macOS Mojave dynamic background re-implement as GTK+ background slideshow. Background images are changed to reflect the time of the day.

mojave.xml

<!-- Instructions:
- Download and unzip Mojave dynamic background here: https://files.rb.gd/mojave_dynamic.zip 
- Rename the extracted folder as "mojave-background" (Excuse the trouble but I renamed it on my machine and already use that path in the XML file)
- Save this xml file next to the Mojave background files
- Fix the path to the background images below (better using absolute path)
- Lastly, either: 
  + GNOME: Use gnome-tweaks tool to select this XML as wallpaper (as default wallpaper settings won't let you choose wallpaper from custom path)
  + MATE: Go to background setting (in Appearance) > Choose +Add... > make sure **All files** filter is selected at the bottom right > Then choose mojave.xml
-->
<background>
  <starttime>
    <year>2014</year>
    <month>01</month>
    <day>11</day>
    <hour>0</hour>
    <minute>00</minute>
    <second>00</second>
  </starttime>
  <!-- 00:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>10795.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_15.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_15.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_16.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 03:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>10795.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_16.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_16.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_1.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 05:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_1.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_1.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_2.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 06:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_2.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_2.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_3.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 07:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_3.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_3.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_4.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 08:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_4.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_4.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_5.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 09:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_5.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_5.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_6.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 10:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_6.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_6.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_7.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 11:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>7195.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_7.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_7.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_8.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 13:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_8.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_8.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_9.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 14:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_9.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_9.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_10.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 15:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_10.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_10.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_11.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 16:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_11.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_11.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_12.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 17:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>3595.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_12.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_12.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_13.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 18:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>7195.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_13.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_13.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_14.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
  <!-- 20:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>10795.0</duration>
    <file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_14.jpeg</file>
  </static>
  <transition type="overlay">
    <duration>5.0</duration>
    <from>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_14.jpeg</from>
    <to>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_15.jpeg</to>
  </transition>
</background>

It would be great if you could replace /home/thanh with the environment variable $HOME or the alias ~ so that this gist is re-usable and works out of the box for anyone.

Also, another suggestion would be to use $HOME/Pictures/Wallpapers (with a capital 'W' for Wallpapers) as the source directory for the wallpapers. Idea : https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2017/04/fix-gnome-wallpaper-inconsistency.
Of course, this is completely a user's preference / choice.

I was too hasty to comment to use the $HOME environment variable. I should've thought that this was an XML and not a shell script. My bad. I would like to give my apologies.

Thanks for this little near XML file, will definitely have a look at it to see if it works in Budgie desktop (it should theoretically)

@shinenelson That's OK. :) I intended to turn this into an installable package like https://github.com/ghisvail/gnome-backgrounds-bitday but don't have free time now and think that using current instruction sufficient.

@Jacalz Please do. And let us know. :)

Maybe add the following to the description, to set the wallpaper without gnome-tweaks:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri "file:/home/USERNAME/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave.xml"

Is there a current folder variable for xml? Then you should use it instead the whole path and you can put the xml in the download folder. So users only have to download it, place it somewhere and set the wallpaper and don't have to change the xml.

I tried using it on Ubuntu Budgie and couldn't seem to get it working. I changed the file paths and selected the xml as the background with tweaks. The background is black on my desktop but in my settings app under background, it shows the Mojave image and even a message saying that it changes over time. The background remains black however on logout, the desktop will display the Mojave background for a split second before logging out. Not sure if I'm missing something but I just wanted to give an update on Budgie.

Edit: I have been made aware that Ubuntu Budgie doesn't support the GNOME wallpaper .xml format

@Space-and-also-time Me neither, can someone help us out? 🙏

On Ubuntu 18.04 there is no transition effect between wallpaper changes. I remember that the default Gnome dynamic wallpaper had one.

Oh, and you have a spelling error in the first line: "Intruction" should be "Introduction".

Wow, so many comments. Maybe I should start working on an installable package. :D

@sojusnik: I personally observe the wallpapers cross-fade during transition. Maybe your desktop environment doesn't support. I'm not sure. Besides, I did try longer transition duration like 10 seconds, but it didn't seem to make any difference (same transition time and just about 2-3 second, to my reckon). The first line was meant: 'Instruction:'
@Space-and-also-time and @NebojsaKrtolica: So sad that Budgie doesn't support xml wallpaper. :(

Guide for Mate Desktop

Recently I switch to Mate Desktop (Ubuntu Mate 18.04) and the xml wallpaper worked well.

