Using KDE desktop on Fedora, the default background image is changed after every release upgrade, so 2x per year. This affects both the desktop wallpaper and the background of the login or lock screen.
In particular, this default image from Fedora release 37 is a sore in the eye.
Why does KDE show the default wallpaper? As shown in the screenshot, there are two folders with images configured to be used for the background.
The image folders are on a network share, though it should be available by the time KDE loads.
Now, I want to change the default image that is used by KDE whenever it’s not using the configured folders. Where is the default one?
I’ve found the default image (actually, 33) here: /usr/share/wallpapers/Fedora/contents/images
But I expect those files to be replaced on every release upgrade, so where is this path configured?
Same question for the default background of the lock screen, where is that?
There’s a settings dialog under Workspace Behavior, Screen Locking, Appearance, but it’s broken. There’s an empty dropdown menu for the wallpaper type, so it can’t be changed and even after adding an image, it still says “No items found”, see screenshot.
Hello @basic6 ,
I use Gnome, and my background stays the same as I set it after upgrades. I am uncertain what would be a sensible reason to change personal settings at upgrade, and since I don’t use KDE currently or for some time, I don’t think speculation by me would help. Is this the wayland version or the xorg version of KDE? Perhaps that is where the difference is, I use the Wayland Compositer, their configuration is very likely different. Even on the per user basis.
[Edit]: I found this reddit post Reddit - Dive into anything and it appears it may be related. This is a user with Plasma so Wayland version.
This is definitely NOT a bug, it is a KDE bug for sure as I see it happens on Unbuntu and other distro’s apparently, just from my brief search.
X11, not that it should make a difference. Thanks for the link. But again, I’m specifically asking for the configuration or location of the default image so I can change that, permanently.
KDE’s user settings are ignored too often and who knows, maybe they’ll rename the whole desktop again (“Plasma”), changing all config paths, resetting my modifications yet again.
I believe the settings are part of the Global Theme, which has a choice for Fedora branding. You can change by going to: settings → system settings → appearance → global theme
Fedora modifies Breeze, so you can just change to the default KDE theme of Breeze if you wish.
This won’t override launcher icon in the start menu, it will still show Fedora. If you wish to change that just right click on the Fedora icon in the Application menu, select Configure Application Menu, then click on the Icon to change.
I have changed my kde background to a solid colour and that setting survives upgrades.
I suspect that you have never made a choice of background so get the default.
Once you do set the background then it should be left as-is on an upgrade.
Ok, so there are a couple of themes to choose from and it makes that Fedora changes one of them, but how would I change the default background image? I’d prefer to only change that, not the whole desktop theme.
From looking at the previews, it appears the Breeze Twilight theme is what Fedora modifies, so if you pick that, you should good to go. If that doesn’t suit your needs you can follow the instructions here to create your own Global Theme: Create Global Theme
To choose another Theme, just click on it and follow the prompts to apply it.
If you are looking to just change your wallpaper, right click on your desktop and select Configure Desktop and Wallpaper. If you don’t like the choices presented you can select either the add or get new wallpapers.
I want to change the default wallpaper - without changing KDE settings - because it unfortunately keeps happening that KDE somehow ignores settings of that kind. I wouldn’t want to go through the trouble of creating a new theme to get rid of the eye-wateringly ugly default wallpaper, just to find out one day that KDE has yet again ignored the settings and switched back to that default stock wallpaper again (see the screenshots above, showing that there are slideshow photos configured but not shown on the desktop).
Long story short, I’ve looked for the default wallpaper file and found it myself. In Fedora 37, it’s here: /usr/share/backgrounds/f37/default/f37-01-day.webp
I’ve symlinked that file to one that I own, which is a copy of one of my own photos. sudo -s; cd /usr/share/backgrounds/f37/default; ln -s f37-01-day.webp wallpaper.webp /usr/share/backgrounds/f37/default/f37-01-day.webp -> wallpaper.webp
After a reboot, that picture is now being used as default wallpaper (checked when KDE once again showed the ugly default one before it switched to the configured slideshow) as well as the lock screen that I was afraid, might require a different config, but it doesn’t.
As for the word “day” in the filename - there’s more than one image file in that directory and there’s even a config file with a comment saying that the image with “night” in the name will be shown after 8pm. But I cannot confirm that, it’s already past 8pm and the lock screen is still showing my photo (I assume the same holds true for the wallpaper but I can’t check because KDE is currently displaying the slideshow that’s been configured the whole time but which it isn’t always loading).
So I’ve just replaced that one file for now and it works.
bug, it is a KDE bug for sure as I see it happens on Unbuntu and other distro’s apparently, just from my brief search.