Making changing the lock screen background more intuitive in Manjaro w/ KDE Plasma?

Since I installed Manjaro a few months ago, I tried to change my lock screen background image by going to System Settings → Appearance & Style → Colors & Themes → Login Screen (SDDM) → Change Background (on the selected theme) (see Image 1), only to find that it doesn’t work, even after restarting and retrying it a few times.


Image 1: Button to change lock screen background in Appearance & Style

Until yesterday, I didn’t look into it more thoroughly though because it wasn’t high up on my priority list. When I did look into the issue and did some sleuthing I found the following post, that helped me figure it out, despite the GUI of System Settings apparently having changed a bit since then.

I can’t change lock screen wallpaper and sleep screen wallpaper

After changing the background image in System Settings → Security & Privacy → Screen Locking → Configure Appearance... (see Image 2) it did work, and the lock screen background was changed.


Image 2: Changing lock screen background in Screen Locking

Firstly, if I have simply done something wrong here, please tell me. Even if it just is how this works right now, I realize this is not a huge issue, but in my opinion, it is pretty unintuitive having to change your lock screen background in the Security & Privacy when there is a Appearance & Style section that appears to have an option to change your lock screen background. Is that something that could be changed, or at least be made more obvious? Also, I don’t know if this is maybe a Plasma issue than it is directly a Manjaro issue, so if that’s the case, please tell me and I’ll report it on the KDE page.

System Info:
Operating System: Manjaro Linux
KDE Plasma Version: 6.2.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.10.0
Qt Version: 6.8.1
Kernel Version: 6.12.9-1-MANJARO (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 16 × 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-13500H
Memory: 16,5 GB of RAM
Graphics Processor: Mesa Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Manufacturer: LENOVO
Product Name: 83AQ
System Version: IdeaPad Pro 5 16IRH8

