TUAW Tips: Replace login screen background

Are you tired of the standard background for the login window? Well, if you are running Tiger or Leopard, you can easily change this picture to anything you wish. This is handy for schools or organizations who want a static background showing off their spiffy logo.

For Leopard Users
To change the background, just replace the picture file located here:

/System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg

Be sure to keep the original file in case you want to change it back to the original picture. We suggest changing the original to "DefaultDesktopOriginal.jpg" or something similar.

For Tiger Users
Tiger users don't have it as easy. You have to replace the picture by editing a login window preference file. Open Terminal and type in the following command, replacing "path_to_picture.jpg" with the actual path to the picture you want as the background:

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow DesktopPicture 'path_to_picture.jpg'

Since this is a sudo command, you will be required to authenticate as an administrator before the command will be run. Once you enter the command and logout, you should see the changes.

Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's TUAW Tips and Terminal Tips sections.

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Are you tired of the standard background for the login window? Well, if you are running Tiger or Leopard, you can easily change this...

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any idea how i get a wallpaper on the login screen after wake up.

October 30 2008 at 6:14 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Q-Kid-Kyle

okay. I want to do that. But I want to use one of the defaults that are in the systm prefs, in the desktop and screensavers. I want one of the pictures from there. Where are they in Leopard?

September 24 2008 at 6:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Nicholas Sanders

Anyone know how to change the Guest Desktop?

September 24 2008 at 8:21 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Howie Isaacks

Actually... Tiger users have it just as easy. There's no need to use Terminal. Tiger and the other versions before it default to any desktop background called Aqua Blue.jpg. Just name any background Aqua Blue.jpg and, place it in /Library/Desktop Pictures. It's as simple as that. I did it that way up until Leopard released.

September 23 2008 at 7:10 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

vivisimo

Is anyone aware of a method to eliminate the need for a scroll bar in the login window in Tiger? I have five family members (and their pictures) and we have to scroll to get to the last person's name/picture. It's kind of ridiculous when we have a 24" monitor.

September 22 2008 at 7:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Maxintech

Use the defaults tool to change a setting file /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow on Tiger or Leopard. Do not replace anything in /System/Library/CoreServices/. It's a bad practice.

September 22 2008 at 7:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ianlive

I read of something similar on TUAW back around the 10.5.1 release and used a 3rd party app to mod my login screen to a blue sky with clouds. It was from a female dev with her name on the app. Can't remember it.

Anyway, the app is gone from my Applications folder after doing some house cleaning and I can't seem to change the image any other way.

The image in /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg
is the correct Leopard background but is not the image at my login.

Just tried using the Apple app Desktop 2 Login suggested by Brandon above and it didn't work either.

Anyone have any idea who that original developer might have been or another work around?

Thanks for suggestions.

September 22 2008 at 5:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

supergrover

um...i love codes and all that, but you have to be really careful, and i don't think it's a great idea to risk something happening to change something you only see for 2 1/2 seconds. just my 5 cents (figuring for inflation-- :) )

September 22 2008 at 5:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

cowboy_k

Neat trick - I don't suppose there's any way to have different images for each monitor on a dual-(or multi-)monitor setup?

September 22 2008 at 3:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

same with leopard (.../water.jpg is an example):
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow DesktopPicture -string "/Library/Desktop Pictures/Nature/Water.jpg"

September 22 2008 at 3:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply