Assumptions:
- You have Ubuntu 8.04 running. (Though it should work with 7.10 as well. But I haven’t tried it.)
- You have installed CCSM. Check under System ->Preferences if Advanced Desktop Effect Setting is there.
- For better results you have Avant Window Navigator installed. (Else you won’t be able to use any shortcut on your desktop.)
If you have set up all that then it should be pretty easy for you. Just follow the following steps:
- Go under System> Preferences > Advanced Desktop Settings
- Select Desktop Cube >Appearance > Background images
- Click New under background images and add all the images you want as background.
- Alt + F2 to launch the Run Terminal.
- Enter gconf-editor and hit Run.
- Go under apps > nautilus > preference
- Deselect ‘Show Desktop’.
That’s it. You are all set. Check all the workspaces. You should have the images you selected as wallpapers on these. Cool…
Note:
You will notice that you can’t right-click on the desktop and all your existing desktop shortcuts are gone. But don’t worry they are not gone. You will have to go under Places > Desktop to see all the thing you kept on original desktop. Going forward if you save something on desktop they will also appear on that location only. This is one thing you will have to sacrifice if you want to have different wallpapers on each workspace.
But hold on…there is a good news for you if you enabled Avant Window Navigator, then all your shortcuts should be there. Enjoy different wallpapers on all your workspaces. Did you like it?
I would like to see your screenshot with all the workspaces as I have shown here. Or if any other customization you did to achieve better results, drop a comment here so that others also can learn from you.
Keep reading Technomania for more tips and tricks on Ubuntu, Linux and Open source community updates. You can subscribe to the feed or receive email as and when I update anything on this blog.
Cheers…
Anurag Bansal
Posted by Suban Thapan on May 13, 2008 at 12:50 AM
it’s cool desktop theme. I need it.
Posted by Some Guy on May 13, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Very nice, thanks.
Posted by Laken on May 23, 2008 at 12:54 AM
Heya! This was just what I was looking for! Works great! Except for the fact that even with Avant I cannot get my desktop icons back, and can’t seem to make any new ones. Though, this could all be to the fact that I’m a real Linux n00b.
Thanks for the tutorial! :>
Posted by freddie on May 24, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Thanks
Posted by jordan ketterer on July 9, 2008 at 8:17 PM
hey the reason that u dont have ur desktop icons and shortcuts is because this isent ur desktop its just a picture like when u unclick
show desktop then that means ur not showing desktop as in u just see a picture theres acctually a way to make ur desktoop another folder but i cant remmebre how
Posted by seafarer on July 10, 2008 at 8:36 AM
Unfortunately I don’t have “Background Images” in ccsm Desktop Cube >Appearance section. Can you advise how to install it? Thanks.
Posted by Manuel on July 21, 2008 at 6:33 AM
I also have the same problem as that of seafarer.There is no “background images” section.Please help.thanks
Posted by Manuel on July 21, 2008 at 6:38 AM
I am using Ubuntu 8.04.And my compiz version is 0.7.7
Thanks
Posted by Omi Azad on July 31, 2008 at 4:36 PM
WOW
Nice tip mate. Thanks…
Posted by Angel on August 3, 2008 at 2:54 AM
I followed your manual but i only get my first wallpaper on each side of the cube.
And i still have my icons on the desktop – even with “show desktop” disabled. Hope you can help me
Posted by Ice86 on September 7, 2008 at 9:05 PM
For anyone who does not have the Desktop Cube >Appearance section, just go to Utility > Wallpapers. I think they changed it around with the new Compiz update.
Posted by how do i get my desktop back O_O??? on September 8, 2008 at 6:09 PM
OK good now how do i get my desktop back when i want it back???????????
Posted by Anurag Bansal on September 8, 2008 at 7:16 PM
Just undo step # 10.
You should be all set.
Posted by Marcel on September 19, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Works out of the blue ! This is what I was looking for. Thank you !
Posted by Dave on October 1, 2008 at 11:08 PM
This is sweet. I’ve looked at some threads on this and quite a few seem dumbfounded. I don’t care about the desktop icons, but I am a bit sad that the panel transparency no longer shows the wallpaper behind it.
