500px-osx-background

Easily set your Mac background to a random image on 500px website

Description

This script allows you to dynamically change your macOS background, taking images from 500px.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/auino/500px-osx-background.git
   

2. Configure the script, by opening it and setting configuration data as preferred

3. Optionally, you can test the correct working of the script, by opening the Terminal app and running the following command:

   sh 500px-osx-background.sh
   

4. Put the script on your crontab, by opening the Terminal app and running the following command:

   crontab -e
   

5. Now you have to append the following line (press i button to insert data):

   00 12 * * * sh /directory_path/500px-osx-background.sh
   

   where /directory_path/ identifies the path of the directory containing the script (to be configured as value of the $DIR directory on the script), while 00 12 specifies the program has to be called every day at noon.

6. Hit :q to close, saving the file

7. Enjoy!

Notes

In order to immediately set the new background, the Dock program has to be killed. If you don't want to kill it, you can comment the relative line on the script.

It's also available a Reddit version of this program, with support to Gnome based Linux systems.

External contributions

• Thanks to theiwaz for his suggestions on multi monitor support
• Thanks to miladkdz for his suggestions on macOS Sierra support
• Thanks to vitovalov for his better implementation of the background change procedures
• Thanks to ctissier for the randomization trick to solve macOS cache issues
• Thanks to duongvu89 for the provided bug fixes
• Thanks to stefanskotte for the provided bug fix

Contacts

You can find me on Twitter as @auino.