custom wallpaper does not stay!

Hi everybody.
My problem is: I changed the standard wallpaper to another one using the right-click - advanced menu, change background option and tried saving the .jpg image into different folders (because the mounted dirs maybe are not yet available when the system is loading the wallpaper file). But no matter where I put the file, on the next boot the standard background appears. If I go to the settings menu, my changed file location is still written there, so it does not "forget" or overwrite these, it just does not use them after a reboot.
Do you have an idea what could be going wrong?
Thanks,
Heiks (Germany)

 

Heiks,

Use the command line and copy the file to /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops.

Post back if you need help doing this.

 

ah, same problem! thanks for the help!

 

Mmmm...that is odd - do you get the correct Aspire backgdrop, or a funny blue looking one?

You could just rename /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops/default.png to /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops/default.png.bak and copy something in its place i assume, but i've not tried this personally.

 

You can also 'Sudo thunar' and just add whatever images you want to the backdrops folder...and then select them normally from the Desktop settings menu...

 

I had a similar issue. I resolved by using the backdrop list utility within Desktop Preferences.

The backdrop list is a list of images the system will randomly select at startup to become the backdrop. If there is only 1 then it will always be your backdrop.

So goto Desktop preferences and select the backdrop you wish to use. Then press new list. In the list place again the backdrop you want to use, and then close the windows.

 

The main problem with just going through the xfce settings manager (desktop settings) is while you can change the background image, and turn the Acer desktop icons on or off, you can't use the desktop in a normal way, putting your own files or shortcuts on it.

To get the regular desktop you have to go in under the hood and find the point where Linpus loads the Acer desktop, editing it to load the standard desktop instead. The trick is you must insure the mcs-manager loads as well otherwise you wont be able to manage the desktop and you'll be stuck with the blue backdrop with the rat on it, no desktop icons, and lose a bucn of key commands (like bringing up the terminal with alt F2).

The way you go about this is to make two small edits,

To xfce4-session.rc, replace xfdesktopnew with xfdesktop
To xfdesktop, replace xfdesktop2 with xfdesktop-xfce

Then you rename the xfce4 and xfce4-session directories in ~/.config/ so that the OS rebuilds them.

Then you go back and run xfce-setting-show to make sure that xfce manages your desktop settings.

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=4310

 

I have this problem and tried to use the built in xfce backdrop manager via desktop settings. But it won't let me add or remove image files to this folder. I am assuming this is a matter of permissions. So how do I activate those add/remove buttons?

 

Hi RPZ

With regard to your background, they are stored in the following,
/usr/share/xfce/backdrops.
This is a root folder but you can open by the following,
Open Ternminal (Alt+F2 then run) and type sudo thunar then enter, this will open up file manager but in root (so be very careful) then select the file (photograph you want to use) and copy it, then navigate to the backdrops folder and paste into folder. Then close.

Now open Desktop Settings and where it says File under Images click on icon on RH side and navigate to the backdrops folder then open and select your photo.

 

Thanks; when you say copy the file (photograph) and paste it into the backdrops folder - do you mean;

just the short "photo.jpg"

The entire image file name like "user/pictures/photo.jpg"

Click on the photo thumbnail and photo name and "copy" that

open and "copy" the whole opened image?

 

Hi RPZ

Just the short "photo.jpg"

Use the RH button on your mouse to copy from your Pictures folder and then RH button to Paste to the backdrops folder.

 

OK; I read another poster who referred to another instructive page and figured out why I couldn't get there - no file menu in the left file manager pane. So now I have my photo as desktop backdrop.

Now ; how can I scrub out those four broad horizontal pastel colored stripes that surround the desktop icons, and how do I shrink the desktop icons and perhaps move them to the bottom of the screen or far left or right?

Also, the photo I am using is very large, so I set it to "scale". However there are two narrow borders that show in the left and right that are pale blue. Anyway I can change them to black?

Thanks so far; I realize this must be tedious to veteran users.