[SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

[Snowhog]

Ksplash Themes are located in /usr/share/kde4/apps/ksplash/Themes

I'm trying to replace the background image (background.png) used after logging in via KDM with the one I am using (successfully) as my KDM login background and my desktop wallpaper, but I'm not having any success - so far. This directory contains the following folders:

Default
None
Simple
SimpleSmall

I am using Default.

Default contains the following folders:

1024x768
1280x1024
1600x1200
1920x1200
600x400
800x600


The only folder that contains all the controlling elements of the splash screen process is 1600x1200. All the others contain only the file background.png, so I thought I just had to replace the background.png file in the 1600x1200 folder with the one I wanted to use, renamed background.png (sized correctly in Gimp to match the original being replaced). Doing that and logging out and logging back in (haven't done an actual reboot - yet) doesn't display the 'new' image - it continues to use the original.

Do I have to replace all background.png images in each of the folders, or am I missing something simple here?

[Snowhog]

Re: Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

Forced to find a solution on my own, and I did.

Background:

I created a custom background for my KDM login which works like a champ. This image matches my desktop wallpaper. My goal was to have a Ksplash background that matched. My screen resolution is 1440x900 (wide-screen).

Googling came across a bit of history - my own - in this previous KFN post: [SOLVED] Creating custom KDM Login Theme - KDE 4.1.3 from 2008. Rog131 helped me then, and the post pointed me in the direction I needed to go.

This is what I did tonight, and that gave me my custom Ksplash background to match that of my KDM and desktop wallpaper.

A Custom KSplash Theme matching my Custom KDM Login Background by Snowhog

This is the 'simple' method, utilizing your existing Ksplash Theme. In my case, using the Default theme.

Prerequist: My custom KDM Login background image, tested and known to work when logging in via KDM.

1) Copied /usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/oxygen-air/1280x800.jpg (my custom image used for the KDM login) to ~/Pictures/default.jpg. Using Gimp, I created a new 1440x900 image with a pure black background. Into this I opened as a layer ~/Pictures/default.png, merged the two layers, and then save the file as ~/Pictures default.png (note that I changed the the image format to .png - one could use imagemagick just as well instead of Gimp)

2) As root, copied ~/Pictures/default.png to /usr/share/kde4/apps/ksplash/Themes/Default/1600x1200/default.png

3) Tested with:

ksplashx Default --test

4) Done!

Still working on packaging this so I can install it as a new Ksplash theme. The archive is created correctly, but when installed via System Settings > Appearance > Splash Screen > Install Theme File... and clicking Test Theme (after clicking on Apply) it doesn't show the proper background image. Still working on that.

[vinnywright]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

sweet...........thares no felling like Hacking you'r self into a sucsess storey..........

going to try that myself latter tonight.........maby

VINNY

[Zorael]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

I've been having issues with it displaying an old background that I tried changing to just for kicks before finding a proper background that went with my kdm theme.

It seems to have a cache of some sort. Even now, if I do 'ksplashx Default --test' it shows me the 4.3.x Air splash. I'm running 4.4rc1, so it should show the (visually challenging) Quadros splash. The .png files in the Default directory checks out; it *is* Quadros. But ksplashx is displaying Air.

However If I symlink the Default directory to 'Quadros' and run 'ksplashx Quadros --test', it properly shows the Quadros splash. It seems to be caching the backgrounds somewhere, and it's not doing a good job of detecting changes to the theme.

edit: It's in ~/.kde/cache-hostname/ksplashx/. It apparently saves them there after having resized them to fit your screen. So mine had a bunch of 1024x600 .pngs.

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

edit: It's in ~/.kde/cache-hostname/ksplashx/. It apparently saves them there after having resized them to fit your screen. So mine had a bunch of 1024x600 .pngs.

Actually, there are two locations, both caches, that are not cleaned out, but added to - apparently. They are:

/.kde/cache-hostname/ksplashx/
/var/tmp/kdecache-user/ksplashx/

I removed the Default-1440x900-background.png files from both and rebooted. Now I don't have the momentary flash of the 'old' image file being displayed just before the new one comes up.

