GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 601095
unable to change GDM theme
Last modified: 2013-12-16 20:22:11 UTC
GDM 2.28 doesn't allow to change the login screen theme. The System / Administration / Login Screen tool doesn't allow to change the GDM's background (wallpaper) or theme. This can be seen as a regression from previous versions. Currently users have to run the following command to change the GDM 2.28 theme: gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-appearance-properties More information: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gnome_2.28_Changes#Configuring_gdm_2.28 This is not user friendly at all. See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1292533&page=2 Bug originally filed in Ubuntu: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gdm/+bug/449198
I am an end user so I can only relate the user experience. I use Ubuntu. In Ubuntu 8.04 there was a graphic user interface: system>administrator>login window in which the user could install their own login window theme, change the picture etc. Ever since 9.04 this has been missing. I have waited patiently for you to get this working and when it didn't appear in 10.04 Ubuntu I did a little research. I have seen and done the kludgey work arounds on the Internet to get an image I want, however it would really be nice from a user perspective if you could add this functionality back into the GDM without making the user learn all the command line secret hand shakes to wedge the image first into the right folder and then twist GDM's arm to make it display at least the image. I finally caved in and got ubuntu tweak to make it easier, but really if you guys want give Microsoft a run for its money you will have to be better than this.
these days the login screen is themed using gnome-shell / cs