wimpwall - an almost-stealth wallpaper changer

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garbanzo · #1 Post by **garbanzo** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:12 pm

this small (236kb) app changes your wallpaper when your machine starts, but does not hang around after its job is done.

regfromapp implied that it does not write to the registry.

there is an install/uninstall button that adds/removes wimpwall from the system's startup folder.

the current wallpaper is saved to %temp%, but since many people clear that on finishing anyway, it's not a huge issue.

what i can't figure out however is how/where it saves a reference to whatever directories of images that you point it too. it remembers this until you click the 'uninstall' button.

http://www.chaucery.com/jme/wimpwall/

also look at a similar one by the same author that pulls images from flickr with keywords you specify, then sets those as the desktop on startup:

http://www.chaucery.com/jme/fleace/

appsuser · #2 Post by **appsuser** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:23 pm

If I'm reading the description of this app correctly, this is an automated wallpaper changer. In other words, it changes your computer's wallpaper settings automatically so that you don't have to do it manually. Furthermore, it doesn't change the wallpaper back to what it originally was. I think a program that permanently changes the host computer's settings is definitely not stealth. I would notice if someone changed the wallpaper on my computer.

nycjv321 · #3 Post by **nycjv321** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:49 pm

change it back yourself duh

this is one neat app

Thx

/me downloads

lajjal · #4 Post by **lajjal** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:21 pm

change it back yourself duh

That's a bit rude and I think someone who changed my wallpaper without asking me would also be rude. There is privacy and there is courtesy and this app violates both unless you are on your own computer. Not very portable then is it.

Queue · #5 Post by **Queue** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:40 pm

I'd strangle someone if they put a wallpaper on my desktop (blank black for me, thank you!).

236KB seems huge to me for something that just changes a wallpaper. Wallpapers aren't my bag, but would someone be interested in going into detail on the specifics of this program and what makes it special?

Is there any mechanism at all to have it change the desktop back to what it was? How is it changing the wallpaper without changing the registry; is the wallpaper image set somewhere file-based?

Queue

lajjal · #6 Post by **lajjal** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:32 pm

Spot on Queue.

garbanzo · #7 Post by **garbanzo** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:57 pm

good grief people, this is software, not infanticide. you're acting as if this is the most controversial thing you've encountered in weeks!

just remember that not everyone here uses portable apps as portable apps. i use them as 'clean' apps on my own computer. keeps my registry tidy, and makes my system 'modular' so it's infinitely easier to reformat when i need to.

there are lots of huge, bloated commercial apps that cycle through wallpaper images for you, so i was glad when i found a small, simple free one that doesn't write to the registry.

i don't use desktop icons and i make use of wallpaper images (i have a sense of whimsy, what can i say?). this app lets you fill a directory with images, and it changes the active wallpaper on system startup, then close itself so it is not resident in memory. it's for people who like variety i suppose.

for those of you who were offended by this post, just remember that you don't have to use this. anyway, you'll get over it soon enough

lajjal · #8 Post by **lajjal** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:40 pm

My, my, I think the only one taking offence here is you. I simply said I would be offended by the application's action. Nothing offends me about free speech. You have indicated that you are able to use this site as a resource for your purposes but your purposes have nothing to do with portability. I am glad you can find some things you like here particularly since the is no "clean"freeware.com. Maybe you should start one. The name is available.

Queue · #9 Post by **Queue** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:56 pm

Please try not to lash out directly at eachother. My questions were sincere, and you certainly answered my main one garbanzo (by explaining that there are many other very bloated desktop changers, so this one is good for its size and being non-resident). I agree that portability and stealth are separate issues, and I care more about not needing to install than about stealth (if it doesn't need to be installed to run, I have all sorts of options for handling stealthiness), but I do care about stealthiness.

No one need be offended, we simply have different tastes. nycjv321 for example, from my experience, is a big advocate of full open-sourcedness and can be quite blunt.

lajjal, please don't be so confrontational. I know just saying that is a contradiction. Whatever his purposes, garbanzo did present something portable and with completely positive intent. Remember that Mr. Lee described one of the reasons he uses portable software is so that if he has to, say, reinstall Windows, the portable software on another partition/drive is ready to go without reinstalling.

This is a place for submitting software. It's tough to sort through it all and it's a fair amount of work to just get a new database entry added; getting more specifics hashed out in a submission thread is a good thing.

Queue

garbanzo · #10 Post by **garbanzo** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:22 pm

i'm not offended, i just opined, same as everyone else. it amuses/fascinates the anthropologist in me that some people here get so wound up about fitting things into tight little categories. the computer geek in me sort of understands, but only partially... but from now on i'll try to keep those thoughts to myself.

this is a great site with great resources. when i need a tool, this is the first place i look. i'd rather use something small that doesn't need to be installed than have to push a big app into sandboxie just to use it for a few minutes.

the reason i post here even though i am not 'one of you' is simple. if i compare the number of active posters to the number of hits each thread gets, it is very clear to me that this forum has a large following, but most readers don't give feedback. i refuse to presume they are all so compulsive about the site's restrictive definition of 'portable app'. perhaps many just come here to find good, clean freeware

unless the mods give me the boot for being impure (or impudent? impertinent? insolent?), i'll keep on posting. i'm sure some people appreciate it

appsuser · #11 Post by **appsuser** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:23 am

Just wanted to remark that I wasn't commenting on this app's portability or its usefulness, just the fact that it wasn't stealth. I had to read the website's description of the app, because it was presented in this thread as "almost-stealth", and seemed to be short that by only a few unknown setting changes. My first thought of a stealthy wallpaper changer is that when I leave the host machine, it's back to the way it was before I got on it and ran my portable software. I have to admit, I've been looking for such an app, hence my interest. But this app unfortunately doesn't do it, so I tried to clear up any confusion others like me might have.

If I had to change the wallpaper back myself, I would have no need for an automated wallpaper changer program.

nycjv321 · #12 Post by **nycjv321** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:50 am

lajjal wrote:
change it back yourself duh

That's a bit rude and I think someone who changed my wallpaper without asking me would also be rude. There is privacy and there is courtesy and this app violates both unless you are on your own computer. Not very portable then is it.

I meant change it back before you leave the host... (Also it has option to uninstall it) (a few registry keys to me are nothing... sure its not stealth (hell I didn't even check

)

I find it funny how some crapapps are automatically accepted even they though write to the registry and others are scrutinized in every single aspect possible (size? lol) (a prime example being this app)

Ameri-CAIN · #13 Post by **Ameri-CAIN** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:45 am

I think I put my self into the same or similar category as Garbanzo. I love portable apps, and use them mostly on machines that belong to me. I don't use every app that I consider portable on every computer I come across. I use most just on my computers. That being said I look at no-install as most important, quality of the app is a close second, and finally stealth as a third consideration that comes into play typically only if I plan to use it outside of my personal computing environment. I understand we have our purists in these forums and I like to see how the purist weighs in on things such as stealthiness, but a Quality No-Install App will win out over stealth most days for me. And by the way, my computing environment is almost entirely Windows XP SP3, so for me (.NET)=Portable! Especially 3.0 since it is included in SP3.

nycjv321 · #14 Post by **nycjv321** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:21 am

yes in for your enviroment sure but in the *real* world not alot of pcs have sp3 installed or .net installed by defualt.... why would you anyway? buggy piece of software anyway lol.....

Also:Are we discussing our own pcs or publics pc's we need to be specific here.... If we are talking about stealth for this app then no if fails but in a closed enviroment then sure I think this is app is an ok candidate....