I've created a Bash script that randomizes my desktop wallpaper from a specific folder. I've also configured it to start automatically when my PC boots up via the hyprland.conf file. However, I've noticed that over time, the script consumes all available RAM. What can I do to prevent my script from using up so much memory? Here's the code I'm currently using:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
Wallpaper_Dir="$HOME/.wallpaper/"
Current_Wall=$(hyprctl hyprpaper listloaded)
while [ 1 ]
do
Wallpaper=$(find "$Wallpaper_Dir" -type f ! -name "$(basename "$Current_Wall")" | shuf -n 1)
if [[ -n "$Wallpaper" && "$Wallpaper" != "$Current_Wall" ]]; then
hyprctl hyprpaper reload "$Wallpaper"
hyprctl hyprpaper wallpaper "eDp-1,$Wallpaper"
fi
sleep 5s
done
```
5 Answers
You're changing wallpapers every 5 seconds, which is pretty frequent and might be contributing to the RAM usage spike. Try increasing the sleep duration to see if that helps—maybe every 30 seconds or so instead?
Make sure to post your script so we can take a closer look at it! I'm curious to know what makes you think it's the script that's causing the RAM usage to increase. What have you observed?
I've monitored my system, and the RAM usage keeps climbing over time when I run the script, so I'm convinced it’s the issue.
You might be misinterpreting the memory usage. The system often caches things to optimize performance, so even if it seems like RAM is getting used up, it doesn’t always mean it’s a problem. Free memory includes your buffer/cache, which the system can quickly handle when needed.
It sounds like you might be dealing with a memory leak in `hyprpaper`. I suggest checking out some GitHub issues they're tracking—particularly issues #63 and #143. Periodically using `unload` might also help to reduce the memory usage. If things don't improve, reaching out to the developers could be your best bet—unless you're up for learning some C++ to fix it yourself!
Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check those issues out!
It’s interesting to think that running a script isn’t the only way to manage your wallpapers. You can also use the built-in options in your desktop settings to handle slideshows without any script at all!
I just wanted the experience of writing a Bash script to achieve this!
I used to have it set to 30 seconds, but it still headed towards 99% usage. I’ll experiment with longer intervals.