Right click wallpaper changer.

[oshunluvr]

The ability to change your current desktop wallpaper "on-the-fly" has always been missing from kde4. From what I can tell, it's mostly because kde4 has so many varying ways to change or set your background that it's too complicated (at least for now) to use a simple command. I'm a pretty simple guy and my desktop isn't fancy - I only use one desktop anymore - but I like to change the image once in a while. Well, doing this requires several steps, locate image, right-click desktop, select Default Desktop Settings... etc., etc., ad nauseum. I wanted to be able to do it with a single right-click on the image - and now I can.

Note: This is a very specific use case. AFAIK, it only works as I describe - on a single desktop - nothing fancy. YMMV

Turns out our KDE4 has a slideshow setting for desktop wallpaper. If you only have one slide; nothing changes, the desktop image remains the same.

So I wrote a servicemenu that erases the previous desktop image and replaces it with your new selection. Here's how to do this:

1. Create a folder for your "slideshow" of one. I used a hidden folder in my home called .background. You can use any location you like.
2. Right-click on your desktop and select "Default Desktop Settings" then under Wallpaper, select "Slideshow" and add your directory using the "Add Folder" button, set the "change image every.." to 10 seconds, Apply, and exit. You desktop will go black - this is normal (no images yet to display).
3. Open kate (or your favorite text editor) and paste in this text:

[Desktop Entry]Type=Service
ServiceTypes=KonqPopupMenu/Plugin
MimeType=image/*
Actions=Background


[Desktop Action Background]
Icon=image-x-generic
Name=Set Wallpaper
Exec=/bin/rm ~/.background/* && /bin/cp %f ~/.background

Don't forget the extra blank line at the end.

4. Save this file as wallpaper.desktop in your home under ~/.kde/share/kde4/services/ServiceMenus/
5. Close any currently open instances of Dolphin and then open Dolphin.
6. Navigate to any image with Dolphin, right-click on it and select "Set Wallpaper"

It should appear almost immediately. Repeat #6 and see your new image show up.

If you want to use this to add an image to your desktop slideshow rather than replace it, use this servicemenu with both options (Set or Add)

[Desktop Entry]Type=Service
ServiceTypes=KonqPopupMenu/Plugin
MimeType=image/*
Actions=Background;Add


[Desktop Action Background]
Icon=image-x-generic
Name=Set Wallpaper
Exec=/bin/rm ~/.background/* && /bin/cp %f ~/.background


[Desktop Action Add]
Icon=image-x-generic
Name=Add Wallpaper
Exec=/bin/cp %f ~/.background

If you do this one, you might want longer than 10 seconds with each image.

Simple and fun!

[kubicle]

The ability to change your current desktop wallpaper "on-the-fly" has always been missing from kde4. From what I can tell, it's mostly because kde4 has so many varying ways to change or set your background that it's too complicated (at least for now) to use a simple command. I'm a pretty simple guy and my desktop isn't fancy - I only use one desktop anymore - but I like to change the image once in a while. Well, doing this requires several steps, locate image, right-click desktop, select Default Desktop Settings... etc., etc., ad nauseum. I wanted to be able to do it with a single right-click on the image - and now I can.

Just FYI, there is a fairly simple and straight forward method of changing the wallpaper:
1. Unlock widgets (if locked)
2. Drag-and-drop the image file to the desktop
3. Choose wallpaper from the pop-up menu

Don't wish to take anything away from your service menu, though, creative thinking on your part

EDIT: you can probably also change the wallpaper with a dbus call or kwriteconfig, if one is looking for a CLI way (to be used in a script or service menu)

[OneLine]

Older, Two click wallpaper change : https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post195650

[oshunluvr]

Just FYI, there is a fairly simple and straight forward method of changing the wallpaper:
1. Unlock widgets (if locked)
2. Drag-and-drop the image file to the desktop
3. Choose wallpaper from the pop-up menu

Don't wish to take anything away from your service menu, though, creative thinking on your part

EDIT: you can probably also change the wallpaper with a dbus call or kwriteconfig, if one is looking for a CLI way (to be used in a script or service menu)

I didn't know about the drag-n-drop function. That's very cool. Like I said - lots of new ways to change wallpaper with kde4. Now I have two ways to do it.

All my research showed the older dbus and kwriteconfig ways only worked if you re-start plasma, which seems like using a sledge hammer to hang a picture.

[Rog132]

dbus

https://code.google.com/p/ksetwallpaper/

Usage example

dbus-send --session --dest=org.new_wallpaper.Plasmoid --type=method_call \
    /org/new_wallpaper/Plasmoid/0 org.new_wallpaper.Plasmoid.SetWallpaper \ 
    string:/path/to/your/wallpaper

More links

- Set Wallpaper from Command-line in KDE4: http://blog.zx2c4.com/699

[oshunluvr]

I looked for a half hour for that Rog and never found it. Now we have 3 ways to do it!

[Rog131]

dbus with the plasma 5

Bug 217950 - Ability to set desktop wallpaper via a dbus command: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=217950
--> Comment 42: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=217950#c42

Add method to run a script from DBus directly

That is - run a java scrip to set the plasma wallpaper - Plasma reviewboard has an example script: https://git.reviewboard.kde.org/r/125648/



From cli:

qdbus org.kde.plasmashell /PlasmaShell org.kde.PlasmaShell.evaluateScript 'var allDesktops = desktops();print (allDesktops);for (i=0;i<allDesktops.length;i++) {d = allDesktops[i];d.wallpaperPlugin = "org.kde.image";d.currentConfigGroup = Array("Wallpaper", "org.kde.image", "General");d.writeConfig("Image", "file:///media/sda2/Background/SpaceWall/Escape_Function.jpg")}'

Full images:
- http://i.imgur.com/4akLnoK.jpg
- http://i.imgur.com/myMSA7E.jpg

Seems to work.

Will be available with the Plasma 5.6+
--> Plasma 5.7 planned release: https://community.kde.org/Schedules/Plasma_5

5.7.0 Release Tue 2016-07-05