Quirky Wallpaper Series: Random NASA Wallpaper Script

‘Quirky Wallpaper’ is a short series of posts about different types of wallpapers for Gnome/Ubuntu. These range from having a real-time earth displayed as your wallpaper to an entirely animated desktop!

Random NASA Wallpaper

This script downloads a random wallpaper from NASA’s ‘Astronomy Picture Of The Day’ archive and sets it as your background – all with one click!

And when you’re bored of the one you’ve got, click it again to automatically get a new one.

 
[screenshot_011
 
Downloaded wallpapers are saved in nasa-wallpaper folder in your home folder – so if you fall in love with one it’s there to keep!

Download: -
You can grab the script from: –

Installation:
Extract the script and move it somewhere where you’re not likely not accidentally delete it!

Right click the script and choose Properties.

Navigate to the Permissions tab and check ‘Allow Executing File As A Program’.
You can now double click the script and choose ‘run’ to change your wallpaper.

Create a menu entry
An easier way to use the script is to create a menu entry for it. This way you can summon and run it via gnome-do and bypass the need to choose ‘run’ each time you want to change your wallpaper.

Select

  • menu editor

    from the

    • System > Preferences

    menu. Or by right click the Ubuntu Menu and choosing

    • edit menus

    Decide which menu you would like to have the entry placed in and click on it. I’ve placed mine in ‘Accessories’.
    Hit

    • New Item

    and enter a name for the launcher. I’ve named mine ‘Nasa Wallpaper’.
    Next to the ‘Command’ field select the browse button and navigate to where you have the script saved. Choose it by clicking ‘Open’.

    If you want to add an icon simply click on the ‘Spring’ icon and choose a new icon. I’ve used the following .png as mine: –

    Related posts:

    1. Literal Ubuntu "Desktop" Wallpaper
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    • Anonymous

      one of the most beautiful findings, thank you

      can you tell me what is that bar in the middle of your screenshot about the song?

      Chriskin from Ubuntu forums

      • http://twitter.com/kinesthesia kinesthesia

        I’d like to know about the bar in the middle, too. Looks like a Covergloobus skin maybe?

        • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

          Correct! It is a covergloobus skin. I modded it from a Coverartdisplay skin. I’ll put it up on gnome-look it people want!

          • http://twitter.com/kinesthesia kinesthesia

            Please do. :D

          • maslic

            hi,
            Did you put the skin on gnome-look yet? Cause I can’t seem to find it there…

    • Mel

      D0od, you have an excellent taste in desktop stuff. Almost every picture you take of your desktop looks great.

      Thank’s for another great article!

    • Anonymous

      Hi thanks for the link.
      If I might ask, whats the name (or link to) of the the moon image in the first pic?

      Stunning and I looked for it but couldn’t find it anywhere.

      Thanks.
      Mike

    • Anonymous

      There’s another wallpaper changer based on the NASA using conky to display the ApoD’s description:
      http://kafirification.blogspot.com/2010/03/astronomy-picture-of-day-background.html