pm I failed to revert to the original .config and .local.
This was clear for me, it could not be different to what I advised-

Did you try to rename the .cache folder? (Might be, you missed this also.)
relic76
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by relic76 »

Sorry about that. I just misread what you wrote. Passed right over it. But, I've renamed the .cache as you suggested as well as the .config and .local, and the basic result has not changed. Most applications behave normal, except for Skype.

Still with the gray background.
Cosmo.
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Re: cannot change background image

Post by Cosmo. »

Where is the picture file stored? In your home, on an external drive, ... ?

Regarding Skype: I consider this as spyware and don't use it, so my knowledge about it is zero.
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