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Idea #18644: Flexibility with desktop backround

Written by trustno1uk the 16 Mar 09 at 20:57. Category: Look and Feel. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Currently the desktop backround seems limited. There should be a way to expand this and have the backround integrate with location weather video or slide show
Tags: wallpaper

522
votes
closed
Solution #1: Time based Wallpaper/Weather on your Desktop
Written by trustno1uk the 16 Mar 09 at 20:57.
A good option would be for a time based wallpaper. The wallpaper will change as the time changes on the computer. You can download wallpaper packs of certain areas that have pictures taken from the same angle at steady time intervals.

Another very nice option would be to have a backround that changes according to the weather outside.

Weather

REF: http://www.kumailht.com/blog/linux/10-features-ubuntu-should-implement/
151
votes
closed
Solution #2: Keep Wallpaper and Widgets Seperate
Written by Vendaval the 18 Mar 09 at 03:06.
A wallpaper that changes with time/weather is a great feature, but two parts shouldn't be bundled together. Instead, it should be easier to:
1. Download wallpapers and keep them in a recognizable folder. You shouldn't need to go searching for the wallpaper folder.
2. Easier widget layer. Users should be able to easily download a widget app- Screenlets/Conky/what have you, and control it independently of compiz. Each widget or widget pack could come with a recommended wallpaper pack as described, a special widget would run that pack of images.
76
votes
closed
Solution #3: More floxible solution #1 integrated with solution #2
Written by Kurotenshi the 21 Mar 09 at 21:50.
The two above solutions are very nice so I think it would be cool to have a more flexible wallpaper, where one can put other local files such as video or an animated gif or local web page that reacts to mouse over, and, at the same time, have an easy to use widgets layer that can temporarily over-wright the wallpaper with news-feeds and time/weather dependent pictures etc.
The way I se thinks, this provides separate software to manage local and online content.
13
votes
closed
Solution #4: Workspace Location
Written by MathUHenry the 27 Mar 09 at 23:52.
Problem Statement:
The desktop represents a particular folder in the home directory. When I'm working on a project, I find it's convenient to dump all of my files to the desktop while I'm working on it. When I switch to another project, I first clean up all the files of the previous project - but cannot so easily switch back to what I was doing.

Request:
I would appreciate the ability to right-click on my wallpaper and specify the location that the desktop refers to. home/Desktop or somewhere else. That way, I'm using the desktop effectively as my nautilus, but not as a separate window. ctrl+alt+d brings up my workspace (the desktop).

Bonus:
It would be even sweeter if I could store different desktop locations (and perhaps background images) in each of the the different "desks" in workspace switcher.

Propose your solution

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Comments
Klau3 wrote on the 16 Mar 09 at 23:26
I like the idea (dreaming of different city pictures changing during my day - so I have a tip of connection out there).

Its a natural thing to follow daytime :-)

Nice idea!!!

Nuticulus wrote on the 17 Mar 09 at 09:57
I also really like the idea, especially the possibility of weather-based wallpapers. Nice work!

Brightis wrote on the 17 Mar 09 at 10:28
Great Idea!

hemanth.hm wrote on the 17 Mar 09 at 14:54
Good idea , hope it does not rain heavily and i can't see my desktop ;)

ubby wrote on the 17 Mar 09 at 15:57
Good idea.
+1

Lachu wrote on the 17 Mar 09 at 16:03
Great idea will be Compiz+Weather service integration. What you can say about showing weather by water, fire, color filter plugins? Once one idea is to change Compiz think(wallpaper of view) depending on weather.

yzarc wrote on the 17 Mar 09 at 22:32
you really need a glass window for your office :)
+ 1

andruk (Idea reviewer) wrote on the 18 Mar 09 at 05:11
Things can be integrated like this if the user so wishes (and if somebody is keen on coding it).

What we shouldn't (and won't/can't) do is "integrate" things the Microsoft way, where it becomes impossible to remove a component without removing the whole OS. Thankfully, the GPL has a side-effect that ensures that this won't happen.

ubby wrote on the 18 Mar 09 at 07:44
If it can be add as a option people can turn it off if they don't like it.
This way there is no reason to vote down.

rafalcieslak wrote on the 19 Mar 09 at 06:28
I dream of having animated wallpaper that smothly changes as the time goes :)

nick.colgan wrote on the 23 Mar 09 at 08:05
Wallpaper that changes based on time of day: http://tinyurl.com/dd58fg

Wiplash4 wrote on the 24 Mar 09 at 08:22
Actually I find these extra animations useless!

Knysliuxdata wrote on the 24 Mar 09 at 12:34
I want the opposite! I would like to see the sun, when it's raining outside ;) and snow when it is hot.

audunmb wrote on the 28 Mar 09 at 02:00
Is solution 4 already implemented in KDE 4? And it doesn't really relate to other solutions.

But a weather desktop would be a great Compiz plugin.

Zootropo wrote on the 29 Mar 09 at 08:46
I wrote a program to change the background depending on the weather and the time a long time ago:
http://mundogeek.net/weather-wallpaper

Stane wrote on the 29 Mar 09 at 22:00
Great! It is all one idea and should be merged together, so everyone can moderate his own desktop from default to very personal sets.

audunmb wrote on the 7 Apr 09 at 02:18
All these ideas are in KDE4. Plasma does solution 3, a weather-based wallpaper is in the works, and as stated above solution 4 is how KDE4 deals with the desktop-folder. So switch to Kubuntu, if you want this.


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