How can I change my desktop background with python?

On Windows with python2.5 or higher, use ctypes to load user32.dll and call SystemParametersInfo() with SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER action.

For example:

import ctypesSPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER = 20 ctypes.windll.user32.SystemParametersInfoA(SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, 0, "image.jpg" , 0)

For Python3.5, SystemParametersInfoA doesn't work. Use SystemParametersInfoW.

import ctypesctypes.windll.user32.SystemParametersInfoW(20, 0, "absolute path" , 0)

I use the following method in one of my initial projects:

    def set_wallpaper(self,file_loc, first_run):        # Note: There are two common Linux desktop environments where         # I have not been able to set the desktop background from         # command line: KDE, Enlightenment        desktop_env = self.get_desktop_environment()        try:            if desktop_env in ["gnome", "unity", "cinnamon"]:                uri = "'file://%s'" % file_loc                try:                    SCHEMA = "org.gnome.desktop.background"                    KEY = "picture-uri"                    gsettings = Gio.Settings.new(SCHEMA)                    gsettings.set_string(KEY, uri)                except:                    args = ["gsettings", "set", "org.gnome.desktop.background", "picture-uri", uri]                    subprocess.Popen(args)            elif desktop_env=="mate":                try: # MATE >= 1.6                    # info from http://wiki.mate-desktop.org/docs:gsettings                    args = ["gsettings", "set", "org.mate.background", "picture-filename", "'%s'" % file_loc]                    subprocess.Popen(args)                except: # MATE < 1.6                    # From https://bugs.launchpad.net/variety/+bug/1033918                    args = ["mateconftool-2","-t","string","--set","/desktop/mate/background/picture_filename",'"%s"' %file_loc]                    subprocess.Popen(args)            elif desktop_env=="gnome2": # Not tested                # From https://bugs.launchpad.net/variety/+bug/1033918                args = ["gconftool-2","-t","string","--set","/desktop/gnome/background/picture_filename", '"%s"' %file_loc]                subprocess.Popen(args)            ## KDE4 is difficult            ## see http://blog.zx2c4.com/699 for a solution that might work            elif desktop_env in ["kde3", "trinity"]:                # From http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-803417.html                args = 'dcop kdesktop KBackgroundIface setWallpaper 0 "%s" 6' % file_loc                subprocess.Popen(args,shell=True)            elif desktop_env=="xfce4":                #From http://www.commandlinefu.com/commands/view/2055/change-wallpaper-for-xfce4-4.6.0                if first_run:                    args0 = ["xfconf-query", "-c", "xfce4-desktop", "-p", "/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-path", "-s", file_loc]                    args1 = ["xfconf-query", "-c", "xfce4-desktop", "-p", "/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-style", "-s", "3"]                    args2 = ["xfconf-query", "-c", "xfce4-desktop", "-p", "/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-show", "-s", "true"]                    subprocess.Popen(args0)                    subprocess.Popen(args1)                    subprocess.Popen(args2)                args = ["xfdesktop","--reload"]                subprocess.Popen(args)            elif desktop_env=="razor-qt": #TODO: implement reload of desktop when possible                if first_run:                    desktop_conf = configparser.ConfigParser()                    # Development version                    desktop_conf_file = os.path.join(self.get_config_dir("razor"),"desktop.conf")                     if os.path.isfile(desktop_conf_file):                        config_option = r"screens\1\desktops\1\wallpaper"                    else:                        desktop_conf_file = os.path.join(self.get_home_dir(),".razor/desktop.conf")                        config_option = r"desktops\1\wallpaper"                    desktop_conf.read(os.path.join(desktop_conf_file))                    try:                        if desktop_conf.has_option("razor",config_option): #only replacing a value                            desktop_conf.set("razor",config_option,file_loc)                            with codecs.open(desktop_conf_file, "w", encoding="utf-8", errors="replace") as f:                                desktop_conf.write(f)                    except:                        pass                else:                    #TODO: reload desktop when possible                    pass             elif desktop_env in ["fluxbox","jwm","openbox","afterstep"]:                #http://fluxbox-wiki.org/index.php/Howto_set_the_background                # used fbsetbg on jwm too since I am too lazy to edit the XML configuration                 # now where fbsetbg does the job excellent anyway.                 # and I have not figured out how else it can be set on Openbox and AfterSTep                # but fbsetbg works excellent here too.                try:                    args = ["fbsetbg", file_loc]                    subprocess.Popen(args)                except:                    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: Failed to set wallpaper with fbsetbg!\n")                    sys.stderr.write("Please make sre that You have fbsetbg installed.\n")            elif desktop_env=="icewm":                # command found at http://urukrama.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/desktop-backgrounds-in-window-managers/                args = ["icewmbg", file_loc]                subprocess.Popen(args)            elif desktop_env=="blackbox":                # command found at http://blackboxwm.sourceforge.net/BlackboxDocumentation/BlackboxBackground                args = ["bsetbg", "-full", file_loc]                subprocess.Popen(args)            elif desktop_env=="lxde":                args = "pcmanfm --set-wallpaper %s --wallpaper-mode=scaled" % file_loc                subprocess.Popen(args,shell=True)            elif desktop_env=="windowmaker":                # From http://www.commandlinefu.com/commands/view/3857/set-wallpaper-on-windowmaker-in-one-line                args = "wmsetbg -s -u %s" % file_loc                subprocess.Popen(args,shell=True)            ## NOT TESTED BELOW - don't want to mess things up ##            #elif desktop_env=="enlightenment": # I have not been able to make it work on e17. On e16 it would have been something in this direction            #    args = "enlightenment_remote -desktop-bg-add 0 0 0 0 %s" % file_loc            #    subprocess.Popen(args,shell=True)            #elif desktop_env=="windows": #Not tested since I do not run this on Windows            #    #From https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1977694/change-desktop-background            #    import ctypes            #    SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER = 20            #    ctypes.windll.user32.SystemParametersInfoA(SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, 0, file_loc , 0)            #elif desktop_env=="mac": #Not tested since I do not have a mac            #    #From https://stackoverflow.com/questions/431205/how-can-i-programatically-change-the-background-in-mac-os-x            #    try:            #        from appscript import app, mactypes            #        app('Finder').desktop_picture.set(mactypes.File(file_loc))            #    except ImportError:            #        #import subprocess            #        SCRIPT = """/usr/bin/osascript<<END            #        tell application "Finder" to            #        set desktop picture to POSIX file "%s"            #        end tell            #        END"""            #        subprocess.Popen(SCRIPT%file_loc, shell=True)            else:                if first_run: #don't spam the user with the same message over and over again                    sys.stderr.write("Warning: Failed to set wallpaper. Your desktop environment is not supported.")                    sys.stderr.write("You can try manually to set Your wallpaper to %s" % file_loc)                return False            return True        except:            sys.stderr.write("ERROR: Failed to set wallpaper. There might be a bug.\n")            return False    def get_config_dir(self, app_name=APP_NAME):        if "XDG_CONFIG_HOME" in os.environ:            confighome = os.environ['XDG_CONFIG_HOME']         elif "APPDATA" in os.environ: # On Windows            confighome = os.environ['APPDATA']         else:            try:                from xdg import BaseDirectory                   confighome =  BaseDirectory.xdg_config_home            except ImportError: # Most likely a Linux/Unix system anyway                confighome =  os.path.join(self.get_home_dir(),".config")        configdir = os.path.join(confighome,app_name)        return configdir    def get_home_dir(self):        if sys.platform == "cygwin":            home_dir = os.getenv('HOME')        else:            home_dir = os.getenv('USERPROFILE') or os.getenv('HOME')        if home_dir is not None:            return os.path.normpath(home_dir)        else:            raise KeyError("Neither USERPROFILE or HOME environment variables set.")

The get_desktop_environment method has been posted in another thread.