command line to change wallpaper

[Jasper Huijsmans]

Op za 25-10-2003, om 10:35 schreef Biju Chacko:
> On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 10:16:16 +0200, Jasper Huijsmans wrote:
> 
> > Hey,
> > 
> > I'm taking this to xfce4-dev list now.
> > 
> > Op za 25-10-2003, om 09:36 schreef Biju Chacko:
> > 
> > > Wouldn't life be much simpler if xfdesktop's pseudo-root-window was
> > > transparent? Then everybody's favourite root pixmap changer would work. Is
> > > this practical?
> > > 
> > 
> > I don't think it's that simple, unfortunately. It would indeed be a very
> > nice solution. Luca can perhaps comment on this as well.
> > 
> > A gtk toplevel window can not be transparent, I think. For that you need
> > an input-only window, which is fine as long as you don't want to add
> > other widgets (icons) to it. Also, instead of an input-only window,
> > luca's solution of using the root window directly is just as easy,
> > either through gdk or using xlib directly.
> 
> Hmmm ... 
> 
> Excuse me if my ideas are kinda daft, but I don't know as much about the issues
> as you do.
> 
> Would it be possible to simulate transparency by monitoring the root window
> using gdk or xlib? As the background pixmaps changes, change the
> pseudo-root-window pixmap? AFAIK, that's how transparent xterms work don't they?
> 
> And yes -- I realise that it won't be easy. I am just trying to figure out a way
> of getting third party background tools to work with xfdesktop.
> 
> Of course, I don't know whether the benefit merits the kind of work involved.
> 

Me neither ;-) That was actually what I wanted to say. Unless someone
does the work and tries these ideas, we won't know for sure.

I don't think monitoring the background pixmap works for things like
xpenguins or root-tail.

Actually I have thought of doing this before. Just set the background
image on the X root window and let the desktop window monitor that
property. Then you could allow the settings dialog to specify an
external program to set te background as wel as setting an image
directly.

More ideas, stil no code ... ;-)

	Jasper


> -- b