Backgrounds are gone after installing gnome 3.6

[clayt0njknight]

If this is true then i guess the problem will be solved not later than in Ubuntu using GNOME 3.8 and because of that i will not investigate this further i just wanted to test new GNOME Classic Mode because GS is not something i would like to use on desktop for now and Classic Mode is not there yet but i do see a lot of potential!

For Ubuntu 13.04 i look forward to use Unity + Compiz because it's fun pair to use it and it works nicely and probably Compiz will be replaced with something else in Unity Next and in GNOME 3 Classic Mode it doesn't work anymore with Compiz... That said i will enjoy and use default Ubuntu 13.04 for now because i think currently this is the most optimal solution for me and i like cool new features like for example better animation support in "aero snap" in Ubuntu 13.04 and will hope for the best outcome in the future.

I've actually found the bug lies in the process for the file manager to handle the desktop. If you download Gnome-Tweak-Tool, open and click the "Desktop" selection on the left, then simply switch off the top option, all is well.

Unfortunately, in doing so, you no longer have desktop icons, even if they are enabled. But at least you get your wallpaper back!

This issue has reared it's ugly head again in Gnome 3.8 under Ubuntu 13.04 beta it seems...

[EgoGratis]

Thank for the effort but i must say:

Unfortunately, in doing so, you no longer have desktop icons, even if they are enabled. But at least you get your wallpaper back!

No.

That would not work for me i need my wallpaper and icons on the desktop and i hope it will stay these way for at least another decade.

[giorsat]

I have installed gnome remix with gnome ppa enabled (that means I have only gnome 3.8 installed) and I have a missing wallpaper problem too. I can see only when I go to activities otherwise I got a white wallpaper. very annoying. plus, if i create a new user, it has a normal wallpaper. so my question is. how can i delete / reset the settings in my gnome user account so that the system sees it as a new user (hopefully getting the wallpaper workin again....)

[markbl]

That would not work for me i need my wallpaper and icons on the desktop and i hope it will stay these way for at least another decade.

If you turn off file manager managing desktop via gnome-tweak-tool then you still get the wallpaper, you just don't get folders and icons on your desktop.

Personally, I believe that people who think they need stuff on their desktop are not thinking clearly. The desktop is a sub-optimal window which can not be raised, sorted, moved, etc. People think they need it only because they had it on windows 95 etc. They don't need it and will work more effectively without it. Just click on the Files/Nautlus icon in your dash/launcher and you have all the power of the file manager in one or more windows.

[Varemenos]

Just turn it off and back on again. It will load the wallpaper (not sure if it will stick after you go back to unity and back though)

[Malac]

I tried changing the desktop from tweak tool and it seems the jpg files in /usr/share/backgrounds work but not the png files.

Try using jpg's or converting your png images to jpg.

I'm using 13.04 and Gnome Shell 3.8.2

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Just checked this and on my set up jpg's and even png work as backgrounds if they are 2048 x 1357. The original width of Ubuntu png was 2560 x 1600

[bmwerks]

try this in terminal

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.background active true

or what i did was to use dconf editor and followed the series of expandable tabs starting with "org" then "gnome settings" and so on from the command above and then activated the option.

....basically its like the background is off and this turns it back on.

[EgoGratis]

If you turn off file manager managing desktop via gnome-tweak-tool then you still get the wallpaper, you just don't get folders and icons on your desktop.

Personally, I believe that people who think they need stuff on their desktop are not thinking clearly. The desktop is a sub-optimal window which can not be raised, sorted, moved, etc. People think they need it only because they had it on windows 95 etc. They don't need it and will work more effectively without it. Just click on the Files/Nautlus icon in your dash/launcher and you have all the power of the file manager in one or more windows.

You do in what you personally believe works best for you and i am fine with that but i will do in what i personaly believe is the best for me and what i and billions of people are doing for decades. Just because small group of people don't like majority of desktop users put files and folders on the desktop doesn't in any way mean majority of desktop users should do what small group of people personally believe.

In order to personally convince majority of desktop users to stop using desktop icons one must make better replacement and "turning desktop icons off" feature is clearly not it. W95 used this paradigm yes but it was invented before that and not by Microsoft.

When somebody smart enough will come up with better paradigm then majority of users will probably use it for next few decades and that is about it. Current paradigm works best with icons on the desktop and by turning them off you are doing it wrong but OK if it works for you...

[Malac]

If you turn off file manager managing desktop via gnome-tweak-tool then you still get the wallpaper, you just don't get folders and icons on your desktop.

Personally, I believe that people who think they need stuff on their desktop are not thinking clearly. The desktop is a sub-optimal window which can not be raised, sorted, moved, etc. People think they need it only because they had it on windows 95 etc. They don't need it and will work more effectively without it. Just click on the Files/Nautlus icon in your dash/launcher and you have all the power of the file manager in one or more windows.

So hang on instead of just being able to click on one icon on my desktop I have to:
1/. Open a menu
2/. Navigate to a file manager shortcut
3/. Then click on that shortcut which opens my Home folder
4/. Then navigate to the file I wanted to open in the first place. (which may be amongst quite a few others).
5/. Then finally click on that file and I've accomplished in five operations what I could by clicking once on a launcher or file on my Desktop.

You obviously don't work on multiple projects at once, each with multiple files in different directories.

Yes the Desktop hasn't got the features of a "proper" window it is a "scratch" area if you like where you put your most used launchers and/or files until you don't need them any more then put them away. You used to be able to sort it until they started mucking about with it but you can still do it manually just grab the icon and move it where you want it.
Exactly like working at a real desk you move things about put it out of the way but still handy then when you're done it goes in a drawer or is filed in a cabinet or shredded

The Desktop concept saves valuable seconds which over a working week or year soon adds up.

As previous poster said though each to there own and what ever works for you.

[markbl]

The Desktop concept saves valuable seconds which over a working week or year soon adds up.

No it doesn't. Actually it is losing valuable seconds. You just think you are more efficient keeping the same desktop you had with Windows 95 because it is human nature to be resilient to change. I could easily debate your points but it won't "click" until you work it out for yourself. We have moved on since that 90's windows desktop analogy to a real desk.

The desktop should be a blank slate over which app windows (including file manager windows) are placed and switched between. If you think you need a "show desktop" function, or a desktop trash icon (lol), then you are doing it wrong.