Ubuntu – How to set the default icon set and wallpaper for new users

defaulticonsuserswallpaper

I would like to change the default icon set and wallpaper so when a new user is created they have them automatically.

Best Answer

Create a new dummy user, modify its settings to your liking and cherry-pick the changes from .config and .gconf, place them into /etc/skel. Keep the directory structure intact, e.g. copy: /home/dummyuser/.gconf/desktop/gnome/background/%gconf.xml to: /etc/skel/.gconf/desktop/gnome/background/%gconf.xml

Note:

  • Install gconf-editor and try to locate the settings that interest you. The tree structure maps directly to the files involved.
  • Be proficient in XML-editing, e.g. a syntax-highlighting editor like geany may show you common typos (In case you want to impose only a subset of the keys in the XML-file, you need to delete the remainder correctly)
  • Less is better, too much branding may cause eye-fatigue ;)
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