X11 controlling root window or setting a window to be the background window (wallpaper)
I would like an animated background image. Or better, to make an application be the background, with no interactivity, so I don't accidentally click on it.
I've seen many discussions about setting images as background, but is there a way to set an arbitrary application as the background window?
I've found this Gifsice snippet on the Arch BBS:
gifsicle --animate --new-window root someAnimatedGif.gif but it just opened a regular window (I'm using i3 with LightDM on Arch).
I've tried executing it when i3 starts (same result as running it from xterm) and putting it in .Xinitrc, which produced nothing.
How/where should I run gifview and is it possible to use another application, such as VLC, as the background window and why does gifview --new-window root not change the root?
linux arch-linux x11 i3 wallpaper
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
|
show 5 more comments
I would like an animated background image. Or better, to make an application be the background, with no interactivity, so I don't accidentally click on it.
I've seen many discussions about setting images as background, but is there a way to set an arbitrary application as the background window?
I've found this Gifsice snippet on the Arch BBS:
gifsicle --animate --new-window root someAnimatedGif.gif but it just opened a regular window (I'm using i3 with LightDM on Arch).
I've tried executing it when i3 starts (same result as running it from xterm) and putting it in .Xinitrc, which produced nothing.
How/where should I run gifview and is it possible to use another application, such as VLC, as the background window and why does gifview --new-window root not change the root?
linux arch-linux x11 i3 wallpaper
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
It may depend on Window-Manager, Desktop-system (Kde, gnome, fwm, etc). Kde, and some others, add a window above the root, but behind everything else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 5 '15 at 21:39
so the root window can be placed in front of other windows if the WM puts it there? this also doesn't really answer whether the root can be any window of any program
– Rain Gloom
Aug 6 '15 at 1:26
That is not what I Wrote. I said that some desktop-systems put a windows covering the root window. Therefore the root does not have to be the background. This is not the same as the root can be in front, the root is always behind all others.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:48
What is it that you are trying to do? Tell us without the jargon. Are you trying to write to the background, copy the background to somewhere else, or something else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:50
1
Based on your link I think you are trying to change the background image, possibly you are trying to have an animation as background. From also your question I think you are trying to make an application be the background, probably with no interactivity.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 12 '15 at 13:53
|
show 5 more comments
I would like an animated background image. Or better, to make an application be the background, with no interactivity, so I don't accidentally click on it.
I've seen many discussions about setting images as background, but is there a way to set an arbitrary application as the background window?
I've found this Gifsice snippet on the Arch BBS:
gifsicle --animate --new-window root someAnimatedGif.gif but it just opened a regular window (I'm using i3 with LightDM on Arch).
I've tried executing it when i3 starts (same result as running it from xterm) and putting it in .Xinitrc, which produced nothing.
How/where should I run gifview and is it possible to use another application, such as VLC, as the background window and why does gifview --new-window root not change the root?
linux arch-linux x11 i3 wallpaper
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
I would like an animated background image. Or better, to make an application be the background, with no interactivity, so I don't accidentally click on it.
I've seen many discussions about setting images as background, but is there a way to set an arbitrary application as the background window?
I've found this Gifsice snippet on the Arch BBS:
gifsicle --animate --new-window root someAnimatedGif.gif but it just opened a regular window (I'm using i3 with LightDM on Arch).
I've tried executing it when i3 starts (same result as running it from xterm) and putting it in .Xinitrc, which produced nothing.
How/where should I run gifview and is it possible to use another application, such as VLC, as the background window and why does gifview --new-window root not change the root?
