No background options other than default pictures

Question

I am using freshly installed Ubuntu 19.10 on a Dell Precision 7530 laptop.

Under settings - background, I cannot change the background to anything other that the default pictures.

According to Ubuntu Desktop Guide » Settings » Display & screen » Change the desktop and lock screen backgrounds, "There are three choices displayed on top:.... "

This is incorrect. There is an "add picture" button, but no wallpapers, colors or pictures buttons.

The solid background option was removed permanently at the dictatorial weird whim of one GNOME dev. He locked that ticket and Ubuntu won't do anything about it because "it's upstream". I personally find this infuriating, and not how open source should work. — Dan Dascalescu, Aug 22 '20 at 01:24
@david: actually, say that due to resource constraints, you want to build features that at least 1% of the user base needs. How many people should you interview to reasonably decide whether 1% of the user base does need the feature? — Dan Dascalescu, Oct 10 '20 at 05:57

dsolaris · Answer 1 · 2022-05-02T19:14:15.340

36

First remove the picture:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-options 'none'

IMPORTANT: For older version Ubuntu, prior to 22.04 use this command instead, otherwise SKIP this part:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri ''

Then apply RGB value, for example:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color 'rgb(66, 81, 100)'

This will give it a nice blue/grey color, almost identical as we had it in Color options before they removed it.

Special thanks to zwets!

@PRATAP: Rather than opening a new thread. Just curious, is the solid color removal just temporal? I've noticed it existing in the documentation. Any infos on whether it will be returned?

edited May 02 '22 at 19:14

answered Nov 20 '19 at 21:03

dsolaris

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Hi, Sorry for late reply. I did not get the inbox notification or missed it from your answer. Regarding your Q, I have gnome through the source code of Gnome Control Center which holds the color section part. It is still there like previous versions. But some how they managed to hide this part from background selection part. There is no info about returning it back. But if there are more request to developers about this.. It may come back with 20.04 Version. – PRATAP Nov 23 '19 at 07:09
If the picture-uri '' setting from this answer doesn't work (as in Ubuntu 22.04), try gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-options 'none'. – zwets Apr 29 '22 at 21:16

PRATAP · Answer 2 · 2019-11-26T16:55:05.720

The "plain colors" option has been removed in Ubuntu 19.10. It is currently only possible to select bitmaps as background.

You still can set plain colors through changing hidden settings, as outlined on How to get non-image (plain) desktop background?, or on Change background color to pitch black.

Edit: Nov 26

I Just tried to compile the source code by manipulating things here n there and could make background field like before, I mean like Ubuntu 18.04.

I don't know the side effects yet.. under observation..

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 26 '20 at 08:25

I got around this by creating an image in Gimp, filling it with the colour I want and exporting it to the /Pictures directory as a PNG. Then in Settings > Background click Add Picture and add it. Now you can set your background to that colour by selecting this picture. You can have a choice of colours by changing the image and adding it again.

You could also do gradients in this way.

(It's difficult to understand why they removed this functionality. Lots of us want a plain background that isn't a distraction.)

No background options other than default pictures

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