A script to pick a random login window background

I really this older hint, on how to change the login window background by telling the system to look for the image in another location, but I want to suggest a small variation of it.

I like to constantly change my backgrounds. I have a directory with a bunch of background pictures, so I wrote a simple AppleScript which takes a random file from this directory and saves it as the picture used as the login window background. Mine is named myloginwindow.jpg, and it sits in my Public folder.

tell application "Finder"
  set theList to files of folder "wallpaper" of startup disk
  set theNum to random number from 1 to (count theList) with seed (time of (current date))
  set item1 to item theNum of theList
  set folder2 to folder "Public" of folder "username" of folder "Users" of startup disk
  tell application "Image Events"
    launch
    set this_image to open item1 as alias
    set typ to this_image's file type
    tell application "Finder" to set new_item2 to (folder2 as string) & ("myloginwindow.jpg" as string)
    save this_image in new_item2 as typ
    close this_image
  end tell
end tell

Then I saved the AppleScript as an application, and added it to the login items for my account. Now every time I log in, I see a different login background. Since I really know nothing about AppleScripting, the above is probably not ideal (please feel free to suggest improvements in the comments), but it works for me.

[robg adds: I haven't tested this one, but to make it work, you'll also have to have used the linked hint to specify a new location for the login background images.]

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A script to pick a random login window background
Authored by: apveenstra on Mon, Dec 31 2007 at 7:42AM PST

Or you could use the built in Photoshop tool: File -> Automate -> Fit Image...

A script to pick a random login window background
Authored by: apveenstra on Mon, Dec 31 2007 at 7:44AM PST

oops! replied to wrong hint :(

A script to pick a random login window background
Authored by: merlyn on Mon, Dec 31 2007 at 9:34AM PST

A simpler idiom for a random selection is: set item1 to some item of theList

A script to pick a random login window background
Authored by: V.K. on Mon, Dec 31 2007 at 11:03AM PST

thanks. btw, is there a quick ways to choose several random items from a list?

A script to pick a random login window background
Authored by: Pace on Mon, Dec 31 2007 at 12:43PM PST

Based on something I read here, I created the following script back when I was on Tiger:

#!/bin/bash
RANGE=35
echo
number=$RANDOM
let "number %= $RANGE"
cp /Users/Shared/backgrounds/$number.jpg /Library/LoginWindow/Aqua_Blue.jpg

And changed the default login background image to the one mentioned on the last line (/Library/LoginWindow/Aqua_Blue.jpg), and set the script to be run on every logout (logout hook). That way, I have a total of 36 (0.jpg to 35.jpg) images that change every time I log out of an account, shut down, restart, � Less noticeable than an Applescript script or app.

A script to pick a random login window background
Authored by: V.K. on Mon, Dec 31 2007 at 1:24PM PST

Thanks!
sorry but I'm even more ignorant about shell scripts than apple scripts.
How do I create a logout hook to a shell script? Also, do you know if I can make your script run every time I go to the login window and not just on logouts (say if I use the users menu)?

A script to pick a random login window background
Authored by: Pace on Tue, Jan 8 2008 at 8:10AM PST

Hi, sorry for not replying earlier.

Unfortunately, I'm really a beginner in those matters too, so I don't remember. I did it a few months ago after some research, but now it's all behind me.
Try searching "logout hooks" on Google, it might turn up some useful results.

Good luck�

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