inxi -Fazy output
System:
  Kernel: 6.12.9-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 14.2.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.12-x86_64
    root=UUID=253f79db-df3e-479d-8312-c6aab0646b8a rw nvidia_drm.modeset=1
    nvidia_drm.fbdev=1 quiet splash
    resume=UUID=c58d9695-2c0e-4a5b-8a4e-852d96c9a159 udev.log_priority=3
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.2.5 tk: Qt v: N/A info: frameworks v: 6.10.0
    wm: kwin_wayland with: krunner vt: 1 dm: SDDM Distro: Manjaro
    base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 83AQ v: IdeaPad Pro 5 16IRH8
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 v: IdeaPad Pro 5 16IRH8
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: LNVNB161216 v: SDK0T76463 WIN
    serial: <superuser required> part-nu: LENOVO_MT_83AQ_BU_idea_FM_IdeaPad Pro
    5 16IRH8 uuid: <superuser required> UEFI: LENOVO v: KZCN46WW
    date: 10/22/2024
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 58.1 Wh (79.5%) condition: 73.1/75.0 Wh (97.4%)
    volts: 16.7 min: 15.6 model: SMP L22M4PF5 type: Li-poly serial: <filter>
    status: not charging cycles: 95
CPU:
  Info: model: 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13500H bits: 64 type: MST AMCP
    arch: Raptor Lake gen: core 13 level: v3 note: check built: 2022+
    process: Intel 7 (10nm) family: 6 model-id: 0xBA (186) stepping: 2
    microcode: 0x4123
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 6 cores: 12 threads: 16 mt: 4 tpc: 2
    st: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 1.1 MiB desc: d-8x32 KiB, 4x48 KiB; i-4x32
    KiB, 8x64 KiB L2: 9 MiB desc: 4x1.2 MiB, 2x2 MiB L3: 18 MiB desc: 1x18 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 789 min/max: 400/4700:3500 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 789 2: 789 3: 789 4: 789 5: 789 6: 789 7: 789
    8: 789 9: 789 10: 789 11: 789 12: 789 13: 789 14: 789 15: 789 16: 789
    bogomips: 102016
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling mitigation: Clear Register File
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced / Automatic IBRS; IBPB: conditional;
    RSB filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence; BHI: BHI_DIS_S
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Raptor Lake-P [Iris Xe Graphics] vendor: Lenovo driver: i915
    v: kernel arch: Xe process: Intel 7 (10nm) built: 2022+ ports:
    active: DP-5,DP-6 off: eDP-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, DP-4, HDMI-A-1
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:a7a0 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA AD107M [GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q / Mobile] vendor: Lenovo
    driver: N/A non-free: 550/565.xx+ status: current (as of 2025-01)
    arch: Lovelace code: AD1xx process: TSMC n4 (5nm) built: 2022+ pcie: gen: 4
    speed: 16 GT/s lanes: 8 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:28e1 class-ID: 0300
  Device-3: Logitech Logitech Webcam C925e driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo
    type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 3-2.3:6
    chip-ID: 046d:085b class-ID: 0102 serial: <filter>
  Device-4: Bison Integrated RGB Camera driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 3-8:5 chip-ID: 5986:215d
    class-ID: fe01 serial: <filter>
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.15 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.4
    compositor: kwin_wayland driver: X: loaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,vesa
    dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: DP-5 model: LG (GoldStar) IPS FULLHD built: 2014 res:
    mode: 1920x1080 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 102 gamma: 1.2
    size: 480x270mm (18.9x10.63") diag: 551mm (21.7") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  Monitor-2: DP-6 model: HP Z27n G2 serial: <filter> built: 2019 res:
    mode: 2560x1440 hz: 75 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 109 gamma: 1.2
    size: 597x336mm (23.5x13.23") diag: 685mm (27") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 2560x1440 min: 720x400
  Monitor-3: eDP-1 model: BOE Display 0x0ac1 built: 2021 res: 2560x1600
    dpi: 189 gamma: 1.2 size: 344x215mm (13.54x8.46") diag: 406mm (16")
    ratio: 16:10 modes: 2560x1600
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel iris platforms: device: 0 drv: iris
    device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: drv: iris surfaceless: drv: iris wayland:
    drv: iris x11: drv: iris
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 24.3.3-arch1.2
    glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel Iris Xe Graphics (RPL-P)
    device-ID: 8086:a7a0 memory: 7.5 GiB unified: yes display-ID: :1.0
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.303 layers: 5 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu name: Intel
    Iris Xe Graphics (RPL-P) driver: N/A device-ID: 8086:a7a0
    surfaces: xcb,xlib,wayland
  Info: Tools: api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
    de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor gpu: nvidia-smi wl: wayland-info
    x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Raptor Lake-P/U/H cAVS vendor: Lenovo
    driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:51ca
    class-ID: 0401
  Device-2: Logitech Logitech Webcam C925e driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo
    type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 3-2.3:6
    chip-ID: 046d:085b class-ID: 0102 serial: <filter>
  Device-3: Logitech Yeti X driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid
    type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 3-2.4.4:15
    chip-ID: 046d:0aaf class-ID: 0300 serial: <filter>
  API: ALSA v: k6.12.9-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off tools: aucat,midicat,sndioctl
  Server-2: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: N/A
  Server-3: PipeWire v: 1.2.7 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Raptor Lake PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:51f1 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter driver: r8152 type: USB
    rev: 3.0 speed: 5 Gb/s lanes: 1 mode: 3.2 gen-1x1 bus-ID: 2-1.2.2:6
    chip-ID: 0bda:8153 class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
  IF: enp0s13f0u1u2u2 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-3: ASIX AX88179 Gigabit Ethernet driver: cdc_ncm type: USB rev: 3.2
    speed: 5 Gb/s lanes: 1 mode: 3.2 gen-1x1 bus-ID: 2-1.4.2:5 chip-ID: 0b95:1790
    class-ID: 0a00 serial: <filter>
  IF: eth1 state: down mac: <filter>
  Info: services: NetworkManager, systemd-timesyncd, wpa_supplicant
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel AX211 Bluetooth driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 3-10:7 chip-ID: 8087:0033
    class-ID: e001
  Report: rfkill ID: hci0 rfk-id: 3 state: up address: see --recommends
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 71.41 GiB (7.7%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Corsair model: MP600 MICRO
    size: 931.51 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 63.2 Gb/s
    lanes: 4 tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: ELFMH0.1 temp: 30.9 C
    scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 123.7 GiB size: 120.7 GiB (97.57%) used: 66.34 GiB (55.0%)
    fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p7 maj-min: 259:7
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 512 MiB size: 511 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 292 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 maj-min: 259:5
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 60 (default) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 15.04 GiB used: 5.08 GiB (33.8%)
    priority: -2 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p6 maj-min: 259:6
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 53.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Info:
  Memory: total: 16 GiB note: est. available: 15.36 GiB used: 13.47 GiB (87.7%)
  Processes: 493 Power: uptime: 18h 53m states: freeze,mem,disk
    suspend: s2idle wakeups: 0 fails: 2 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown,
    reboot, suspend, test_resume image: 6.11 GiB services: org_kde_powerdevil,
    thermald, upowerd Init: systemd v: 257 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Packages: 1696 pm: pacman pkgs: 1674 libs: 521 tools: pamac,yay pm: flatpak
    pkgs: 22 Compilers: clang: 19.1.6 gcc: 14.2.1 Shell: Zsh v: 5.9 default: Bash
    v: 5.2.37 running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.37

This is all KDE Plasma, not Manjaro.

It is working correctly. The screen for the login manager and the lock-screen are different functions, you have the option of changing either or both. This is a KDE issue, not Manjaro. If you would like to air your concerns to KDE, goto KDE.org

3 Likes

The lockscreen appearance seems to be in the right location as it has no relevance to the login manager or the desktop background.

That is how Plasma works - so it is an upstream issue - if they are willing to somehow link to the relevant location, that would be an improvement :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Thanks for the info, I’ll bring this up over at the KDE site.

This may already cover it.

Move wallpaper changing into a KCM and make it easier to apply the wallpaper to the desktop(s), lock screen, and login screen all at once

1 Like

Yes, I’d say so - I have slideshow set for the desktop, again in the screen locker, but the login screen is more restricted…

Options (when setting wallpaper) to ‘Apply to…’ would be an excellent development.

That’s because the login screen runs with root privileges (by default), given that it must authenticate you against /etc/shadow. :wink:

3 Likes

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