In the wallpaper settings windows, Choose +Add... > make sure All files filter is selected at the bottom right > Then choose mojave.xml

OR I can use below command in terminal:

gsettings set org.mate.background picture-filename 'path/to/your/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave.xml'

@trongthanh:

The first line was meant: 'Instruction:'

And now you wrote Instructions :)

I personally observe the wallpapers cross-fade during transition. Maybe your desktop environment doesn't support.

I'm on Ubuntu 18.04 with Gnome. So it should work fine...

@trongthanh: BTW, do you know if it's actually possible to define a whole folder with pictures as a path?
The idea is to have 4 folders - morning, day, evening, night - and show pictures from them in a certain period of the day. Just like your script does now, but only with 4 intervals and the pictures should be fetched from certain folders.

@sojusnik Why don't you just pick 4 images (from the 16 ones) represent 4 shift of the day and then write a new XML file with interval of 24/4 = 6 hours? I don't think it's possible to set the background image with a folder path.

On a side note, Github Gist won't send emails to notify owners, so I cannot reply immediately. I'll just check back here for comments periodically. Other comments mentioned here won't receive notifications either. After posting it here, I just realize Github Gist sucks at helping with notifications.

Can i make a youtube video about it on elementary OS?

Hi @yurwpjt. Sure, no problem.

Hi all,

If you'd like to comment or contact me, please do so at my blog post about this Mojave background slideshow: https://int3ractive.com/2018/07/macos-mojave-dynamic-wallpaper-for-linux.html

Because GitHub Gist will not notify commenters and owners at all.

Hi, you can replace "/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background" with a placeholder (i.e. REPLACE)

Before
<file>/home/thanh/Pictures/wallpapers/mojave-background/mojave_dynamic_14.jpeg</file>

After
<file>REPLACE/mojave_dynamic_14.jpeg</file>

and use this script

#!/bin/bash
BASE=$(readlink -f "$0")
BASE_PATH=$(dirname "$BASE")
sed -i "s|REPLACE|$BASE_PATH|g" "$BASE_PATH/mojave.xml"

Run it inside the same directory of the images and mojave.xml. It replace all instances of REPLACE with the full path of the images

Any chance of a tool for processing the base64 encoded data from an existing dynamic wallpaper .heic? I'd also like to convert the Solar Gradients background, as silly as that may sound.

This is beyond my abilities, but I have all the ingredients worked out if someone wants to pick up the ball and make a script that...

1. Gnome has 'Night Light' that knows local sunup/sundown, pull those times somehow, and extend by an hour on each end (for dawn, and dusk)
2. Alter the duration each photo in the mojave.xml so that the pictures have a duration of:
   Pictures 14, 15, 16, "sundown->sunrise" (total night seconds/3)-5 (minus 5 is for the transition)
   Pictures 2-12 sunrise->sundown (total day seconds/13)-5
   Pictures 1 and 13 I just do for an hour, before sunrise, after sunset
   Picture 15 should run half as long, twice, and be the start and end of the rotation, as picture 15 should straddle midnight

Then the user can run the script every now and then to adjust for local day/night

Reference:
Picture 1: Dawn
Picture 2: Sunrise
Picture 7: High Noon
Picture 12: Sunset
Picture 13: Dusk
Picture 15: Midnight

I made a spreadsheet that does the math if anyone wants to manually make different ones. I made 3 seasonal files, equinoxes are the same. (In upstate NY the daylight varies quite a bit, from 9 hours to 15.5)

Hello, thanks! Is it possible to have a more smooth effect when a wallpaper changes ? I mean more a gradual switch.

Is it possible in xfce?

Shouldn't it be like https://gist.github.com/thelcrysis/7c3563352de9b3467015fb0b3ceb184d

All changes are in <duration></duration> provided that comments refer to time of the day.

There seems to be a mismatch in the timings of the pictures written in the xml. Time starts with 00:00, then fast-forward to 3 hours (10795 seconds), it is 03:00. Then fast-forward 3 more hours (10795 seconds), and it is only 05:00? Shouldn't it be 06:00?

Guys lets hope he write a script to set this up

Here's a tip - everything works much smoother if you just move the jpeg files and the xml file to the top of the /Home/Pictures directory and modify the xml script appropriately, e.g for me lines 20-23:

 <!-- 00:00 -->
  <static>
    <duration>10795.0</duration>
    <file>/home/michaelb7/Pictures/mojave_dynamic_15.jpeg</file>
  </static>

of course all 48 file lines will need ot be changed. You can also use it for your lock screen, which is pretty cool. Use Tweak app to select xml file as before.

Anyone else having issues with smooth transitions? I'm on Ubuntu 20.04, and the pictures just abruptly change from one to another.

Hello dude, thanks fot this guide but I have error with day hour, when is day, the wallpaper is night and when is night, wallpaper is day. How I can fix this inverse hours?