fc16 change login background image

[jsp]

How can I change the login screen's background image?

I have found many posts on this, and they all generally say to change org.gnome.desktop.background using either dconf-editor or by manually changing this value from the command line.

However, when I change it using dconf-editor, it does not change the login background image, it changes my desktop background image (just like the variable name implies).

I want to change the image that is displayed when I login. Currently it is an image of a submarine.

[Dan]

The default screen art is used for both the login and the screen. The way to do this is change the default for the login, and then choose another image for the screen. By default, you may select any image in your Pictures folder to use as screen art.

The login image is located in: /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/(this will depend on your screen geometry)

You will need to be root in order to change these. I recommend simply inserting your chosen image, and naming it the same as the existing file, after changing the name of the default image to something else. That will effectively change the image with no further hyjinks.

[justinrpg]

Originally Posted by Dan

The default screen art is used for both the login and the screen. The way to do this is change the default for the login, and then choose another image for the screen. By default, you may select any image in your Pictures folder to use as screen art.

The login image is located in: /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/(this will depend on your screen geometry)

You will need to be root in order to change these. I recommend simply inserting your chosen image, and naming it the same as the existing file, after changing the name of the default image to something else. That will effectively change the image with no further hyjinks.

I want to do the same thing but I don't know how to change the default! this isn't enough info!! it isn't in System Settings or anywhere else I can find

Originally Posted by PabloTwo

Here's what I did:
Since I'm using a wide screen LCD monitor (16:9 aspect ratio), I put a copy the background image I wanted to use in /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide

BASH:~/-> ls /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide/
far-cry-2-sunset-1920x1200.png  verne.png

Then I edited /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/verne.xml. You might want to make a backup copy of that file before doing edits, just in case. I replaced the default "verne.png" in the "wide" section with my image name.

<file>
	<!-- Wide 16:10 -->
	<size width="1920" height="1200">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide/far-cry-2-sunset-1920x1200.png</size>
	<!-- Standard 4:3 -->
	<size width="2048" height="1536">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/standard/verne.png</size>
	<!-- Normalish 5:4 -->
	<size width="1280" height="1024">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/normalish/verne.png</size>
</file>

this doesn't help either... I don't know how to do that code!! what program do I use and where do I get that program?

[PabloTwo]

Here's what I did:
Since I'm using a wide screen LCD monitor (16:9 aspect ratio), I put a copy the background image I wanted to use in /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide

BASH:~/-> ls /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide/
far-cry-2-sunset-1920x1200.png  verne.png

Then I edited /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/verne.xml. You might want to make a backup copy of that file before doing edits, just in case. I replaced the default "verne.png" in the "wide" section with my image name.

<file>
	<!-- Wide 16:10 -->
	<size width="1920" height="1200">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide/far-cry-2-sunset-1920x1200.png</size>
	<!-- Standard 4:3 -->
	<size width="2048" height="1536">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/standard/verne.png</size>
	<!-- Normalish 5:4 -->
	<size width="1280" height="1024">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/normalish/verne.png</size>
</file>

[jsp]

that did it, thanks!

[miles916]

Originally Posted by PabloTwo

Here's what I did:
Since I'm using a wide screen LCD monitor (16:9 aspect ratio), I put a copy the background image I wanted to use in /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide

BASH:~/-> ls /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide/
far-cry-2-sunset-1920x1200.png  verne.png

Then I edited /usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/verne.xml. You might want to make a backup copy of that file before doing edits, just in case. I replaced the default "verne.png" in the "wide" section with my image name.

<file>
	<!-- Wide 16:10 -->
	<size width="1920" height="1200">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/wide/far-cry-2-sunset-1920x1200.png</size>
	<!-- Standard 4:3 -->
	<size width="2048" height="1536">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/standard/verne.png</size>
	<!-- Normalish 5:4 -->
	<size width="1280" height="1024">/usr/share/backgrounds/verne/default/normalish/verne.png</size>
</file>

thanks for that! that worked for me

[Dan]

Ho, boy!

I'm detecting here that you are basically clueless about getting around in Linux, and working with the terminal/command line. If I'm wrong, please don't get offended. Doing so would do me no harm, and you no good.

That being said, this may get a little involved, and there's going to be a bit of a challenge and a learning curve starting immediately. Can do?.

[justinrpg]

Originally Posted by Dan

Ho, boy!

I'm detecting here that you are basically clueless about getting around in Linux, and working with the terminal/command line. If I'm wrong, please don't get offended. Doing so would do me no harm, and you no good.

