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Set desktop background from command line over ssh

rated 0 times [ 2] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 2729 / 3 Years ago, mon, june 21, 2021, 9:42:07

I am attempting to set my desktop background from the command line in ubuntu 12.04.

I am able to do this from the terminal on the actual machine as described here.

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///path/to/my/image.png

However when I login to the machine over ssh and run the same command, I am presented with the following error:

ben@base:~$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///path/to/my/image.png



** (process:19940): WARNING **: Command line `dbus-launch --autolaunch=ca5602075c1f96df6beebf670000000b --binary-syntax --close-stderr' exited with non-zero exit status 1: Autolaunch error: X11 initialization failed.





** (process:19940): WARNING **: Command line `dbus-launch --autolaunch=ca5602075c1f96df6beebf670000000b --binary-syntax --close-stderr' exited with non-zero exit status 1: Autolaunch error: X11 initialization failed.

How can I set the desktop over ssh?

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answered 3 Years ago lawain · Accepted Answer

The hint is X11 initialization failed. Graphics programs find the display screen through the '$DISPLAY' environment variable. Ssh does not propagate '$DISPLAY' by default, ssh -X gets you your own X session and sets '$DISPLAY'. but that is not the answer. Perhaps if you had done xhost +inet:remotesystem on the server first... See man xhost, and SEE ALSO X(7), Xsecurity(7), Xserver(1), xdm(1), xauth(1),

I think you are doomed to failure, unless you want to read a whole lot of man pages.