Troubleshooting

Fixing common issues with Waypaper

Last updated 2 months ago

Fixing common issues with Waypaper

If the application does not run or shows errors about GTK, make sure to install gobject library, which might also be called python-gobject or python3-gi in your package manager. Although it is supposed to be installed automatically with the package.
If you see errors related to cairo you may need to install pycairo-devel or package. It might be called a bit different on different distributions.
On Fedora, you might need to install cairo-gobject-devel package, then install waypaper with pipx.
If installation doesn't work via your distribution repository, try to install with pipxas: pipx install waypaper as this is the only officially maintained repository of Waypaper.

If too much RAM or CPU is used after changing wallpaper, make sure your post_script is not trying to do some heavy processing. By itself, Waypaper is not doing anything resource heavy.
To restore the wallpaper after a reboot, you need to launch waypaper --restore at the start of your system. Usually, it means that you need to add it to the config of your WM.
If the wallpaper does not change, first, try to launch Waypaper in the terminal and see the output when you are trying to change the wallpaper. Also, try to change it via command line using chosen backend to make sure that backend by itself works correctly.
Please understand that not all backends work on all systems. feh is only for Xorg, while swww , swaybg and hyprpaper are only for Wayland.
If you use different WMs on the same system, specify the backend when you restore the wallpaper at launch. For example: waypaper --restore --backend feh or use wallutils which works on both Wayland and Xorg.

To use hyprpaper backend you have to be on Hyprland and have hyprctl.
Make sure you have inter process communication (IPC) enabled, i.e. icp = on in hyprpaper.conf and there are no warnings about it when you simply start hyprpaper.

Mpvpaper backend

If something is not working, try to click Stopbutton, it will kill all running mpvpaper processes.
Mpvpaper often conflicts with other backends, try to stop them is something is wrong.
If you can't set an image as wallpaper, only a video, try removing yourmpvpaper_options

Last updated 2 months ago

If the application does not run or shows errors about GTK, make sure to install gobject library, which might also be called python-gobject or python3-gi in your package manager. Although it is supposed to be installed automatically with the package.
If you see errors related to cairo you may need to install pycairo-devel or package. It might be called a bit different on different distributions.
On Fedora, you might need to install cairo-gobject-devel package, then install waypaper with pipx.
If installation doesn't work via your distribution repository, try to install with pipxas: pipx install waypaper as this is the only officially maintained repository of Waypaper.

If too much RAM or CPU is used after changing wallpaper, make sure your post_script is not trying to do some heavy processing. By itself, Waypaper is not doing anything resource heavy.
To restore the wallpaper after a reboot, you need to launch waypaper --restore at the start of your system. Usually, it means that you need to add it to the config of your WM.
If the wallpaper does not change, first, try to launch Waypaper in the terminal and see the output when you are trying to change the wallpaper. Also, try to change it via command line using chosen backend to make sure that backend by itself works correctly.
Please understand that not all backends work on all systems. feh is only for Xorg, while swww , swaybg and hyprpaper are only for Wayland.
If you use different WMs on the same system, specify the backend when you restore the wallpaper at launch. For example: waypaper --restore --backend feh or use wallutils which works on both Wayland and Xorg.

To use hyprpaper backend you have to be on Hyprland and have hyprctl.
Make sure you have inter process communication (IPC) enabled, i.e. icp = on in hyprpaper.conf and there are no warnings about it when you simply start hyprpaper.

Mpvpaper backend

If something is not working, try to click Stopbutton, it will kill all running mpvpaper processes.
Mpvpaper often conflicts with other backends, try to stop them is something is wrong.
If you can't set an image as wallpaper, only a video, try removing yourmpvpaper_options