Otter-shell · #29

otter-wallpaper only changes wallpaper after logout

ClosedBugUrgent3 votes3 commentsby Zello

I tried the new otter-settings --wallpaper-picker and the wallpaper picker inside the settings both dont instantly change the wallpaper like they used to but instead change it after you either logout or reboot kinda weird also the wallpaper picker when you use the command otter-settings --wallpaper-picker doesnt have the apply button idk if thats intentional or not

Bug report

Steps to reproduce

otter-settings --wallpaper-picker or wallpapers in settings click on wallpaper and press apply

Expected behavior

It should change the wallpaper instantly

Actual behavior

It doesnt change the wallpaper unless you reboot or log out

Environment

otter-shell ver 0.11.68-101 mangowm

Discussion

CannonBall 💣

otter-wallpaper --random works fine for me.

otter-settings --wallpaper-picker opens the picker, after i select a wallpaper it closes but the wallpaper is not changed after that the wallpaper picker in the settings also doesn't work anymore.

Zukureneno

Just to add to this.

I haven't messed around with my wallpaper settings and before the wallpaper would be selected randomly.

It stopped working entirely on my end. And i've been using only Otter-settings to manage that. (can't remember when it stopped working but its recent) Screenshot from 2026-08-17 13-59-56

Ferreo

Fixed and pushed.

Cause: otter-settings writes configs with temp+rename. Daemons watched the file inode and only treated IN_CLOSE_WRITE as a change, so the watch died and wallpaper (and other configs) only updated after logout.

Fix: otter-conf Watcher.watchConfigPath watches the parent directory and drainChanged() reloads at most once per event batch. IN_IGNORED is not a content change, so watch refresh cannot loop.

CLI picker still applies on thumbnail click (no extra Apply button). otter-wallpaper --random was already an in-place write.

Pushed to otter-conf, otter-wallpaper, otter-theme, otter-bar, otter-notifications, otter-osd, otter-idle, otter-transcribe, otter-term, otter-weather, otter-clip, otter-polkit, otter-theme-gen, otter-tools-core.