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Created September 15, 2025 13:29
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How to change Login Screen Background of Kali Linux

How to Change Background of Login Screen of Kali Linux

πŸ” Change Lockscreen (LightDM) in Kali Linux XFCE

This guide explains how to customize the lock/login screen in Kali Linux XFCE (LightDM).


1. Backup Current Config

sudo cp /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf.bak

2. Edit Greeter Config

Open the greeter config:

sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf

Example configuration:

[greeter]
background = /usr/share/backgrounds/post-apocalyptic_hacker.png
theme-name = Kali-Dark
xft-antialias = true
xft-hintstyle = slight
xft-rgba = rgb
font-name = Hack 11
icon-theme-name = Flat-Remix-Blue-Light
xft-dpi = 96
indicators = ~host;~spacer;~session;~layout;~a11y;~clock;~power;
clock-format = %d %b, %I:%M %p
screensaver-timeout = 60
default-user-image = #emblem-kali
keyboard = onboard
position = 74%,center 50%,center
  • background β†’ Path to your wallpaper (PNG/JPG).

  • theme-name β†’ GTK theme (must be installed).

  • icon-theme-name β†’ Icon pack for login screen.

  • font-name β†’ Font style.

Backup Config:

[greeter]
background = /usr/share/desktop-base/kali-theme/login/background
theme-name = Kali-Light
font-name = Cantarell 11
icon-theme-name = Flat-Remix-Blue-Light
xft-antialias = true
xft-dpi = 96
xft-hintstyle = slight
xft-rgba = rgb
indicators = ~host;~spacer;~session;~layout;~a11y;~clock;~power;
clock-format = %d %b, %H:%M
screensaver-timeout = 60
default-user-image = #emblem-kali
keyboard = onboard

Original Config:

# LightDM GTK Configuration
# Available configuration options listed below.
# Please list the configuration options that you want to use after [greeter] without the # for example:
# [greeter]
# example-option=example-value
#
# Appearance:
#  theme-name = GTK theme to use
#  icon-theme-name = Icon theme to use
#  cursor-theme-name = Cursor theme to use
#  cursor-theme-size = Cursor size to use
#  background = Background file to use, either an image path or a color (e.g. #772953)
#  user-background = false|true ("true" by default)  Display user background (if available)
#  transition-duration = Length of time (in milliseconds) to transition between background images ("500" by default)
#  transition-type = ease-in-out|linear|none  ("ease-in-out" by default)
#
# Fonts:
#  font-name = Font to use
#  xft-antialias = false|true  Whether to antialias Xft fonts
#  xft-dpi = Resolution for Xft in dots per inch (e.g. 96)
#  xft-hintstyle = none|slight|medium|hintfull  What degree of hinting to use
#  xft-rgba = none|rgb|bgr|vrgb|vbgr  Type of subpixel antialiasing
#
# Login window:
#  active-monitor = Monitor to display greeter window (name or number). Use #cursor value to display greeter at monitor with cursor. Can be a semicolon separated list
#  position = x y ("50% 50%" by default)  Login window position
#  default-user-image = Image used as default user icon, path or #icon-name
#  hide-user-image = false|true ("false" by default)
#  round-user-image = false|true ("true" by default)
#  highlight-logged-user  = false|true ("true" by default)
#
# Panel:
#  panel-position = top|bottom ("top" by default)
#  clock-format = strftime-format string, e.g. %H:%M
#  indicators = semi-colon ";" separated list of allowed indicator modules. Built-in indicators include "~a11y", "~language", "~session", "~power", "~clock", "~host", "~spacer", "~layout". Unity indicators can be represented by short name (e.g. "sound", "power"), service file name, or absolute path
#  keyboard-layouts = semi-colon ";" separated list keyboard layouts to be listed by the "~layout" indicator (empty by default which provides all available layouts)
#
# Accessibility:
#  a11y-states = states of accessibility features: "name" - save state on exit, "-name" - disabled at start (default value for unlisted), "+name" - enabled at start. Allowed names: contrast, font, keyboard, reader.
#  keyboard = command to launch on-screen keyboard (e.g. "onboard")
#  keyboard-position = x y[;width height] ("50%,center -0;50% 25%" by default)  Works only for "onboard"
#  reader = command to launch screen reader (e.g. "orca")
#  at-spi-enabled = false|true ("true" by default) Enables accessibility at-spi-command if the greeter is built with it enabled
#
# Security:
#  allow-debugging = false|true ("false" by default)
#  screensaver-timeout = Timeout (in seconds) until the screen blanks when the greeter is called as lockscreen
#
# Session:
#  default-session = session manager to be started when none has been selected by the user and no one is set as last used (unset by default)
#
# Template for per-monitor configuration:
#  [monitor: name]
#  background = overrides default value
#  user-background = overrides default value
#  laptop = false|true ("false" by default) Marks monitor as laptop display
#  transition-duration = overrides default value
#
[greeter]
#background=
#user-background=
#theme-name=
#icon-theme-name=
#font-name=
#xft-antialias=
#xft-dpi=
#xft-hintstyle=
#xft-rgba=
#indicators=
#clock-format=
#keyboard=
#reader=
#position=
#screensaver-timeout=

3. Apply Changes

Restart LightDM to apply:

sudo systemctl restart lightdm

4. Restore Backup (if broken):

sudo mv /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf.bak /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf
sudo systemctl restart lightdm

Or You can just Restart the PC

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post-apocalyptic_hacker

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