Looking for how to create desktop slideshow in Ubuntu 18.04? Here I’ll show you some best wallpaper changing software for Ubuntu Linux.
1. Shotwell
For just the basic automatic wallpaper changing feature, you don’t need to install any software.
Just launch the pre-installed Shotwell photo manager, choose the pictures you need (you may need to import them first), then go to Files -> Set as Desktop Slideshow.
Finally set the time interval in next dialog and done!
2. Wallch
Wallch was my favorite wallpaper changing software though it’s not under active development. Besides changing local wallpapers, Wallch also features:
- Display live earth as desktop background.
- Download and display picture of the day (wikipedia).
- Wallpaper clocks
- Live website as desktop background.
Wallch can be easily installed in Ubuntu Software:
3. Variety
Variety is an open-source wallpaper changer that use local images or automatically download wallpapers from Unsplash and other online sources, allows you to rotate them on a regular interval, and provides easy ways to separate the great images from the junk. Variety can also display wise and funny quotations or a nice digital clock on the desktop.
Variety can be easily installed in Ubuntu Software. For the latest release, go to Variety website.
4. Wallpaper Downloader
This is a wallpaper downloading software that automatically downloads pictures from Devianart, Bing daily wallpaper, Wallhaven.cc, etc., with given keywords, resolution, time interval. And of course, it provides ability to change wallpaper every x minute.
Wallpaper Downloader can be installed easily in Ubuntu Software.
These are the applications that I’ve ever used to create desktop slideshows in Ubuntu desktop.
If you know any other great wallpaper changing software, feel free to tell me in the comment.
I prefer DeskChanger which is a Gnome extension. It offers many settings and it allows to choose a random mode, if you don’t like to see the pictures changed always in the same order.
https://github.com/UtkarshGpta/bing-desktop-wallpaper-changer
National Geographic Wallpaper
https://github.com/atareao/national-geographic-wallpaper
Hows about the tiniest and littlest one LSWC – Little Simple Wallpaper Changer
https://itsfoss.com/little-simple-wallpaper-changer/
Wallch was my screensaver with Live Earth in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. It stopped working on Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS. The ‘www.die.net’ refused access to display the live earth image from their website. Tried many times. But it is not working.
Can you write a tutorial to make it work on the above version of Ubuntu?
Best wishes.
How about something that will cycle through my personal images (on my local hard drive) but will *fit them to the screen*? I’ve tried just about every solution covered in the article here but to no avail.
I don’t want to have to go and modify every image by hand to fit my screen resolution. Windows can do this on the fly so why can’t Ubuntu???
Hi Mike.
If you are using GNOME Shell, Unity, MATE, Cinnamon, Budgie or Pantheon, you can check the option “Extend wallpaper to all monitors” within Changer tab of WallpaperDownloader application. I think it would do the trick.
yes, the wallpaperdownloader is most ridiculous app I seen in while. Slow, irresposible, UI broken from time to time, systray does not work all the time. Not saying it totally suck, though. But changing your mind not to have wallpaper at all probably works better.