This is my mini wallpaper changer.
After using variety wallpaper changer (http://peterlevi.com/variety/) for a couple of years (and downloaded hundreds of wallpapers), I decided to roll my own mini version with only the features I use while keeping the resource usage to a bare minimum.
Installation:
Just clone the repository somewhere, copy the files of your screen resolution, add some wallpapers to wallpapers folder (adjust the files to your screen resolution) and run choose_wp from cron every minute and at start up.
Digital-7 font:
Get and install Digital-7-MonoItalic font from: http://www.dafont.com/es/digital-7.font
Set up your desktop:
Set up your desktop's method of changing the wallpaper in the last line of stamp_date script.
Use ~/.config/variety/scripts/set_wallpaper from variety as a reference.
For Ubuntu Mate 16.04 I use: gsettings set org.mate.background ...
Add to cron
crontab -e
* * * * * /bin/bash /home/.../choose_wp
^O enter (to save)
^X (to exit)
Run at startup
Add this to run at startup:
/bin/bash /home/.../choose_wp
Add caja-actions
Caja actions packet allows you to configure Caja file manager context menus.
sudo apt install caja-actions
Add the following actions:
- next wallpaper (folder action) - run: /install-path/next_wp - working folder: /install-path
- play wallpaper list (folder action) - run: /install-path/start_playlist - working folder: /install-path
- set this wallpaper (file action) - run: /install-path/showthis_wp - parameters: %F - working folder: /install-path
changer mode
Edit mode file or run start_playlist to change the wallpaper changer mode.
Allowed values:
- 0 : keep the same wallpaper
- 1 : random change the wallpaper every minute
- 2 : random change the wallpaper every 5 minutes (since last change)
- 3 : random change the wallpaper every 5 minutes (at minute 00, 05, 10, ..., 55)
- 4 : play the wallpaper list (set a new wallpaper from the list every minute). the last line sets a new mode (set to 4 to repit the list forever)
Netbook version (1024x600)
I use this version in my old netbook that also runs Ubuntu Mate 16.04.
The time is stamped over a fixed image without using transparency or any fancy modes.
Run stamp_date at startup and from cron (instead of choose_wp).
no Internet detection
The script also checks that every minute Google DNS (8.8.8.8 port 53) is reachable. When it is not, the wallpaper is changed and the date/time logged.