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Q&A How to programmatically get current wallpaper file path?

I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is les...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by ghost-in-the-zsh‭  ·  last activity 1y ago by ghost-in-the-zsh‭

#8: Post edited by user avatar ghost-in-the-zsh‭ · 2023-02-01T19:54:04Z (about 1 year ago)
Replace tag
#7: Post edited by user avatar ghost-in-the-zsh‭ · 2023-02-01T11:05:34Z (about 1 year ago)
Remove TBD from Windows 7/10 sections
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful[^1]. So, **how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?**
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • [^1]: It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful[^1]. So, **how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?**
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7
  • 2. Win 10
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • [^1]: It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
#6: Nominated for promotion by user avatar Alexei‭ · 2023-01-27T11:08:01Z (about 1 year ago)
#5: Post edited by user avatar ghost-in-the-zsh‭ · 2023-01-26T21:13:33Z (about 1 year ago)
Remove "(TBD)" mark from Gnome
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful[^1]. So, **how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?**
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome (TBD)
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • [^1]: It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful[^1]. So, **how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?**
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • [^1]: It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
#4: Post edited by user avatar ghost-in-the-zsh‭ · 2023-01-25T03:45:19Z (about 1 year ago)
Add emphasis on question
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful[^1]. So, how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome (TBD)
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • [^1]: It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful[^1]. So, **how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?**
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome (TBD)
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • [^1]: It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
#3: Post edited by user avatar trichoplax‭ · 2023-01-25T01:23:33Z (about 1 year ago)
Use markdown footnote which is clickable and includes a clickable return link at the end
How to programmatically get current wallpaper file path?
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful¹. So, how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome (TBD)
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • ---
  • ¹ It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful[^1]. So, how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome (TBD)
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • [^1]: It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
#2: Post edited by user avatar ghost-in-the-zsh‭ · 2023-01-25T00:29:37Z (about 1 year ago)
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful¹. So, how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma (Answered)
  • 2. Gnome (TBD)
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • ---
  • ¹ It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
  • I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.
  • I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful¹. So, how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?
  • ## GNU+Linux
  • 1. KDE/Plasma
  • 2. Gnome (TBD)
  • 3. Unity (TBD)
  • 4. etc?
  • ## Microsoft
  • 1. Win 7 (TBD)
  • 2. Win 10 (TBD)
  • 3. Win 11 (TBD)
  • ## Apple
  • 1. MacOS (TBD)
  • 2. ?
  • ## Remarks
  • Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.
  • Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here is, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.
  • ---
  • ¹ It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.
#1: Initial revision by user avatar ghost-in-the-zsh‭ · 2023-01-25T00:17:20Z (about 1 year ago)
How to programmatically get current wallpaper file path?
I have written a screensaver program that, in part, uses the current wallpaper for some visual effects. However, finding the current wallpaper in different operating systems and environments is less than straightforward.

I've made some progress, but what I've found during searches has not been very helpful¹. So, how can I find the file system path to the current wallpaper in the following OS/environments?

## GNU+Linux

1. KDE/Plasma (Answered)
2. Gnome (TBD)
3. Unity (TBD)
4. etc?

## Microsoft

1. Win 7 (TBD)
2. Win 10 (TBD)
3. Win 11 (TBD)

## Apple

1. MacOS (TBD)
2. ?

## Remarks

Please note that **I don't have direct access to all of the above** (e.g. no Windows 11, no Unity, no Apple systems), but I'd like this program to work on those OS/environments if a user were to run it there, so answers that have been tested to work prior to posting would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I'm not sure of what the best way to make/add a **canonical answer** here, but I'd like to try that here with my answer by accumulating what has been tested/verified to work.

---

¹ It includes abandoned libraries that no longer work, explicitly state they don't support certain OS/environments, and out-of-date recommendations and/or commands that don't (seem to?) work anymore. For example, the command `gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri` has showed up multiple times, but in Gnome, it does *not* give me the path to the current wallpaper; it just points to another image.