Q: How does one change the login screen background in Lion 10.7.4

thanks, but this is not what i want. I will change the grey Login Background with my own PNG File. The login warning is nice, but not helpful.

More Ideas?

I think this might help you out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8DDvDyBMDQ

KrisCoady wrote:

 

I think this might help you out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8DDvDyBMDQ

Kris,

Like a lot of people posting in this thread, you are not understanding the full story here.  That video you make a link for, is for versions of Lion 10.7.3, and prior. The point is that the newest build, just relaesed a couple of days ago, 10.7.4, doesn't work with that procedure outlined in the video for changing the login background image, anymore. Nuff said.

Now on with the subject of the OP,

Changing the appleLinen.png file only serves to replace the center apple logo. This logo is layered below the login dialog section, but above the three buttons below the login. So, by doing it in this method, you risk covering the action buttons at the bottom. You can deal with it in one of two ways.... Place Button image sections in your replacement image, or make transparency sections where the existing buttons are located.

Here's a sample file, where I performed the latter on a replacemnt for appleLinen.png. I will continue to work on it to re-create the buttons on another image. BTW, this is scaled for the 13" MacBook Air. I kinda doubt that it will work, as is , for the 11".

And can anyone tell us why Apple is so hot to keep us from modifying our log-in screens? Why go to the hassle of hiding this? Are our screens not boring enough?

On the practical (as opposed to purely aesthetic) side, we re-image several thousand school computers every summer, and we use a different log-in screen image every year. That way, we can tell at boot what version a machine is using.

Another linen background tile I havn't been able to locate so far is the one that appears behind native fullscreen apps if there is a delay in opening or closing the app. Some of the very first versions of 10.7 would use the same background linen tile for fullscreen apps as for Mission Control (or for login screen, I don't remember). I don't know whether they changed that in 10.7.2 or 10.7.3, but I remember I was disappointed that my transparent fullscreen Terminal no longer featured the Mission Control (or login screen) background so I stopped using the fullscreen Terminal.

For all I know, the fullscreen linen background tile might be identical to the 10.7.4 login screen linen background tile, or it might be different, but I haven't located either one.

There are some background linen tiles in TIFF files, but they are not the one we are searching for here:

/System/Library/CoreServices/Language Chooser.app/Contents/Resources/defaultdesktop.tiff

/System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app/Contents/Resources/defaultdesktop.tiff

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SetupAssistant.framework/Versions/A/Resources/ defaultdesktop.tiff

Sure, that does not solve the problem of locating the login screen linen background tile, but knowing that there are TIFF linen background tiles and an unknown (to me) fullscreen linen background tile might help amplifying the search.

I don't recall the login background screen as having been "full screen". I vaguely recall (perhaps erroniously) it was a tiled image. It was possible to replace it with an image the same pixel dimensions as the screen. The image would probably tile, but the first tile was the same size as the screen so it wasn't a problem. Plug in another screen and you could see the tiling.

It used to be in /System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Versions/C/Resources/NSTexturedFull ScreenBackgroundColor.png

I did change my log in wall paper too. it works fine, but it doesn't cover whole area which I don't know why. My picture size is 1280x800.

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/LoginUIKit.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/Log inUICore.framework/Versions/A/Resources/appleLinen.png

Go to the  Menu

Click "about this mac"

Select the Display tab

See if it matches what your screen resolution is.    

I am not sure where, but I know that when switching "Spaces" or when changing from one full screen app to the main screen, the image is the same file as it is in the loginwindow. If it is posible to figure out where "Spaces" is using getting its image from, that might solve the whole issue.    

I found a download that changed the login screen and even the logo! This works so well! the link is right below. Its basically drag and drop what picture you want to use and this aplcation does it for you.

http://loginox.branox.com/

@Your Average Guy : brilliant, that worked a charm! thank you!

The same thing happened to me inexplicably.

It sounds like everyone is getting the gray textured background during login (it looks like a gray woven tack-board to me) which they find to be undesierable.  I don't like it either, but mostly because I thought it may have been booting into some Safe or Recovery mode which I believe have this background; whereas before the login screen was different.

I believe it has something to do with FileVault.  Shortly after getting my MacBook Air and setting up for the first use, I turned FileVault ON to encrypt the local HD.  Ever since I first logged onto my computer the start-up sequence has been the following:

Power on -->Bright white screen --> The Apple logo on top of the circular user name icons which are on top of Restart and Shut Down buttons, slowly fades into view --> after choosing a user account and entering password, everything fades out except for the Apple logo that drops down to the center of the screen --> the activity icon makes a couple of revolutions and the Desktop slowly slides into view.

Now, a few days ago, I attached the USB Superdrive to install Diablo 3.  I was unable to install the game for some reason (what a surprise) and, after searching troubleshooting guides, I found that the game was incompatible with FileVault.  So, I turn FileVault OFF, it has to resart the computer before decrypting the HD.  It was after the restart that I first noticed a different login screen and sequence from then on, which goes like this:

Power on --> large Apple logo appears and the activity icon makes several revolutions --> then the gray textured background appears with only the round user icons and three buttons below them (Sleep, Restart, and Shut Down) --> after entering password, an activity icon appears within the password field, makes half a revolution before the Desktop slides into view.  Startup was a bit slower as well, I noticed.  Also, my screen saver was reset to the default (if there is one).

Anyway, after much searching, I decided to try turning FileVault back ON and after the restart, the first login sequence I described returned without the gray textured background just like it always was.  Kind of wierd, don't know what is going on behind the scenes but seems to have something to do with FileVault.

Well, this loginox app certainly works...

http://loginox.branox.com/

Anyone figure out what it's doing?  Nothing like not being able to figure out something that used to be so simple.  ;^)

It replaces the SArtFile.bin in your System CoreUI Private Framework. (Or atleast that is what Package Maker told me)