Bug 510185

Summary:	The wallpapers reset after a feature version upgrade
Product:	[Plasma] plasmashell	Reporter:	Répási Dávid <hu.repasidavid>
Component:	Image & Slideshow wallpaper plugins	Assignee:	Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Severity:	normal	CC:	nate, notmart, qydwhotmail
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	6.4.5
Target Milestone:	1.0
Platform:	EndeavourOS
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Répási Dávid 2025-10-02 21:14:22 UTC

SUMMARY
For example, upgrading from 6.3 to 6.4 reset all my wallpapers to the default 6.4 one.
I've found a similar report from a Fedora user: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-changes-desktop-image-on-every-upgrade-set-default-wallpaper-and-lock-screen-background-in-kde/87462

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Set custom wallpapers for desktop/login/lock screens
2. Upgrade between feature releases (like 6.3 -> 6.4) (maybe an iso (like endeavour) with an older version of kde, install it, upgrade it, could be fine in a vm)
3. See the deafult wallpaper greet you

EXPECTED RESULT
As per the fedora post, I feel that after a user changes their wallpaper, by ANY supported means, it should stick.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux: 6.16.8-arch3-1 (64-bit)
KDE Plasma Version: 6.4.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.18.0
Qt Version: 6.9.2

Comment 1 Nate Graham 2025-10-03 16:02:56 UTC

This is definitely not intended. The usual way this happens is when the wallpaper is not available anymore; in this case, the system falls back to the default one.

Was your custom wallpaper located on a location that might have been inaccessible at the time you upgraded?

Comment 2 Répási Dávid 2025-10-03 17:30:26 UTC

I'm familiar with that fallback method, since I can't set a wallpaper from an external disk (which is not set to auto mount) and survive a reboot, because plasma doesn't copy current wallpapers to a dedicated folder for them for as long as they are set (windows does it this way, but it also automounts whatever it can, oh well, windows is weird)

Because of that experience I started keeping my wallpapers in /$USER/Pictures/, so that can't be the issue.

In the linked fedora post, the user mentions he used a network drive, that may have caused the issue in his case.

Sadly/ thankfully this is a rare issue, and because of that its hard to test, but also pretty easy to just re-set my wallpapers.
I shall try to test this feature cycle and get a distro iso with 6.4, install that and upgrade it in a vm to 6.5, if it reproduces there as well, at least there will be something to grab onto. I will also be checking out two systems (both endeavour) that have plasma on them, see if it happens there as well!

Comment 3 Bug Janitor Service 2025-10-18 03:47:13 UTC

🐛🧹 ⚠️ This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least 15 days. Please provide the requested information, then set the bug status to REPORTED. If there is no change for at least 30 days, it will be automatically closed as RESOLVED WORKSFORME.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures, please read https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!

Comment 4 Bug Janitor Service 2025-11-03 03:47:59 UTC

🐛🧹 This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least 30 days. Closing as RESOLVED WORKSFORME.