Some wallpaper/backdrops ideas

[GridCube]

On xubuntu the default folder for "Backdrops" is /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops this folder is not explained when one opens xfdesktop-settings, and even if one tries to add wallpapers to the presented list they will only remain as long as being used, if one chooses a "backdrop" (why not wallpaper?) thats not on the list, and then chooses another, the previous one will not be in the list the next time we open the settings manager.

I've been thinking on ways to avoid this confusing problem...

Maybe having such folder symlinked to something like ~/.confing/backdrops (or ~/.config/wallpapers) will allow users to fastly find such folder, and then add their own, maybe if the folder ownership is given to all, and the default wallpapers to root?

maybe changing the way xfce stores its wallpapers/backdrops?

Maybe turning xfdesktop-settings list into a text file kind of list? not depending on the contents of only one folder?

maybe adding a new folder on ~/ whit the users wallpapers, and other on the default folder for the rest of the users? and making xfdesktop-settings see both?

And talking about wallpapers, what about the default webbrowser for xubuntu (firefox), from which you can theorically set your wallpaper, but in the practic just copy the image on ~/ whit the name "firefox wallpaper.format", what if that image went directly to the wallpaper folder (our theoretic ~/.config/backdrops) whit date/hour stamps? so even if you can't autoset the wallpaper from firefox you can still choose it from the list?

i think the best way would be to change the way xfdesktop-settings lists its wallpapers, adding just another folder to the list, one being the standard default /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops and the other being ~/.config/backdrops.

just my opinion, thanks a lot for reading and have a nice day.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: xubuntu-default-settings 10.04.8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-32.62-generic 2.6.32.38+drm33.16
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-32-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Jun 22 18:32:58 2011
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=es_AR.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xubuntu-default-settings

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Marking this as wishlist, it would be nice to be able to find the wallpapers without having to remember such a difficult path or searching the entire /usr directory each time.

[Simon Steinbeiß (ochosi)]

i second this request, i agree that the wallpapers could be handled more gracefully.

[Lionel Le Folgoc (mrpouit)]

This should be discussed upstream though.

[KitchM (tech-frontrowcomputer)]

It would be super to have the ability to set more than one location the Desktop module looks in for wallpaper images. Pulling them up individually by adding them one at a time is extremely tedious, and is contrary to making the system work simply, IMHO.

One should be able to add multiple directories to add to the display of images, and then sort all images by any criteria, such as directory, name, resolution, etc..

These features should be trivial to add to the Desktop module, IMHO.

Thank you.

[Eric Koegel (eric-koegel)]

In 4.12 xfdesktop will allow you to select the folder to pull images from rather than having to add them to lists. You can see the basic concept from the on-line documentation: http://docs.xfce.org/xfce/xfdesktop/4.11/usage

Doing multiple directories would be more complicated from the new UI layout, but you can always make a directory with symlinks to the images from other folders that you want.

Will that be sufficient for your needs?

[KitchM (tech-frontrowcomputer)]

I am not quite sure about the final product usage, but that sounds very good. I also like the idea of symlinks, but that should be an automated process of Xfce rather than user created.

Ideally, the software could be asked to scan for images and allow the user to check a box next to a thumbnail to add that one to the catalog.

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

This feature request needs to be re-evaluate for the current stable release of Xubuntu (14.04) and the description should be updated if necessary.

[Steve Dodier-Lazaro (sidi)]

I used to be able to select one or two wallpapers on top of the "default" directory, allowing quick comparisons between 2/3 wallpapers I liked, and allowing building lists of wallpapers from different sources.

I believe symlinks are not obvious and take more time to do than picking multiple sources, so I would also like for this feature to be added. :-)

[KitchM (tech-frontrowcomputer)]

Are you suggesting a side-by-side comparison?

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

Discussion about "General UI improvements to new Wallpaper Settings":

https://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=11318

[upkpk (upkpk)]

Related https://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13673