Posted by Nem on October 2, 2008 at 1:47 AM
Thank you so much for this information. You are godlike.
Posted by Anurag Bansal on October 2, 2008 at 7:21 AM
I am happy that the article helped some of you.
Thanks for dropping by.
Cheers
Anurag Bansal
http://www.knowliz.com
Posted by Fred on October 16, 2008 at 4:15 AM
HELP..please..I disabled the desktop but now when i go to enable it again the desktop doesnt reappear – ive restarted and still no love. and also, dunno if this may help but when i did put the different backgrounds on there was one which always stayed black, ie. nothing there
Posted by Fred on October 16, 2008 at 4:26 AM
scratch that – fixed it… i just clicked the box again and again and again and again and… ey, it worked, yippee
Posted by Jason on November 11, 2008 at 7:58 PM
Was wondering where one might find the “Background Images” of the desktop cube in 8.10
Posted by 20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux | Irascible Musings on November 17, 2008 at 1:08 AM
[...] Advanced CCSM: To enable eyecandy effects such as shown below and much more than that. You will forget Vista I am sure once you use it. You may even get different wallpapers on different desktops. How to get different wallpapers on each workspace. Check out this post. [...]
Posted by 20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu « Technology , Fun and Spirit on November 17, 2008 at 1:09 AM
[...] Advanced CCSM: To enable eyecandy effects such as shown below and much more than that. You will forget Vista I am sure once you use it. You may even get different wallpapers on different desktops. How to get different wallpapers on each workspace. Check out this post. [...]
Posted by 20 Cosas que hacer despues de instalar Linux Ubuntu | -=[EdadFutura]=- v.6.0 - [beta] on November 18, 2008 at 4:39 AM
[...] Advanced CCSM: Para activar los efectos de Compiz Fussion y mucho mas.. HComo instalar distintos fondo de pantalla en cada area de trabajo [...]
Posted by Raghu on November 19, 2008 at 10:22 PM
ubuntu 8.1 does not work with this..i did find background images but we cannot enable diff wallpapers on diff workspaces
Posted by LINUX - Recopilación de programas indispensables una vex instalado Ubuntu, para tener todo cubierto | Zaragoceando.com on November 23, 2008 at 9:47 AM
[...] Como instalar distintos fondo de pantalla en cada área de trabajo [...]
Posted by Ya tengo Ubuntu, ¿Y ahora qué? | Entre machacas y becarios on November 27, 2008 at 10:51 AM
[...] Advanced CCSM: Para activar los efectos de Compiz Fussion y mucho mas.. HComo instalar distintos fondo de pantalla en cada area de trabajo [...]
Posted by Vortex on November 28, 2008 at 4:50 AM
Raghu said:
> ubuntu 8.1 does not work with this
It’s 8.10. Ubuntu counts “year.month”.
Posted by jsonv on December 3, 2008 at 1:14 PM
hi,
I tried it with ubuntu 8.10, it doesn’t work.
and I tried to show my desktop icons again checking the show desktop in nautilus preferences, but my desktop doesn’t come back.
how can I bring my desktop icon back?
cheers
Posted by ChandlerW on December 22, 2008 at 1:55 AM
Ubuntu 8.10 does allow this desktop tip with Compiz Fusion. Desktop items will still appear in “desktop” folder. It would be a neat hack to do this tip and still allow items visible on the screen desktop. Make a shortcut to “desktop” folder on your panel or dock, saves a couple steps. Cheers!
Posted by Deivi_Z on January 13, 2009 at 2:47 PM
Hi, my ccsm doesn’t have option background images.
Posted by stevoo on January 16, 2009 at 6:45 AM
What about that background you have ?
can i get it ? The sea i mean ….
anyone knows where to get it ?
Posted by Laura on January 21, 2009 at 10:07 PM
Somehow it didnt work. It was because I had already had wallpaper checked on the compizconfig settings. it actually made all of my workspaces that picture. I unchecked it and followed all the steps from the beginning and it didnt work.
Any advice?
