Displaying Desktop Image Names on Multiple Spaces - Sonoma 14.6

Question

Level 1

12 points

Displaying Desktop Image Names on Multiple Spaces - Sonoma 14.6

Under macOS Ventura (13.x), I cobbled together a process whereby I could query an Apple sqlite database at ~/Library/Application Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db to get the last five image names (I use 5 spaces) and then used a Shortcut and a nifty free program Plash to display the image names as an overlay on the desktop.

Then I upgraded (?) to Sonoma (14.6) and the process broke. By all my tinkering, including removing the .db file and letting macOS recreate it, that file does not appear to contain the image files. In fact, even though it's been recreated, it's now and forever a zero-byte file.

So where does Sonoma store these file names? Or does it?

There is a binary file, com.apple.wallpaper/Store/Index.plist that contains paths to folders, but not the actual file names of the images. Since Apple's own wallpaper images have names, there must be some kind of pointer or reference when choosing one of those. Shouldn't that also be the case for user-selected folders and images?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.6

Posted on Aug 2, 2024 10:28 AM

Reply

Answer 1

RestonMacGuy Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 6, 2024 9:30 AM in response to RestonMacGuy

I'm surprised that no one has even attempted an answer to this. Does no one know or care where desktop images are used? Apple has containers for the images it supplies with macOS, but when someone wants to use their own the level of support for that is non-existent beyond the System Settings control panel.

Reply

Answer 2

RestonMacGuy Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 12, 2024 5:04 AM in response to RestonMacGuy

I seem to be the only person interested in this topic. But I *am* interested. I'm a registered Apple Developer, and so I have also raised this on the Developer forum. I received a reply, but the best help I got was a suggestion to submit an enhancement request, which I have done.

This morning, my frustration was re-ignited, as a photo I took recently on a trip was showing as my desktop image. It's a photo that I like, but there are some tweaks I think would make it better. So, what's the image file name? I can't tell, which means if I'm going to edit the photo, I have to launch my editing software, open the folder with those photos and search. A lot of work that could be shortcut if I knew the file name. Grrr.

Reply