[MoonRise]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

I don't have those directories. I wonder why? My Splash works great but don't have those caches.

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

In a console, type:

sudo updatedb
sudo locate Default-*-background.png

That will locate the file and where it is located.

[vinnywright]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

thares allso ~/kde/share/apps/ksplash/Themes whare user installed splash themes go to so user1 can have a diferent splash than user2 the one's in /usr/........ are defalt fall back's if no user definde splash exisist's

I just made 1 with the blue gradente wallpaper I made that matches my grub splash.

basickley I just copeyd the default one from /usr/share/kde4/apps/ksplash/Themes to a folder in home named ~/testing2 made a folder named bluefade and put the Theme.rc file from default in it
copeyd the 1024x768 folder from default in to bluefade and all the icon and anamated icon files from the default 1600x1200 file to the 1024x768 folder I copey'd into blufade

now put my resised 1024x768 .png wallpaper in place of the background.png file in the 1024x768 folder nameing it the same.

so now it looks like this

vinny@desktop:~/testing2/bluefade/1024x768$ ls
background.png icon1.png icon3_anim.png icon4.png rectangle.png
description.txt icon2_anim.png icon3.png icon5_anim.png
icon1_anim.png icon2.png icon4_anim.png icon5.png

and 1 level up

vinny@desktop:~/testing2/bluefade$ ls
1024x768 1600x1200 Theme.rc Theme.rc~

Humm I left the 1600x1200 in thare......O well it works

now make a .tar.gz out of it .

vinny@desktop:~/testing2$ ls
bluefade bluefade.png Bluefade.tar.gz KubuntuStartButton.png LucidLynx.png Lynxwallpaper.png

and install from systemsetings>Appearance>Splash screen........click install theme file and point it to you'r theme.tar.gz and it's good

well hear eneyway

VINNY

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

Okay, that works. But the Themes.rc (the description file) doesn't show up when installed. Anyone know why?

[MoonRise]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

thares allso ~/kde/share/apps/ksplash/Themes whare user installed splash themes go to so user1 can have a diferent splash than user2 the one's in /usr/........ are defalt fall back's if no user definde splash exisist's

That is where mine is installed. I packed mine and installed that way. That may explain why I don't have those caches. I also used KsplasherX to make my splash.

[vinnywright]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

Okay, that works. But the Themes.rc (the description file) doesn't show up when installed. Anyone know why?

no??................hear it dose...

vinny@desktop:~/.kde/share/apps/ksplash/Themes/bluefade$ ls
1024x768 1600x1200 Theme.rc Theme.rc~

VINNY

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

Got it fixed. In order for the description data to show, the name in [KSplash Theme: Dragon] of the Theme.rc file has to be the same as the name of the folder the theme is packaged in.

[vinnywright]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

Got it fixed. In order for the description data to show, the name in [KSplash Theme: Dragon] of the Theme.rc file has to be the same as the name of the folder the theme is packaged in.

good catch forgot to mention I had edited that ............ ......................

vinny@desktop:~$ cat ~/.kde/share/apps/ksplash/Themes/bluefade/Theme.rc
[KSplash Theme: Default]
Name = KDE 4.3 Splash Screen
Description = bluefade Splash Screen
Version = 1.0
Author = vinnywright

# Theme behaviour settings.
Engine = KSplashX


vinny@desktop:~$

VINNY

[vinnywright]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

PS: it would apper as though the kdm login acts the same............/usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes is whare it lives.

I just resised my wallpaper to 1280x800 renamed the curent .jpg file 1280x800.jpg.old and inserted mine as 1280x800.jpg (in the default oxagen-air theme becose it has the icon set I like best so far) and now Kubuntu has my background from grub to kdm to login splash to desktop in a semless transition.............. 8)

well exept for the boot splash Hummm whars that one ............

VINNY

[Snowhog]

Re: [SOLVED] Ksplash Theme background - can't get it to change

from grub to kdm to login splash to desktop in a semless transition.............. 8)

well exept for the boot splash Hummm whars that one ............

VINNY

Grub > KDM > Desktop

By 'boot splash' I must assume you mean what you see 'after' the KDM login? That would be the KSplashx image.