Rotate your Linux wallpaper whatever way you like it. Whether you want to set up a precise, well-timed “playlist” of wallpapers or show off a random assortment of your favorite pictures, Wallch is the perfect program for adding some variety to your Linux computing. It even offers a real-time earth at night wallpaper.

We’ve taught you a bit about wallpaper here at MakeUseOf. We’ve even shown you some Linux wallpaper advice where you can completely customize your KDE wallpaper. Not all Linux users use KDE however, and even outside of KDE, not all Linux wallpaper managers work with Ubuntu’s Unity desktop. Wallch does, but that’s not the only reason this software is worth checking out. Adding wallpaper and setting it up to show it just the way you want it is not only simple but fun. Simply put, it’s wallpaper management done right. I’d like to see this, or something similar, built into a future release of Ubuntu and other distros.

What It Does

Load Wallch for the first time and you’ll need to add some pictures. You can add individual pictures or entire folders; just click the buttons to the right of your “playlist”:

Once you’ve added some pictures you can organize your collection. Remove shots that won’t work as wallpaper, or put the pictures in the order you desire. Or, if you don’t desire order, select the random option. You can set an amount of time for wallpapers to stick around, or you can randomize the timing as well.

Head over to settings (click “Edit“, then “Preferences“) to get a bit more control over the application:

You’ll almost certainly want to turn off wallpaper notifications. I’ve no idea why someone would want a bubble popping up telling them their wallpaper has changed. Isn’t seeing the different wallpaper enough? Whatever.

Earth At Night!

Want something a little different? Wallch offers, as an alternative to folders full of wallpaper, a wallpaper that reflects reality. It’s a satellite image of earth showing where it is day and where it is night.

The really cool part? This updates to reflect the real world. Every half hour you’ll have a slightly different picture reflecting the earth’s rotation and its effect.

Do you want to set this up? Click Edit, then click Extras. You’ll then see a simple configuration menu.

You’ll need to press “Stop” in the main windows before you can do this, if you had a slideshow running already. Once you do that you’ll have access to one of the cooler wallpapers in existence.

Install Wallch

Ready to install? Download Wallch at SourceForge. Debian and Ubuntu users will find a handy .deb file; other Linux users will need to compile source code. Hopefully packages for other Linux distros are coming soon. Heck, this program is ready to be added to repositories.

Conclusion

Wallpaper switchers aren’t exactly useful, but they can be fun. Computers can become mere workplaces, but every office needs some decoration. This software lets you customize your virtual workplace easily. I’m glad I found this one, even if I plan on mostly using the world at night wallpaper.

Do you find this program useful, cool or neither? Let me know in the comments below, along with any alternative programs for the job. Also feel free to post links to your favorite desktop wallpapers.

I found this program thanks to OMG! Ubuntu, an Ubuntu blog I love to read. Thanks guys!