linux arch-linux x11 i3 wallpaper
linux arch-linux x11 i3 wallpaper
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
edited Aug 15 '15 at 17:36
ctrl-alt-delor
10.9k41957
10.9k41957
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
asked Aug 5 '15 at 17:07
Rain Gloom
283
283
It may depend on Window-Manager, Desktop-system (Kde, gnome, fwm, etc). Kde, and some others, add a window above the root, but behind everything else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 5 '15 at 21:39
so the root window can be placed in front of other windows if the WM puts it there? this also doesn't really answer whether the root can be any window of any program
– Rain Gloom
Aug 6 '15 at 1:26
That is not what I Wrote. I said that some desktop-systems put a windows covering the root window. Therefore the root does not have to be the background. This is not the same as the root can be in front, the root is always behind all others.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:48
What is it that you are trying to do? Tell us without the jargon. Are you trying to write to the background, copy the background to somewhere else, or something else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:50
1
Based on your link I think you are trying to change the background image, possibly you are trying to have an animation as background. From also your question I think you are trying to make an application be the background, probably with no interactivity.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 12 '15 at 13:53
|
show 5 more comments
It may depend on Window-Manager, Desktop-system (Kde, gnome, fwm, etc). Kde, and some others, add a window above the root, but behind everything else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 5 '15 at 21:39
so the root window can be placed in front of other windows if the WM puts it there? this also doesn't really answer whether the root can be any window of any program
– Rain Gloom
Aug 6 '15 at 1:26
That is not what I Wrote. I said that some desktop-systems put a windows covering the root window. Therefore the root does not have to be the background. This is not the same as the root can be in front, the root is always behind all others.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:48
What is it that you are trying to do? Tell us without the jargon. Are you trying to write to the background, copy the background to somewhere else, or something else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:50
1
Based on your link I think you are trying to change the background image, possibly you are trying to have an animation as background. From also your question I think you are trying to make an application be the background, probably with no interactivity.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 12 '15 at 13:53
It may depend on Window-Manager, Desktop-system (Kde, gnome, fwm, etc). Kde, and some others, add a window above the root, but behind everything else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 5 '15 at 21:39
It may depend on Window-Manager, Desktop-system (Kde, gnome, fwm, etc). Kde, and some others, add a window above the root, but behind everything else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 5 '15 at 21:39
so the root window can be placed in front of other windows if the WM puts it there? this also doesn't really answer whether the root can be any window of any program
– Rain Gloom
Aug 6 '15 at 1:26
so the root window can be placed in front of other windows if the WM puts it there? this also doesn't really answer whether the root can be any window of any program
– Rain Gloom
Aug 6 '15 at 1:26
That is not what I Wrote. I said that some desktop-systems put a windows covering the root window. Therefore the root does not have to be the background. This is not the same as the root can be in front, the root is always behind all others.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:48
That is not what I Wrote. I said that some desktop-systems put a windows covering the root window. Therefore the root does not have to be the background. This is not the same as the root can be in front, the root is always behind all others.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:48
What is it that you are trying to do? Tell us without the jargon. Are you trying to write to the background, copy the background to somewhere else, or something else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:50
What is it that you are trying to do? Tell us without the jargon. Are you trying to write to the background, copy the background to somewhere else, or something else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:50
1
1
Based on your link I think you are trying to change the background image, possibly you are trying to have an animation as background. From also your question I think you are trying to make an application be the background, probably with no interactivity.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 12 '15 at 13:53
Based on your link I think you are trying to change the background image, possibly you are trying to have an animation as background. From also your question I think you are trying to make an application be the background, probably with no interactivity.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 12 '15 at 13:53
|
show 5 more comments
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
I use the following in ~/.config/i3/config:
exec /usr/bin/gifview --animate -w root /path/to/image.gif
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "106"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2funix.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f220389%2fx11-controlling-root-window-or-setting-a-window-to-be-the-background-window-wal%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
I use the following in ~/.config/i3/config:
exec /usr/bin/gifview --animate -w root /path/to/image.gif
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
add a comment |
I use the following in ~/.config/i3/config:
exec /usr/bin/gifview --animate -w root /path/to/image.gif
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
add a comment |
I use the following in ~/.config/i3/config:
exec /usr/bin/gifview --animate -w root /path/to/image.gif
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
I use the following in ~/.config/i3/config:
exec /usr/bin/gifview --animate -w root /path/to/image.gif
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
answered Jan 15 '18 at 13:05
mofoe
1011
1011
add a comment |
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to Unix & Linux Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.
Please pay close attention to the following guidance:
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2funix.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f220389%2fx11-controlling-root-window-or-setting-a-window-to-be-the-background-window-wal%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
It may depend on Window-Manager, Desktop-system (Kde, gnome, fwm, etc). Kde, and some others, add a window above the root, but behind everything else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 5 '15 at 21:39
so the root window can be placed in front of other windows if the WM puts it there? this also doesn't really answer whether the root can be any window of any program
– Rain Gloom
Aug 6 '15 at 1:26
That is not what I Wrote. I said that some desktop-systems put a windows covering the root window. Therefore the root does not have to be the background. This is not the same as the root can be in front, the root is always behind all others.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:48
What is it that you are trying to do? Tell us without the jargon. Are you trying to write to the background, copy the background to somewhere else, or something else.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 6 '15 at 12:50
1
Based on your link I think you are trying to change the background image, possibly you are trying to have an animation as background. From also your question I think you are trying to make an application be the background, probably with no interactivity.
– ctrl-alt-delor
Aug 12 '15 at 13:53