Linux Mint

I know this is late, but in case someone else find this, in the Software Manager, there is a package called

Hidamari

Which is a flatpak and claims to play video wallpapers. I have not tried nor endorsing it, in the description it mentions "Similar functionality to Xwinwrap + mpv or Komorebi, with more features." So I assume those are alternatives as well.

I found this solution, untested, for a more basic solution

First, ensure mpv is installed. Open your terminal and run:

sudo apt update sudo apt install mpv

Step 1: Create the Script

We will create a simple shell script that tells mpv to play a video, hide all window decorations, make it transparent, and place it behind everything else.

Open your text editor (e.g., gedit or nano).
Paste the following code. Replace /path/to/your/video.mp4 with the actual path to your video file.

#!/bin/bash

# CONFIGURATION
# REPLACE THE LINE BELOW with the actual path to your video file
VIDEO_FILE="/home/your_username/path/to/your_video.mp4"

# MPV FLAGS
# --no-border: Removes window title and borders
# --loop-file=inf: Loops the video forever
# --geometry=100%x100%: Forces the window to fill the screen
# --ontop=no: Ensures the video stays BEHIND other windows
# --keepaspect=no: Stretches video to fill screen (removes black bars)
# --fs: Forces fullscreen mode
# --video-unscaled=downscale-big: Helps with scaling on different resolutions
# --no-audio: Mutes the video (recommended for wallpapers)
# --hwdec=auto: Uses hardware acceleration for better performance
# --vo=x11: Uses X11 backend (best for Linux Mint Cinnamon)
# --input-default-bindings=no: Disables keyboard shortcuts inside the player

mpv \
    --no-border \
    --loop-file=inf \
    --geometry=100%x100% \
    --ontop=no \
    --keepaspect=no \
    --fs \
    --video-unscaled=downscale-big \
    --no-audio \
    --hwdec=auto \
    --vo=x11 \
    --input-default-bindings=no \
    "$VIDEO_FILE"

Save the file as ~/bin/wallpaper.sh (create the bin folder if it doesn't exist: mkdir -p ~/bin).
Make the script executable:

chmod +x ~/bin/wallpaper.sh

Step 2: Test the Script

Run the script manually to ensure it works:

~/bin/wallpaper.sh

Expected Behavior: The video should play full screen, muted, with no title bar, and you should still be able to move your mouse and open other windows on top of it.
Troubleshooting:
    If the video plays on top of your windows: Add --z=-1 to the flags (some compositors require this).
    If the video is black: Ensure the path is correct and the file format is supported.
    If it lags: Try adding --profile=fast or ensuring --hwdec=auto is active.

Step 3: Automate on Startup

To make this run every time you log in:

Open the Startup Applications tool in Linux Mint (search for it in the menu).
Click Add.
Name: MPV Wallpaper
Command: bash ~/bin/wallpaper.sh
Comment: Sets video as background
Click Add.

The above assumes you are using Cinnamon which has built in compositing, for icewm and twm you might need picom or other solutions to make it work.