Bash script to generate backgrounds.xml for gnome

[ozhoo]

I like the automated wallpaper switching in gnome.

Here is a cli script that generates an xml which can be consumed by the backgrounds config. Full pathnames to the background folders are required.

#!/bin/bash
# gnome-backgrounds-xmlgen.sh
#
# usage:./gnome-backgrounds-xmlgen.sh background_dir_1 background_dir_2 background_dir_3
#
# description: simply generate a backgrounds xml that can be consumed by gnome's background configuration
#
# authors: ozhoo & browner @ ubuntuforums.org
#
# note: only looks for .JPG and .jpg files

# output file
FILENAME=backgrounds.xml

# start time (any time in the past works)
YEAR=2009
MONTH=04
DAY=02
HOUR=00
MINUTE=00
SECOND=00

# time to show background (seconds)
WALLDURATION=900.0

# transition time (seconds)
TRANSDURATION=5.0

# script specifics
DIRS=$*
T1="echo -e \t"
T2="echo -e \t\t"

echo "<background>" > "$FILENAME"
${T1}"<starttime>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<year>${YEAR}</year>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<month>${MONTH}</month>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<day>${DAY}</day>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<hour>${HOUR}</hour>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<minute>${MINUTE}</minute>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<second>${SECOND}</second>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"</starttime>" >> "$FILENAME"

get_first()
{
    for d in $DIRS; do
        find "$d"|grep -i .jpg|while read j; do
            echo "$j"
            break
        done
        break
    done
}

FIRST="$(get_first)"

${T1}"<static>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<duration>${WALLDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<file>${FIRST}</file>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"</static>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"<transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<duration>${TRANSDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<from>${FIRST}</from>" >> "$FILENAME"

for d in $DIRS; do
    find "$d"|sort -R|grep -i .jpg|while read j; do
        if [ "$j" == "$FIRST" ]; then
            continue
        else
            ${T2}"<to>${j}</to>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"</transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"<static>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<duration>${WALLDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<file>${j}</file>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"</static>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"<transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<duration>${TRANSDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<from>${j}</from>" >> "$FILENAME"
        fi
    done
done

${T2}"<to>${FIRST}</to>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"</transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
echo "</background>" >> "$FILENAME"

Here it is in a form consumable by nautilus.

#!/bin/bash
# 
# Place this in your ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts directory
#
# authors: ozhoo & browner @ ubuntuforums.org
#
# note: only looks for .JPG and .jpg files

# current location
CWD="$(pwd)"

# output file
FILENAME=backgrounds.xml

# start time (any time in the past works)
YEAR=2009
MONTH=04
DAY=02
HOUR=00
MINUTE=00
SECOND=00

# time to show background (seconds)
WALLDURATION=900.0

# transition time (seconds)
TRANSDURATION=5.0

# script specifics
DIRS=$*
T1="echo -e \t"
T2="echo -e \t\t"

echo "<background>" > "$FILENAME"
${T1}"<starttime>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<year>${YEAR}</year>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<month>${MONTH}</month>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<day>${DAY}</day>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<hour>${HOUR}</hour>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<minute>${MINUTE}</minute>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<second>${SECOND}</second>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"</starttime>" >> "$FILENAME"

get_first()
{
    for d in $DIRS; do
        find "${CWD}/${d}"|grep -i .jpg|while read j; do
            echo "$j"
            break
        done
        break
    done
}

FIRST="$(get_first)"

${T1}"<static>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<duration>${WALLDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<file>${FIRST}</file>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"</static>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"<transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<duration>${TRANSDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T2}"<from>${FIRST}</from>" >> "$FILENAME"

for d in $DIRS; do
    find "${CWD}/${d}"|sort -R|grep -i .jpg|while read j; do
        if [ "$j" == "$FIRST" ]; then
            continue
        else
            ${T2}"<to>${j}</to>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"</transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"<static>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<duration>${WALLDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<file>${j}</file>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"</static>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T1}"<transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<duration>${TRANSDURATION}</duration>" >> "$FILENAME"
            ${T2}"<from>${j}</from>" >> "$FILENAME"
        fi
    done
done

${T2}"<to>${FIRST}</to>" >> "$FILENAME"
${T1}"</transition>" >> "$FILENAME"
echo "</background>" >> "$FILENAME"

CHEERS

[Pusi85]

Hey, man!

Great little script! Already started using it! =)
Thanks much!

Pusi85 form HUNGARY

[ozhoo]

@pusi85 cheers!

Hey, man!

Great little script! Already started using it! =)
Thanks much!

Pusi85 form HUNGARY

[BrowneR]

Many thanks ozhoo! Great little script

[BrowneR]

Many thanks ozhoo! Great little script

Just wanted to say I also modified the two "find" lines in your script to give me a random sorted list instead of alphabetical. This way I can have one folder of photographs and one folder of computer generated images and get a nice mixture of the two when it is displayed.

In case anyone else is interested just change the two find lines so they read as follows:

find "$d"|sort -R|grep -i .jpg|while read j; do

Cheers,
Chris

[AnThoMan]

Hi,

I am totally new to the Ubuntu scene, recently upgraded from Windows 7 whereby I had this ability to automatically change backgrounds.

I have tried numerous times to do this but coding is just not in my blood.


Can someone please explain how to set a specific folder of photos for this script?


All the best,

Andrew

[ozhoo]

@browner Sweet. This makes more sense. Edited original post & added your input

Just wanted to say I also modified the two "find" lines in your script to give me a random sorted list instead of alphabetical. This way I can have one folder of photographs and one folder of computer generated images and get a nice mixture of the two when it is displayed.

In case anyone else is interested just change the two find lines so they read as follows:

find "$d"|sort -R|grep -i .jpg|while read j; do

Cheers,
Chris

[ozhoo]

@AnThoMan

Comment out the line DIRS=$*

and replace with

DIRS=/path/to/your/backgrounds

Hi,

I am totally new to the Ubuntu scene, recently upgraded from Windows 7 whereby I had this ability to automatically change backgrounds.

I have tried numerous times to do this but coding is just not in my blood.


Can someone please explain how to set a specific folder of photos for this script?


All the best,

Andrew

[mexicanseaf00d]

this works great, thanks a lot!

[Boondoklife]

Ever thought of making a nautilus script out of this? You could then just click and highlight the files/folders and generate the file without the command line.