How do I update my backgrounds?

[spydeyrch]

I recently downloaded some 400 wallpapers for my background. I downloaded them into my Downloads folder. From there, I copied them via the terminal to my /usr/share/backgrounds/ folder using

sudo cp ~/Downloads/* /user/share/backgrounds/

Then when I went to select my backgrounds via the change background option under desktop options, none of them were there. So I figured a restart would update the backgrounds list (if there is one) ..... but that didn't work. So I just used the 'add' button on the background selector window and added my /usr/share/backgrounds/ images from that location. They are now in the background list but I was wondering......

Is there a better way to have the backgrounds list (if there really is one. maybe it is a database of some sorts) update/refresh to include the newly added backgrounds in the folder?

I am afraid that I might have duplicates being that I selected ALL of the images in that folder, and some of them already exsisted previously.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!!

-Spydey

P.S. the only files/directories in my Downloads folder were the background images.

[mikewhatever]

This part is the problem /user/share/backgrounds/, should be /usr/share/backgrounds/.

It's /usr, and not /user.

[spydeyrch]

my bad, it was a typo. the location that I really did put them in is usr, not user. It was just a typo on my end. sorry.

Anyway to update the backgrounds?

[ibuclaw]

Right-clicking on the Desktop -> Change Background, then clicking and dragging the images into the window sounds like a good idea to me.

[coffeecat]

The list of files that appear in the background tab of the Appearance window are in ~/.gnome2/backgrounds.xml. The only way I know of getting 400 new ones into that file is to drag the images as ibuclaw describes, or edit the xml file yourself.

Have fun!

[peculiar penguin]

Another option is running a wallpaper changer application (e.g. DesktopNova), as these usually allow you to define custom wallpaper directories.

[spydeyrch]

I think that what I did was probably the easiest way to do it. Thanks everyone for your input, it is very much appreciated.

I just wish that it would auto update. I am also using desktop drapes and it monitors specified folders. I told it to monitor my /usr/share/backgrounds/ and it seems to be doing a pretty god job so far. Thanks again everyone for your input.

-Spydey

[Megaptera]

I don't know if it's safe or healthy! But when I want to add images to my Backgrounds I download to Pictures. Then in terminal sudo nautilus then go to Pictures > select all > copy then open home >file system > usr > share > backgrounds and then paste.

Then exit terminal.

[ibuclaw]

I don't know if it's safe or healthy! But when I want to add images to my Backgrounds I download to Pictures. Then in terminal sudo nautilus then go to Pictures > select all > copy then open home >file system > usr > share > backgrounds and then paste.

Then exit terminal.

The problem with that is you don't need root privileges to change a user setting.

[spydeyrch]

I don't know if it's safe or healthy! But when I want to add images to my Backgrounds I download to Pictures. Then in terminal sudo nautilus then go to Pictures > select all > copy then open home >file system > usr > share > backgrounds and then paste.

Then exit terminal.

so, that is exactly what I did. The only issue is that if you then right-click on your desktop, select change background, and then browse through the available backgrounds, the new ones that you just cut & pasted into /usr/share/backgrounds are not there. Even after a restart it doesn't register them. The only way that I could get them to "register" after moving them into /usr/share/backgrounds is to right-click on the desktop, select change background, then click on 'add', then browse to the /usr/share/backgrounds folder and selecting all the backgrounds there. It will sort through them and add the new ones while not creating duplicates of the already existing ones. I hope that is clear enough.

The problem with that is you don't need root privileges to change a user setting.

Really? Cause when I tried it without using root privileges, I couldn't get it to work. It wouldn't copy them over for some reason. Granted I didn't use root nautilus to do it, I used the terminal.
Any thoughts or insight on this? Thanks.

-Spydey