That being said, this may get a little involved, and there's going to be a bit of a challengie and a learning curve starting immediately. Can do?.

yes, I am a noob... But willing to learn...

[dd_wizard]

I can't take credit for this, but I don't remember who posted it. Try these commands in a terminal:

su -
(root password)

xhost +SI:localuser:gdm

sudo -u gdm gnome-control-center

click on "background" and select the one you want
exit and restart X

The nice thing about the above procedure is that you can run more than gnome-control-center. You can, for example, run dconf-editor and generally tweak GDM.

dd_wizard

[Dan]

Great! Let's get at it!

First things first. We need to know the geometry of your screen. We'll start with GUI (Graphical User Interface) tools. Although the terminal is a lot faster and where the real power is, let's walk before we run.

Presuming you are in F16: Click your name in the upper right corner, and from the list that appears, select (click) "System Settings."

When that appears, click "Displays."

There should be some info in the "Resolution" box. Post that set of numbers here. These will tell us if you are using wide-screen or not.

[justinrpg]

Originally Posted by Dan

Great! Let's get at it!

First things first. We need to know the geometry of your screen. We'll start with GUI (Graphical User Interface) tools. Although the terminal is a lot faster and where the real power is, let's walk before we run.

Presuming you are in F16: Click your name in the upper right corner, and from the list that appears, select (click) "System Settings."

When that appears, click "Displays."

There should be some info in the "Resolution" box. Post that set of numbers here. These will tell us if you are using wide-screen or not.

1024x768 (4:3)

[PabloTwo]

Dan, and just in case you'd like to send your new student to the command line straight away...

$ xdpyinfo | grep -B1 dot
  dimensions:    1920x1080 pixels (483x272 millimeters)
  resolution:    101x101 dots per inch

Edit: OK, I'll shutup and stop kibitzing now.

[Dan]

Thanks guys.

Justin: Okey dokey. You're not running wide screen. That would have said 16:10 or something similar.

Do you have an image selected that you want to use, and if so, put it in your "Pictures" folder/directory. The "Files" window you use for that is the file manager, "nautilus". We'll need that name here in a few minutes. We'll also need your root password. You should have set that up and hopefully written it down when you installed F16.

Now, using nautilus, "drill" down to the root (/) directory. You do that by clicking the arrow doohickey on the left end of the nautilus navigation/search bar. After you click it, it will change to a small hard drive looking icon. You may need to click once more to get all the way down. That's the "root" directory. Now look in the window for the folder icon with "usr" under it. Click it (maybe double-click, depending on how you set your preferences.)"

Once that changes, click the "share" folder. Then click the "backgrounds" folder. Then click, "verne", then "default", then "standard", then "verne.png". Presto! You've found your victim.

We'll be doing this again in a few minutes, and we'll have to do a quick terminal session first, but for now we at least know where the target is.

Got all that?

[justinrpg]

Originally Posted by Dan

Thanks guys.

Justin: Okey dokey. You're not running wide screen. That would have said 16:10 or something similar.

Do you have an image selected that you want to use, and if so, put it in your "Pictures" folder/directory. The "Files" window you use for that is the file manager, "nautilus". We'll need that name here in a few minutes. We'll also need your root password. You should have set that up and hopefully written it down when you installed F16.

Now, using nautilus, "drill" down to the root (/) directory. You do that by clicking the arrow doohickey on the left end of the nautilus navigation/search bar. After you click it, it will change to a small hard drive looking icon. You may need to click once more to get all the way down. That's the "root" directory. Now look in the window for the folder icon with "usr" under it. Click it (maybe double-click, depending on how you set your preferences.)"

Once that changes, click the "share" folder. Then click the "backgrounds" folder. Then click, "verne", then "default", then "standard", then "verne.png". Presto! You've found your victim.

We'll be doing this again in a few minutes, and we'll have to do a quick terminal session first, but for now we at least know where the target is.

Got all that?

ok, what next... (I don't know if this info is needed, Fedora is installed in a VM)

[Dan]

A couple of concepts we need to cover real quick. The first being file "ownership" and "permissions."

Some files belong to you, and you are allowed to mess around with them as a system user. Those would be your data files, and your settings in your "home" folder. In most linux systems, however, you really do not "own" the other user's files, or any "system" files. Those belong to the overlord known as, "root". Root goes by many names. Two of particular interest are, "su" and "sudo". Just like cattle ranches, both you and root have your own brand in the terminal. Yours looks like the dollar sign ($). Root's looks like the pound sign, or the "crunch" symbol (#). Keep that in mind. You can always tell who is doing what by noticing those "brands".