wallswitch

Random Wallpaper for Multiple Monitors

#-----------#-----------# ... ... #-----------#
|           |           |         |           |
| Monitor 1 | Monitor 2 |         | Monitor n |
|           |           |         |           |
#-----------#-----------# ... ... #-----------#

Description:

wallswitch randomly selects wallpapers for multiple monitors.

Features:

• Random Wallpaper Selection: Dynamically chooses different wallpapers from designated directories for every monitor.

• Configurable Filtering:

  • Dimension Control: Refine your wallpaper choices by setting minimum and maximum dimensions (height and width) to include only images within a specific size range.

  • File Size Management: Specify minimum and maximum file sizes for searching, allowing you to exclude very large or small images.

• Flexible Configuration: Customize wallswitch with options for:

  • Directory Specification: Define custom directories containing your wallpaper images using the directories option.

  • Image File Types: Select specific image extensions (e.g., JPG, PNG, SVG) through the extensions option.

  • Resolution Matching: Optimize display by matching wallpapers to monitor resolutions defined in the resolutions array.

• Wallpaper Cycling Interval: Set the time interval between wallpaper changes using the interval option.

• Image Sorting: Optionally sort selected images based on filename using the sort option.

Usage:

Run the command:

wallswitch

The default number of monitors is set to m = 2.

Wallpapers will be recursively searched in the specified directories ("directories": [...]) for files with compatible extensions ("extensions": [...]).

Configuration

The configuration file, located at ~/.config/wallswitch/wallswitch.json, is key to customizing wallswitch behavior:

• Displaying the Configuration:
  • Direct Display:

    wallswitch -c
    

  • Parsing with jq:

    cat ~/.config/wallswitch/wallswitch.json | jq
    

The default configuration file has the following structure:

{
  "desktop": "gnome", // Desktop environment (e.g., gnome, xfce4)
  "directories": [
    "/home/user_name/Figures",
    "/home/user_name/Images",
    "/home/user_name/Pictures",
    "/home/user_name/Wallpapers",
    "/home/user_name/Imagens",
    "/usr/share/wallpapers",
    "/usr/share/backgrounds",
    "/tmp/teste"
  ],
  "extensions": [
    "avif",
    "jpg",
    "jpeg",
    "png",
    "svg",
    "tif",
    "webp"
  ],
  "interval": 1800,        // Time interval (in seconds) between wallpaper changes
  "min_dimension": 600,    // Minimum dimension (width or height)
  "max_dimension": 128000, // Maximum dimension (width or height)
  "min_size": 1024,        // Minimum file size (in bytes)
  "max_size": 1073741824,  // Maximum file size (in bytes)
  "monitors": [
    {
      "picture_orientation": "Vertical", // Indicates how the pictures or images are combined
      "pictures_per_monitor": 3,         // Set number of pictures (or images) per monitor
      "resolution": {
        "width": 3840,
        "height": 2160
      }
    },
    {
      "picture_orientation": "Horizontal", // Indicates how the pictures or images are combined
      "pictures_per_monitor": 2,           // Set number of pictures (or images) per monitor
      "resolution": {
        "width": 3840,
        "height": 2160
      }
    }
  ],
  "monitor_orientation": "Horizontal",
  "path_feh": "/usr/bin/feh",
  "path_magick": "/usr/bin/magick", // magick or convert
  "sort": false,    // Sort the images found
  "verbose": false, // Show intermediate runtime messages
  "wallpaper": "/home/user_name/wallswitch.jpg"
}

Set number of wallpaper per monitor (Gnome desktop only)

You can display N different wallpapers on each monitor by using the -p flag followed by the desired number (N).

wallswitch -p N

The orientation of constructed images can be changed on each monitor between Horizontal and Vertical.

Wallpaper suggestions

• Get all gnome backgrounds.

Dowload wallpapers with:

git clone https://github.com/zebreus/all-gnome-backgrounds.git

Help messages

To get help messages, run the command:

wallswitch -h

The output:

randomly selects wallpapers for multiple monitors

Usage: wallswitch [OPTIONS]

Options:
  -b, --min_size <MIN_SIZE>
          Set a minimum file size (in bytes) for searching image files
  -B, --max_size <MAX_SIZE>
          Set a maximum file size (in bytes) for searching image files
  -c, --config
          Read the configuration file and exit the program
  -d, --min_dimension <MIN_DIMENSION>
          Set the minimum dimension that the height and width must satisfy
  -D, --max_dimension <MAX_DIMENSION>
          Set the maximum dimension that the height and width must satisfy
  -i, --interval <INTERVAL>
          Set the interval (in seconds) between each wallpaper displayed
  -m, --monitor <MONITOR>
          Set the number of monitors [default: 2]
  -o, --orientation <MONITOR_ORIENTATION>
          Inform monitor orientation: Horizontal (side-by-side) or Vertical (stacked)
  -p, --pictures_per_monitor <PICTURES_PER_MONITOR>
          Set number of pictures (or images) per monitor [default: 1]
  -s, --sort
          Sort the images found
  -v, --verbose
          Show intermediate runtime messages
  -h, --help
          Print help (see more with '--help')
  -V, --version
          Print version

min_dimension is the minimum value obtained from the width and height of an image file:

min_dimension = min(width, height).

max_dimension is the maximum value obtained from the width and height of an image file:

max_dimension = max(width, height).

Desktops

Make changes to the source code.

git clone https://github.com/claudiofsr/wallswitch.git

cd wallswitch

Edit the file: 'src/desktops.rs'.

To build and install from source, run the following command:

cargo b -r && cargo install --path=.

gnome

Create a wallpaper file and set it as your desktop background image.

See the function:

fn set_gnome_wallpaper()

xfce

See the function:

fn set_xfce_wallpaper()

Monitor 1: "/backdrop/screen0/monitorDP-0/workspace0/last-image"

Monitor 2: "/backdrop/screen0/monitorDP-2/workspace0/last-image"

Monitor N: ...

openbox

See the function:

fn set_openbox_wallpaper()

Mutually exclusive features

To use the clap (default):

cargo b -r && cargo install --path=. --features args_v1

To reduce binary size, alternatively use my Command Line Argument Parser (args_v2.rs):

cargo b -r && cargo install --path=. --features args_v2

Dependencies

• imagemagick (image viewing/manipulation program).

• feh (fast and light image viewer).