Posted by AlfmaniaK on January 24, 2009 at 1:17 AM
@Laura
Just repeat step 10 to 11, over and over again… I had the same issue, but like someone said before, repeating the open gconf-editor+select+close, about 5 or 10 times, solved the problem!
Posted by riz on January 24, 2009 at 5:30 PM
i’ve deselected the “show desktop” options from gconf, and set 4 picture for the cube on ccsm… but the changes don’t appear. what do you think??
Posted by riz on January 24, 2009 at 5:31 PM
what do you think?
Posted by Marko on January 27, 2009 at 1:50 PM
@riz: did you add the wallpapers to the “Utility” -> “Wallpaper” tab? The instructions really should be updated for Ubuntu 8.10 so that people would know how to do it (or they should read all the comments).
Posted by Lucier on January 28, 2009 at 12:59 AM
There is no background image option in the latest version of ccsm. I use Ubuntu 8.10 Any other way to make that work?
Posted by Lucier on January 28, 2009 at 1:00 AM
.
Posted by Lucier on January 28, 2009 at 1:24 AM
ya okay I got it. Its been moved to “Wallpapers” workd fine.
Posted by riz on January 28, 2009 at 6:19 AM
Oh, it works.. you didn’t say on that article to change the image bg on utility > walpaper
it seems that ccsm on ubuntu 8.10 has a lil differences
Posted by riz on January 28, 2009 at 6:23 AM
hey, May I have your article on mine? It’s good article. Don’t worry, I’ll write this link as reference..
Posted by Vendaval on February 10, 2009 at 12:44 AM
I’ve found the suggestion in by Marko, in 36, to be most helpful.
Posted by ryanseyz on February 21, 2009 at 12:49 PM
To get your desktop back, set show_desktop (under apps/nautilus/preferences) to true (checked), exit that window and run “nautilus” (without quotes) in terminal and enjoy your icons again!
Posted by pagan on February 25, 2009 at 10:28 AM
this thread has been so helpful. i have 8.10 so wasn’t able to figure out the thing mentioned in other posts.. but the thing that we can do it by going into utilities>wallpaper really helped… cheerz
Posted by David on March 18, 2009 at 10:59 AM
How can i access my desktop icons easily now?
where can i found something like a “folder bar”?
Posted by David Again on March 18, 2009 at 11:30 AM
ooh with an applet in AWN called stack or “file browser”
thanks to my self!
Posted by Linus on April 16, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Hey Guys, is there a way to get the four wallpapers and still have the transparancy (for things like taskbars and conky) work?
Posted by longtom on May 3, 2009 at 7:34 AM
Nice walkthrough – and worked first time. Thank you!
Posted by Rocking in Hakata » Netbook Partitioning on May 7, 2009 at 9:29 PM
[...] one wallpaper to avoid the super slow fade in as Compiz starts up after login (I’m doing the 4 different wallpapers / no desktop icons trick…but there’s got to be a better way…). Any other tweaks that you recommend [...]
Posted by Robert on June 12, 2009 at 1:26 PM
i am running 9.04 ubuntu and my compiz doesn’t give the option to change my background like that. it only gives me cube caps and sky dome. what do I do?
Posted by nikhil on July 10, 2009 at 4:34 AM
how do i get this to work on xubuntu 9.04
how do i allow compiz to show the desktop and not xfce
Posted by 20 Things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux | Knowliz on October 9, 2009 at 7:33 AM
[...] Advanced CCSM: To enable eyecandy effects such as shown below and much more than that. You will forget Vista I am sure once you use it. You may even get different wallpapers on different desktops. How to get different wallpapers on each workspace. Check out this post. [...]
Posted by Dex Luther on October 16, 2009 at 2:43 PM
This doesn’t work in Jaunty. The desktop cube doesn’t even have an option for backgrounds. Only Cube caps and Skydome. Does anyone know how to do this in Jaunty?
Posted by 20 articles to read before and after installing Ubuntu | Knowliz on October 30, 2009 at 12:34 PM
[...] How to get different wallpapers on each workspace in Ubuntu? [...]