(NOTE) This project is no longer being maintained. Apple changed window management since HighSierra OS.

If your operating system is HighSierra or newer install instructions should default to a deprecated version.

If your operating system is Sierra or lower install instructions will provide the full experience.

Screen Saver to Desktop Background on Startup

Only for Macintosh Computers, enjoy.
If you can think of a better name please let me know.

Completely open source so feel free to contribute to or learn from project development.

Now supporting Battery Monitoring:

For people with laptops.

1. Application will only run if computer is at '20%' or 'charging' 🤓
2. A single notification will tell the user to plug in their computer. 😘

Most stable when installing for current user instead of across all users.

Installation (no programming experience needed)

1. Click here to Download
2. Unzip the downloaded file.
3. hold "ctrl" and Open Installer and confirm installation.
   note: after installing ... program runs at startup or waking from sleep.

Installation (for inquisitive programmers.)

1. git clone https://github.com/MichaelDimmitt/Aerial_Desktop.git;
2. cd Aerial_Desktop;
3. open .hide/bin/Installer.app #Application will default to Aerial ScreenSaver
   
4. Syntax for additional screensavers.
   open .hide/bin/Installer.app --args StarWarsScroll
   note: Uninstall with "open .hide/bin/Stop.app"

Usage:

Setting the program as your Desktop Background can be toggled after installation with "Start.app and "Stop.app" ... implementing "Stop.app" will leave "Aerial" as your default screensaver. This app can support other Screensavers as Backgrounds. If you would like that email me at [email protected] or open an issue.

Adjusting Aerial Settings

1. Open System Preferences -> Desktop & Screen Saver -> Screen Saver
2. Choose Aerial and click on Screen Saver Options to select your settings.
3. Location Labels not installed by default, check "Show Label for Location" in Screen Saver Options.

Uninstallation

• Open .hide/bin/Stop.app to uninstall.
• Right-click on the Aerial screen saver in System Preferences and select Delete "Aerial".
• Or delete the file(s) directly. macOS can store screen savers in two locations. /Library/Screen Savers and /Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Screen Savers. Check both locations for a file called "Aerial.saver" and delete any copies you find.

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Aerial Installed by default with project.

If you only want Aerial as a screensaver without the desktop change, simply open Uninstall.app
and you are done! The afterward uninstall steps are for removing the Aerial Screensaver.

To find more information on Aerial navigate to: https://github.com/JohnCoates/Aerial

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Note:

The screensaver engine takes your default screensaver to project as a desktop background.

Community

• Found a bug? Open an issue. Try to be as specific as possible.
• Have a feature request? Open an issue. Tell me why this feature would be useful, and why you and others would want it.

Contribute

I appreciate all pull requests.

Useful Links

When I wanted the screensaver as a desktop background these were the windows to the solution.

techradar_article_By_MacLife_Set_Screen_Saver_as_Desktop_Background

When I wanted the change to happen when the computer woke from sleep:

https://nathangrigg.com/2012/07/schedule-jobs-using-launchd https://github.com/MichaelDimmitt/mac_plist_launch_agent

License

MIT License