How to use Flickr images as a slideshow wallpaper?

Question

Is there any software like webshots but for Ubuntu, which will change desktop wallpaper periodically?

Answer 1

Webilder is a webshots-like program for Ubuntu. It will cycle images as your desktop wallpaper. Also, you could try running webshots under WINE. Here's a tutorial of how to do that.

Answer 2

I'm running RedHat, but since its gnome it should be the same as ubuntu. The following command, run in a scheduled script, makes my desktop wallpaper update:

gconftool-2 --set "/desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename" --type string "/path/to/your/picture.jpg"

Earlier I did this by running "$ gnome-background-properties" but that popped up an annoying window.

Answer 3

http://forum.compiz-fusion.org/showthread.php?t=6517 has a lead on how to change the wallpaper from the command line:

gconftool-2 --set /apps/compiz/plugins/wallpaper/screen0/options/images --type list --list-type string "[file:/path/to/first.png:100,file:/path/to/second.png:100]"

(no promises; I cut-n-pasted it)

It seems to me you could call this gconftool-2 program via "at" or "cron" to get the functionality you're looking for.

You would need to ensure, of course, that the DISPLAY environment variable and probably a few others were set correctly, so maybe making a script in your bin directory called maybe set_wallpaper or similar would be the way to go.

Hope this helps! -Paul