How can I use a .html file as desktop background/wallpaper?

I have one of those underpowered netbooks with Lubuntu. I also have an iPod Touch. I'd like the best of both worlds. So I would like to create an active html wallpaper with beautiful little squared icons to launch my webapps through Chromium/Firefox.

I've read a bit, but it looks like there isn't really anything that would allow for that.

Does anyone have any other alternatives (apart from buying an iPad)? :)

Solution 1:

Maybe Mozilla prism could help with some of what you want: http://prism.mozillalabs.com/, you can install prism from the repository by typing in your terminal;

sudo apt-get install prism

then launch prism and enter the URL to your web application, a shortcut to the web app can be created on your desktop,

you must right click on the web app shortcut on the desktop and allow execution, when the web app shortcut is double clicked your web app will start.

Solution 2:

This solution does not use HTML but provides an interface similar to what you seem to want.

LxLauncher

LxLauncher is an 'easy mode' launcher designed specifically for netbooks.

It provides a grid of icons that launch with a single click. You can add web apps to the Internet tab using the following steps. As an example, I will show how to add an Ask Ubuntu launcher.

Make a folder in your home folder for the icons for the web apps. I called this folder .favicons. Note that the '.' will make the folder hidden. You can toggle visibility of hidden folders in the file manager or file chooser dialog with Ctrl+H. Then get the icon for the website. To do this, go to getfavicon.org and enter the URL of the site into the text box.

You can then download the icon and put it in the .favicons folder.

Now click on the Preferences tab and click 'Main Menu'.

Click on 'Internet' and click 'Add Item'. You can then fill out the details. The command should be xdg-open URL. You can click on the icon button to locate the icon from your .favicons folder.

Close the windows and click the 'Internet' tab. The launcher for the web app should now be here. Clicking on it should open it in the default web browser.

Solution 3:

I'd like to add a neat trick to Sabacon's answer about using Prism... You can turn Prism into a sort of widget by removing the windowframe. Add this line in Compiz - Extras/Windows Decorations on the Decorations Windows line add this to the end & !(class=Prism) This removes the windowframe for all Prism windows. You can do this trick for almost any window/Application. Make sure there is a space before the & if there is anything else there.If not exclude the &.

This is what I use to remove the windowframe on all maximized windows and all prism windows (!state=maxvert) & !(class=Prism)