Bug 514296

Summary: Provide a way to not change the user's wallpaper in the Plasma Style (desktoptheme)
Product: [Applications] systemsettings Reporter: Paul McAuley <kde>
Component: kcm_desktopthemeAssignee: Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED INTENTIONAL    
Severity: wishlist CC: kde, nate, plasma-bugs-null
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Other   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Paul McAuley 2026-01-07 20:49:02 UTC 
Hello, wish-list request here (correct me if this is already possible)

I am trying to develop a theme that includes a "Plasma Style" (for the "desktoptheme" directory); I want my theme to be as unobtrusive as possible, and therefore do not want it to change the user-set wallpaper.

In my plasmarc file I have deleted the "[Wallpaper]" section, but  I have the "FallBack" theme set to Breeze. This means that when I apply the Plasma Style via setting a Global Theme it changes the wallpaper to that set in the Breeze theme.

Would it therefore be possible to specify a parameter (e.g. "NoChangeWallpaper") in the "[Settings]" section of plasmarc to tell the Global Theme to not change the wallpaper?
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2026-01-08 21:59:29 UTC 
Instead of deleting the "[Wallpaper]" group, what happens if you rename it to "[Wallpaper][$i]"
Comment 2 David Edmundson 2026-01-08 23:18:02 UTC 
It's not something we support, nor do we want that to be something for the  desktoptheme developer to be choosing.

There needs to be *a* default wallpaper somewhere. If you don't provide one, it'll use Breezes. 

It's on the user when they apply the theme to choose which parts we want to set. There's some infrastructure in there already and it's something we'll be improving.
Comment 3 Paul McAuley 2026-01-09 19:30:30 UTC 
> Instead of deleting the "[Wallpaper]" group, what happens if you rename it to "[Wallpaper][$i]"
Thanks for the suggestion - that made no difference

> There needs to be *a* default wallpaper somewhere. If you don't provide one, it'll use Breezes. 

That doesn't make sense - there doesn't need to be a default wallpaper. If you don't provide a wallpaper, and somehow Breeze was also not present and hadn't already set its wallpaper, then surely it just would use  a "Plain Colour"? What I want is if the user has personalised their desktop then their personalised wallpaper would remain as it is.

I don't want my theme to be changing the user's wallpaper to Breeze's. I don't want to be arrogant and change the user's preference if they have already done some personalisation. Surely, with the way things are, you are actually forcing the dekstoptheme  developer to make choices, when they shouldn't have to make them at all.

Also, when you choose the options to apply the global theme, there currently is no option to not have your wallpaper changed when you might want the rest of the Plasma style.