how do I change the wallpaper?

[archelon]

Hi all,

I know I sound like an idiot asking a question like that, but I have been searching for the solution to this for weeks with no avail.
I have tried using xv but whenever I logged off n logged on again, it goes back to the dull green screen. For info, my school uses Red Hat Linux. I have heard someone said I can do so using X-windows but I can't even do so. This is the error message I got:

"Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock
and start again.


When reporting a problem related to a server crash, please send
the full server output, not just the last message"

So please help me!

[Darth Tminos]

Here's what Dad told me:

First, you need to pick a good wallpaper. Next, make sure you have enough of it. Get a few plastering tools and a rolling bucket, make sure it is wide enough. Unroll the wallpaper and slide it through the water, be sure to only get one side wet. Here is the tricky part. Next, being sure to not let the wallpaper touch itself, carry it to the wall and properly align it at the top. Press down at the top using your plastering tools and work your way down, then sideways, then down again. Make sure there are no bubbles in the wallpaper, this can ruin it all. Some people like to heat their rollers, but that can sometimes ruin the sticky side. Repeat.

Oh, you mean the other wallpaper?

Do you use GNOME or KDE? You can use those to set it. What window manager are you using? Some will do this for you.

[archelon]

I think I am using Gnome, but how do I use it to change the wallpaper?

[mandeep]

There should be a config program in Gnome for this. I know that you could just right-click the backround in KDE to get a menu with things like screensavers, backrounds, etc.

Try it in Gnome.

Or you could type "xsetroot" in your xterm and read the docs for it, then set that up in the X startup scripts. Probaly easier to just use a gui config tool..

[Darth Tminos]

If you are using GNOME right click and there is a button that says "configure background" or some thing like that. Also, try running gnomecc, the GNOME config program.

[archelon]

I will try out the xsetroot when I go to school on Monday. And as for the gnome and right click stuff, whenever I right-click, I only see a popup menu which consists of "CurrentDesk:0" and the various programs that are opened like rxvt, xconsole.....But how do u actually check whether u are using Gnome or KDE?

[This message has been edited by archelon (edited 07 October 2000).]

[portscanmepls]

In windows, right click on the back ground, and then left click on Properties.

The first tab will be backgrounds....

------------------
127.0.0.1

[mandeep]

Craig, you have an attitude problem.

[portscanmepls]

Originally posted by mandeep:
Craig, you have an attitude problem.

If you had Natalie Portman as a stone statue in your room, you'd have attitude too....

------------------
127.0.0.1

[archelon]

Hi Mandeep,
I have tried the xsetroot but how do u set a particular command eg "xsetroot -solid blue" into the x startup scripts? Which files are u supposed to edit?
What file format does linux use for wallpaper pictures?


[This message has been edited by archelon (edited 09 October 2000).]

[marx]

Nice Job archelon! I figured you'd give up after all the abuse http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif Sounds like you're using fvwm.Check your home directory for either Xrootenv.0 or .fvwmrc. You may already know this but here goes......use ls -la to list the long version or all files.

What school do you attend?

marx

------------------
The problem with chronic unemployment is that you never get a day off.

[archelon]

Well, the problem with that using the school system, is that most if not all of the files in the root directory is read-only. The only .X files in my own personal directory which I can change are the .Xdefaults, .Xauthority and .Xclients.

Is there a way I can set up a startup script of my own which will override the default startup script?

I am studying in NUS(National University of Singapore).

[marx]

I think .Xdefaults should tell you what window manager is being used. How about doing a uname -a to see more about the distro.

------------------
The problem with chronic unemployment is that you never get a day off.

[archelon]

I can't make any sense out of the .Xdefaults file but here's what I got from the uname -a command:

Linux Indigo38.cz.nus.edu.sg 2.0.35 #1 Thu Jul 23 14:01:04 EDT 1998 i586 unknown

[marx]

Well that's an older kernal than I've ever worked with, so some things may be organized differently. Try cat /etc/issue.net. That should give distro as well as kernal info. There "should be" a config file in your home directory that controls the background image/color. Both gnome and kde use graphical tools to set this. FVWM does not, to my knowledge, have a graphical config tool, one has to edit config files. At this point I'm lost, just dig around in those .files in $HOME and see what you find. Midnight Commander can make that a bit easier. Just mc and Midnight Commander will start, it's a pretty handy file manager.

marx

------------------
The problem with chronic unemployment is that you never get a day off.

[dgcartel]

That sounds like your using Nextstep or Afterstep not Gnome.

[archelon]

Typing the cat /etc/issue.net gives the following result:

Red Hat Linux release 5.1 (Manhattan)
Kernel 2.0.35 on an i586

Guess my school is really using a very old version of Red Hat. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/redface.gif

Like I said, most of the config files in the home directory are read-only files. I tried editing the .Xdefaults file and when I logged on, the picture which I set to be my wallpaper did appears, but then some script which loads the programs and the desktop takes over n the background reverts back to the dull green screen.

[This message has been edited by archelon (edited 11 October 2000).]

[f'lar]

If you have webspace available you could always post a screenshot. It should be possible to figure out your window manager from there. Where did you place the xsetroots command? It should be at the very end of the file. What programs load at startup? Does your school tell of a place where you can set programs to load at startup?

xv will also set background images(not just colors), but I don't remember the exact commands. try typing xv -h or xv --help from terminal window and see if it tells you anything about setting background images.

[archelon]

After all the hoohah, I flipped thru some Linux guides, n I have more or less confirmed that my school is using the FVWM 95, which resembles Windows 95.

Here's a screen shot of it: http://www.singnet.com.sg/~shadow/desktop.gif

So can I just insert a command eg. xv -root -max -quit chicken.jpg into my .Xdefaults file or some other file?

[marx]

SUPER JOB ARCHELON!!

Linux Rocks, even old Linux! Your post made me curious. So I tried to change my RedHat6.2 box to AfterStep. I tried several things but finally asked my local lug for help. I was told that I needed an $/.xinitrc file. I created that file and now run afterstep for a wm.

Do you have an .xinintrc file in your home directory?

Can you download new stuff or are you stuck with what the school has?

marx
in NC USA
I had two college classmates from Singapore/Maylasia

------------------
The problem with chronic unemployment is that you never get a day off.

[archelon]

Hi All!

I have finally solved the problem as to how to change the wallpaper for FVWM 95. Here's how I did it:

1. I copied the .fvwm95rc file from the home directory into my personal directory.
2. I edited the file to include this line:
xv -root -max -quit xxx.jpg
3. So now whenever I logged into the system, it will execute the .fvwm95rc in my personal directory instead of the home directory.

Thanks for all the help and support over the past few days. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/cool.gif

Here's a link which I find quite useful: http://www.plig.org/xwinman/fvwm95.html