meteo.cat wallpaper generator

This script generates a wallpaper by fetching radar images and combining them with background maps of Catalonia, all sourced from meteo.cat. The wallpaper is then set as the desktop background.

How it works

• Downloads the latest radar images from meteo.cat.
• Combines the radar images into a single image.
• Overlays the radar image on top of a background map of Catalonia.
• Sets the resulting image as the desktop wallpaper.

Requirements

• Python 3.12
• ImageMagick
• Inkscape
• GNOME: gsettings

Installation

To install required packages, use:

> pipenv install

Python virtualenv management tool pipenv is required.

Usage

To generate the wallpaper and set it as your desktop background, simply run:

> ./meteocat.py

Commands

• check-dependencies: Checks if all required dependencies are installed.
• generate-background: Downloads and generates the 4K background map of Catalonia.
• generate-wallpaper: Generates the wallpaper with the latest radar data (default command).

Run periodically

To schedule this script to run every 6 minutes using systemd timer, you can follow these steps:

1. Create a .service file named meteocat_wallpaper_generator.service in the /etc/systemd/system/ directory with the following contents:

   [Unit]
   Description=meteo.cat wallpaper generator
   
   [Service]
   Type=oneshot
   WorkingDirectory=/<<path>>/meteocat
   ExecStart=/usr/bin/pipenv run ./meteocat.py

   • The WorkingDirectory directive specifies the absolute path to the directory where the script is located.
   • The ExecStart directive specifies the absolute path to the script.

2. Create a .timer file named meteocat_wallpaper_generator.timer in the /etc/systemd/system/ directory with the following contents:

   [Unit]
   Description=Run meteo.cat wallpaper generator script every 6 minutes
   
   [Timer]
   OnCalendar=*:0/6
   Persistent=true
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=timers.target

   • The OnCalendar directive specifies the exact time when the service should be run. In this case, every 6 minutes.
   • The Persistent directive ensures that the service is run even if the system is restarted.

3. Reload the systemd daemon to recognize the new service and timer:

   systemctl daemon-reload

4. Start the timer:

   systemctl start meteocat_wallpaper_generator.timer

5. Enable the timer so that it starts automatically on boot:

   systemctl enable meteocat_wallpaper_generator.timer

6. You can check the status of the timer using the following command:

   systemctl list-timers --all

   This will show you all the timers that are currently active on your system. You should see your new timer listed there.

Disclaimer

This script is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Use it at your own risk.