Hidamari is a free program that plays videos, web pages or streams as the animated background on a Linux computer desktop. It is for people using Linux who want a moving wallpaper instead of a still picture.
Has 1 of 5
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
This is a program that shows animated wallpapers on a Linux desktop, using wallpapers made for the paid Steam app Wallpaper Engine. It is for Linux users who want moving backgrounds and must own Wallpaper Engine to get its files.
Has 2 of 5 · Fetches wallpapers online ✗
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
Variety is a free program for Linux computers that changes your desktop wallpaper automatically, pulling images from local folders or online sources. It is for Linux desktop users who want their background to rotate through pictures or quotes.
Has 2 of 5 · Video wallpapers ✗
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
None of these match. Try another device.
Help me choose
I want to pick an open-source replacement for Wallpaper Engine. Below is a list from Open Source Everything (CC BY-SA 4.0), in the order its website shows it. The order is a starting point, not a verdict.
- Hidamari: Hidamari is a free program that plays videos, web pages or streams as the animated background on a Linux computer desktop. It is for people using Linux who want a moving wallpaper instead of a still picture. [Easy setup; Linux; replaces fully; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/jeffshee/hidamari]
- linux-wallpaperengine: This is a program that shows animated wallpapers on a Linux desktop, using wallpapers made for the paid Steam app Wallpaper Engine. It is for Linux users who want moving backgrounds and must own Wallpaper Engine to get its files. [Easy setup; Linux; replaces fully; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/Almamu/linux-wallpaperengine]
- Variety: Variety is a free program for Linux computers that changes your desktop wallpaper automatically, pulling images from local folders or online sources. It is for Linux desktop users who want their background to rotate through pictures or quotes. [Easy setup; Linux; replaces partly; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/varietywalls/variety]
Setup rating: "Easy setup" means you can install it like a normal app, use it in a browser. "Advanced setup" means you must run it on your own server or use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Full details: https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/wallpapers.json
Before recommending anything, ask me these three questions (one at a time, in plain words): 1) Which device or devices will I use it on (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone)? 2) How comfortable am I with technical setup: only installing apps from a store, happy to follow a step-by-step guide, or comfortable with servers and the command line? 3) What is my budget: free only, or willing to pay for hosting or support? Then recommend one to three projects from this list only, and for each say why, using how fully it replaces the app, its setup rating, and the devices it runs on. If nothing on the list fits me, say so plainly instead of stretching.
Before you build
Read the list of open-source projects at https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/wallpapers.json. Compare it with my project or idea below. Tell me which projects overlap, what I could reuse instead of rewriting, and what mine does that none of them do.
My project or idea:
