Ubuntu – How to change default wallpaper in KDE

kdekde4kubuntuplasmawallpaper

I'm on KDE 14.14.1 and want to change the default wallpaper. I want to make lots of changes as I want to build a customized kubuntu maybe call it a fork. But there's my problem. There are almost no recent tutorials about customizing Kubuntu (there are lots of old tutorials though).

So my question: Where do I find the configuration file(s) for changing the default wallpaper?

I know I can change them in the settings. However I won't be able to use the GUI when I'm building the iso file for my customized system, so I have to edit the files manually.

Best Answer

Default plasma wallpaper

The default plasma wallpaper is set in the default desktop theme: /usr/share/kde4/apps/desktoptheme/default/

There is the metadata.desktop. It has wallpaper section. With the Kubuntu 14.04 / KDE 4.13:

[Wallpaper]
defaultWallpaperTheme=Elarun
defaultFileSuffix=.png
defaultWidth=2560
defaultHeight=1600

The 'Elarun' is described in the /usr/share/wallpapers/Elarun/

More of the KDE plasma theme details: https://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma4/ThemeDetails

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Ubuntu – Change font color of inactive apps on KDE taskbar

KDE Plasma Themes

The KDE TechBase : http://techbase.kde.org/Welcome_to_KDE_TechBase

The KDE taskbar (panel) is a plasma object so its configuration is through the KDE plasma theme configuration - the Development/Tutorials/Plasma/Theme is tellling:

http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma/Theme -> http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma/Theme#Theme_Colors

Theme Colors

You can provide a plasma color scheme that will allow text, selected backgrounds and other items to blend well with your theme by supplying a colors file in your theme folder. See the colors file in the default theme for an example.

If the colors file is omitted, plasma will take on the current KDE system colors. Note: Theme SVGs will not be colorized unless they contain the 'hint-apply-color-scheme' element.)

More can be found from the Development/Tutorials/Plasma/ThemeDetails

http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma/ThemeDetails -> http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma/ThemeDetails#Colors

From the KDE mailing list - [kde] settings for font colors

http://linux.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/KDE/2010-03/msg00011.html

The desktop, aka plasma, has its own themes. However, in a couple places, they seem to interact with the normal kde colors as well. Well either that or the themes I run don't have a couple things set too well. This can be bad if like me you have a strong "reverse color scheme" (that is, light text on a dark background) preference, as that's uncommon and the assumption would be dark text on a light background.

Unfortunately, unlike kde, where most of the colors are set specifically, with plasma one has to choose a theme -- altho individual components (, general color scheme, panel background, desktop widget background, analog clock, etc) can be set to different themes if desired. Editing individual elements within a component, however, requires editing the text-based config files themselves, unfortunately...

KDE Brainstorm

http://forum.kde.org/viewforum.php?f=83

A wish: http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=113&t=101989

I would

I would use the non-transparent panel.

Opaque panel

Background

http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma/ThemeDetails#.22Opaque.22_folder

"Opaque" folder

In the folder share/apps/desktoptheme/opaque the same hierarchy can be found: when compositing is disabled files in this folder are preferred over the corresponding ones listed above...

But you could use the opaque plasma object with the compositing.

Another theme

The KDE System Settings > Workspace Appearance > Desktop Theme has the "Get New Themes". There are themes with the opaque panels - the Aya seems to be one of them.

Mixing theme components

KDE System Settings > Workspace Appearance > Desktop Theme -> Details tab. Pick the opaque panel from another plasma theme. Note the panel background is not working at here. Maybe this is working there.

How it should work - tested with the KDE 4.10.2 - Air (default) desktop theme with the opaque Air theme panel

KDE System Settings > Workspace Appearance > Desktop Theme -> Details tab; Panel Background: File=/usr/share/kde4/apps/desktoptheme/default/opaque/widgets/panel-background.svgz -> Apply

enter image description here

Now the selected theme with the customize opaque panel background should be copied to the ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme/.customized/.

enter image description here

BUT this doesn't seem to work with the panel background. I tried this with the "Translucent Background" (for the other plasmoids) - it was working.

How to get the customized panel background to work (working at here)

1) Set the plasma desktop theme off from the "Customized"

2) Copy panel-background.svgz from the ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme/.customized/opaque/widgets/ to the ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme/.customized/translucent/widgets/

enter image description here

3) Remove/clean the plasma theme cache from the /var/tmp/kdecache-[username] (same as ~/.kde/cache-[hostname]). The KDE is caching things like a mad - and using the information from the cache.

enter image description here

4) Log out - log in (or kill the plasma desktop and restart the plasma-desktop)

The panel background should be opaque - at here it is.

enter image description here

A PNG image as the panel background: http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=113&t=101989 -> http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?56120-Customize-plasma-desktop-theme

Ubuntu – Where is the “Default Wallpaper” wallpaper stored

I don't think this is a default wallpaper, or at least I don't have it.

You can get the location of your current wallpaper by executing gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri as an user who has set this wallpaper.

I've never heard of "dynamic wallpapers" in Ubuntu so I hope this method still works for you.

Best Answer

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