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Maniphest T7854

Use default wallpaper as background for KScreenlocker and SDDM lock screen
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Description

Plasma defaults to a fairly unsatisfying bright blue color for the screenlocker and login screen background. Almost everybody involved admits that this is sub-optimal, but we have so far been unable to achieve consensus on a better option (it's a medium-term goal of mine).

Until that happens, it becomes a distro task to ensure that users aren't exposed to this ugly blue background. The Fedora KDE spin already does this, and so do other distros. We should, too.

My recommendation is to re-use the default KDE wallpaper as the background for the lock screen and login screen.

I did this for my wife's computer when I set it up with Kubuntu 17.10 and it looks fantastic:

(Upstream task to make this this the default is tracked in https://phabricator.kde.org/T7682)

Related Objects

ngraham created this task.Feb 1 2018, 7:06 PM
ngraham updated the task description. (Show Details)Feb 1 2018, 7:39 PM
valorie added a comment.Feb 2 2018, 12:07 AM

This is *great* looking. I would support this, although the previous wallpaper I thought was pretty bad. This one is just awesome though.

ngraham added a comment.Feb 2 2018, 12:09 AM

FWIW, I sparked a big discussion in VDG today and we all came to the same conclusion. So this is probably coming anyway from upstream, though I don't know what the timeline is for that. It probably wouldn't be in time for 18.04

ach added a subscriber: ach.Feb 2 2018, 1:31 PM

I'm used to the 'blue' screens now and it's sort of unique. Some times I start thinking it's 'the' KDE blue (like Ferrari red). And then I'm proud ;-) Nevertheless using the default upstream wallpager is also okay.

+1 -1 = 0 is my vote

rikmills added a subscriber: rikmills.Feb 3 2018, 6:30 PM

Did not do this for 17.10 as the default wallpaper for Plasma 5.10 has some very light parts which gave horrible contrast with the user logos and login fields/buttons.

So lets revisit and see how it looks with the current darker default wallpaper. Initially looks ok, but some better screenshots would help for review.

ngraham added a comment.Feb 8 2018, 5:13 PM

This is totally happening upstream FYI!
T7914: Use a prettier background for the lock & login screens
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=381407

Might still be worth keeping this around in case upstream doesn't get it done in time for us.

zzag added a subscriber: zzag.EditedFeb 8 2018, 5:33 PM

Default background will introduce too much details on login screen (too much edges, etc). Just putting as an idea: blur background in sddm and screen locker(+ make it a little darker/brighter with light/dark theme). It will make login screen more fancier + won't introduce so much "details".

ngraham reassigned this task from valorie to rikmills.EditedMar 21 2018, 3:11 PM
ngraham added a subscriber: valorie.

Upstream tasks were largely agreed to but got derailed into a total theme redesign, unfortunately. It's up to us if we want to ship 18.04 without login and lock screens that sear our users' eyeballs.

openSUSE already does this, FWIW: D11308#230816

acrouthamel added a subscriber: acrouthamel.Mar 21 2018, 3:35 PM

This would be great, the default blue is ridiculous and looks unprofessional.

ngraham added a comment.Mar 21 2018, 3:39 PM
In T7854#126259, @rikmills wrote:

Did not do this for 17.10 as the default wallpaper for Plasma 5.10 has some very light parts which gave horrible contrast with the user logos and login fields/buttons.

So lets revisit and see how it looks with the current darker default wallpaper. Initially looks ok, but some better screenshots would help for review.

Login screen:

Lock screen:

ieriksen added a subscriber: ieriksen.EditedMar 27 2018, 6:46 PM

An alternative would be to "adjust" the colour from the bright blue to a more neutral colour. Looking to e.g. Mac OS, you have a very pleasant grey colour, is the same I have set on my KDE desktop.

This would, imo, provide the best of both worlds:

  • No background elements that may interfere with the current buttons/design.
  • Keeping it overall more or less as it is, only "adjust" the colour.

Screenshots from my VM:

Lock screen:

Login screen (SDDM):

ngraham added a comment.Mar 27 2018, 7:45 PM

That more pleasant gray would definitely be an improvement over the blue, and I would support doing that upstream to bypass all the bikeshedding over using the Plasma wallpaper. However, I still think using the Plasma wallpaper is even better. As I hope my screenshots and photos demonstrate, there isn't any contrast issue with the one we'd be shipping with.

ieriksen added a comment.Mar 28 2018, 11:44 AM

That they do demonstrate. With this Plasma wallpaper it does look good, since it's colours are darker and there's no overlapping elements in the background. But this changes if the next release's wallpaper have more "stuff" and brighter, more vibrant colours, unsless this taken into account when designing it.

Regarding the grey, I'll be the first to admit that it is a more boring--less satifsying, if you will--background to look at. But it could provide a very opinion-neutral default-default, over which distros could put their own wallpaper, and if no wallpapers is set then at least it'll spare some retinas.

Having put forth the grey alternative, I'd say go for the Plasma wallpaper in this case.

rikmills added a comment.Mar 28 2018, 7:11 PM

Personally, the blue has grown on me, and my retinas are just fine. :P

rikmills added a comment.Mar 30 2018, 7:06 PM

Please try:

kubuntu-settings - 1:18.04ubuntu8~ubuntu18.04~ppa1

from:

ppa:kubuntu-ppa/staging-misc

rikmills added a comment.Mar 31 2018, 1:30 PM

Anyone tested?

darinmiller added a subscriber: darinmiller.Mar 31 2018, 4:01 PM

I had to manually set the wallpaper type to "image" and the default image was available. It's looked great as a lock screen.

rikmills added a comment.Mar 31 2018, 4:07 PM
In T7854#135886, @darinmiller wrote:

I had to manually set the wallpaper type to "image" and the default image was available. It's looked great as a lock screen.

I was only changing the default, so if somehow you has something else set in ~/.config/kscreenlockerrc, you could need to manually change it.

rikmills closed this task as Resolved.Mar 31 2018, 7:16 PM

Should be on iso tomorrow.

darinmiller added a comment.Mar 31 2018, 7:18 PM

Works perfect with ppa enabled. Love it.

mparillo added a subscriber: mparillo.Apr 4 2018, 12:11 AM

When I installed from the first Beta2 ISO, I noticed that my password appeared on the new screen. Could it be related to the new theme?