Cannot set image as desktop background from Shotwell

[Nicholas Harvey]

This problem affects Ubuntu Mate 19.10 and 20.04.

A common action to use in the Shotwell photo organiser is to set a photo as the desktop wallpaper. However this function does not work on Ubuntu Mate due, I assume, to Shotwell configuring settings for the Gnome desktop rather than for Mate.

Steps to reproduce:

Launch Shotwell
Import a photo
Select the photo, then select the following menu option: File -> Set as Desktop Background
From the pop-up dialogue, select 'Use for Desktop' and click 'OK'.

Result:
No change to the Mate desktop wallpaper.

Desired result:
The Mate desktop wallpaper should change to the selected image.

Thanks
Nick

[Sai Vinoba (saivinob)]

I can reproduce the bug. However, if I choose the next selection in the menu 'Show in File Manager' and from there if I right-click and select 'Set as Desktop Background', it works as expected.

[Sai Vinoba (saivinob)]

And yes, it works as expected under GNOME (I have both Ubuntu Desktop and MATE installed). May be we are missing an extension.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Jens Georg (yg-jensge)]

Yes, shotwell is using the gnome-specific GSettings key org.gnome.desktop.background. Happy to change that to something desktop independent if such a thing exists