[FC1] Changing screen background from script

[James Wilkinson]

Laurence Orchard wrote:
> Hi All
> 
> I have a series of digital photos taken with my camera using a time
> delay of 1 min over two hours.
> 
> I would like to use these as a changing screen background on a 2 hour
> loop.
> I know how to change the background using the menu system, but I think I
> need to use a script to do what I want.

Under GNOME, try putting something like this in your (user) crontab:

#!/bin/bash
# rotate the backdrop in X

PIC_DIR=/mnt/data/Pictures/Backdrop

cd $PIC_DIR || exit
CHOICE=$(expr $RANDOM \* $(ls 2>/dev/null | wc -l )  / 32768 + 1)
PICTURE=$(ls 2>/dev/null | tail -n $CHOICE | head -1)

nice -20 gconftool-2 --type=string \
    --set /desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename "$PIC_DIR/$PICTURE"

Note: that \ on the penultimate line must be right at the end of the
line (no further spaces or tabs). Obviously, you replace PIC_DIR's
value with where you keep your pictures.

HTH,

James.

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