LinuxCommandLibrary

nitrogen

Set desktop background images

TLDR

View and set the wallpapers from a specific directory

$ nitrogen [path/to/directory]
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Set the wallpaper with automatic size settings
$ nitrogen --set-auto [path/to/file]
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Restore the previous wallpaper
$ nitrogen --restore
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SYNOPSIS

nitrogen [options] [directory]

PARAMETERS

-h, --help
    Display help message and exit.

-v, --version
    Display version information and exit.

-c, --create-config
    Create a configuration file in ~/.config/nitrogen.

-r, --restore
    Restore the last saved wallpaper settings.

-l, --list-dirs
    List the directories in the config file.

--set-scaled
    Sets the wallpaper to specified , scaled.

--set-tiled
    Sets the wallpaper to specified , tiled.

--set-centered
    Sets the wallpaper to specified , centered.

--set-zoom-fill
    Sets the wallpaper to specified , zoomed-fill.

--set-zoom-crop
    Sets the wallpaper to specified , zoomed-crop.

--set-max
    Sets the wallpaper to specified , max resolution.

[directory]
    The directory to browse for wallpapers. If omitted, defaults to the directories in the config file.

DESCRIPTION

nitrogen is a lightweight GTK+ application designed to set the desktop wallpaper in X environments, especially those lacking native wallpaper configuration tools, such as Openbox, Fluxbox, and other window managers.
It allows users to browse directories containing image files and select one or more images to be displayed as the background. nitrogen can handle multiple displays, applying different wallpapers to each screen, or spanning a single image across them.
It remembers the wallpaper settings across sessions, automatically restoring them upon login. nitrogen also offers basic image scaling and positioning options, allowing users to control how the wallpaper is displayed, including options like zoomed, scaled, tiled, and centered.
Furthermore, it supports the creation of a desktop file for autostart, ensuring that the wallpaper is automatically applied upon each login. No longer is manual execution after login required.

CAVEATS

nitrogen depends on GTK+ and libXinerama. If Xinerama support is not available, it may not function correctly with multiple displays.

CONFIGURATION

nitrogen stores its configuration, including the list of wallpaper directories and the chosen wallpaper settings, in a file typically located at ~/.config/nitrogen/nitrogen.cfg. This file is automatically created and updated by nitrogen.

AUTOSTART

To automatically set the wallpaper upon login, create a desktop file in ~/.config/autostart/.
The content of the file should include `Exec=nitrogen --restore` to restore the last saved wallpaper settings.

HISTORY

nitrogen emerged as a solution for lightweight window managers needing a dedicated wallpaper setter. Development focused on providing a simple, efficient, and persistent wallpaper configuration tool.
It's become a standard utility in many minimalist Linux distributions and desktop environments.

SEE ALSO

feh(1)

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