Tip: Automatically change/rotate desktop wallpapers

[blnchflr]

Somebody once lied (or, more likely, was ignorant) and told me that you couldn't automatically change/rotate your desktop wallpaper in Linux.

Being silly, I took them on their word and didn't investigate further. Silly, because this is Linux, there's programs for everything :oD !

So, if like me you've always wanted a program to change your wallpaper automatically on every start-up, or even rotate it at regular intervals, let me recommend DesktopNova! (It's in the repository, if you're using Ubuntu).

It's very simple to use, which also means very simple functions, but it gets the job done. (There's another program, Drapes, also in the Ubuntu repositories, which apparently has more complex functions, but on the downside, it's pretty impossible to get to run smoothly in 10.10).



As for how the wallpapers are shown (zoom/scaled/what-have-you), that follows your default settings for background images.

Comments

[ridicully]

In KDE I've been able to do that pretty much since forever I think.
At the moment it's
Desktop settings -> Type "Slide show"
AFAIK, but the option tends to get hidden somewhere else on every overhaul for some reason.

[blnchflr]

Right, I understand it's possible in KDE - but maybe some other hapless Gnome user will find it helpful :o)

[dragonwolf]

If you're bold enough to play with XML files, you don't need to download anything to get a rotating wallpaper. The wallpaper selector in Ubuntu/Gnome accepts XML files, so you can define the images and interval times in the XML file and pick it in the selector.

[blnchflr]

This was much faster ;oD

[sprat]

This looks cool! I have Cortina right now and it also does the job, but it's nice to know there's an alternative.

[blnchflr]

I don't know Cortina - seems I've been extremely ignorant :oD

[faere]

Thank you so much for sharing this tip!

[blnchflr]

Welcome :o)

[sally_maria]

If you don't mind using a KDE program, there's also Wally, which is in the Ubuntu repository, which you can use to randomise wallpapers, Flickr images and a load of other possible sources.

I'm using it on Gnome because at the time I couldn't find anything else - I've been randomising my wallpapers since Windows 3.1, I wasn't going to stop just because I changed operating system.

I am using DesktopNova on my laptop with the Mint Debian edition, though, and I agree it works very well.

[blnchflr]

Installing a KDE program installs a lot of other stuff too, to get it to run in Gnome, right? I once back in the day heard someone advice against it, so I don't do it - though at this point, with the amount of hd space and RAM and processing speed, it probably doesn't make any difference :o)

I never randomized my wallpapers in Windows when I used it, either - didn't know it was possible - so I just manually changed them every so often. Random are such fun, though \o/

[sally_maria]

Yes, you do get quite a number of KDE dependencies, which is a bit of a pain. On the other hand, I haven't noticed it make an significant difference to the speed or responsiveness of my machine, so yes, I think you are right that it probably doesn't matter with modern computers.

I think my original wallpaper randomiser came from a magazine cover disk but I always liked having varied wallpapers, so after that I deliberately went looking for one, if the old one stopped working.