Non-default wallpaper does not display in lightdm with encrypted home directory

[Ronald McCollam]

When selecting my username in lightdm before logging in, the wallpaper I have selected does not display. This happens only if I use a picture from my home directory, which is encrypted. If I select one of the system-wide wallpapers it switches correctly.

While this makes perfect sense before logging in (when the directory is not mounted with ecryptfs) this occurs also during user switching.

Perhaps when it is changed by the user, the wallpaper image could be cached somewhere that lightdm could read it. I'm not sure what the security implications are here though -- is wallpaper something to be concerned about keeping hidden in this context?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: lightdm 1.1.4-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-17.27-generic 3.2.6
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.93-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Mar 2 09:57:20 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta amd64 (20120301)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: lightdm
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Matt (matthileo)]

As a temporary workaround until a programatic solution is implemented, you can create a directory to store your wallpapers outside of your home folder, and set the background to those versions.

[graingert (tagrain)]

@matthileo can you recommend a good directory?

[Matt (matthileo)]

@tagrain: I actually just created a directory in /usr/share (/usr/share/wallpapers) but then I got a little more creative

I went to /home and created a directory called /home/public
Then I replaced the public folder in *my* Home folder with a symbolic link to the new one.
That's honestly a bit overboard for a workaround, and plus you still can't select the photos from your home folder "/home/matt/Public/photo.jpg" doesn't work. You have to go "/home/public/photo.jpg"

[Michael Cobb (michaelcobb123)]

I seem to be experiencing the same bug, but my home folder ISN'T encrypted.
I set my wallpaper to one in my pictures folder but I get the default wallpaper shown when i'm at lightdm.
however, if I set my wallpaper to one of the default ones, it changes properly.

[Michael Cobb (michaelcobb123)]

Okay, so I did some more experimentation, and I found that changing the resolution in GIMP to match my monitors resolution made the image display in lightDM. Could this be a problem with LightDM being unable to handle non-default images that are not the same resolution as the monitor?

[KEIII (cashagent)]

Only static default wallpaper changing work for me. I tried change wallpaper resolution. It does not work.

[Kallestofeles (kallekadakas)]

Same bug here. Only the default wallpapers in /usr/share/wallpapers change the LightDM background. I know it's a workaround to copy all the wallpapers there but it used to work perfectly before with the /home/user/Pictures folder's pictures.

[Pablo Estigarribia (pablodav)]

I fixed this issue changing rights with sudo chmod o+rx -R /home/user

https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/888186

Could be chequed with some script