http://lispm.dyndns.org/desktops-1/symbolics-manuals.jpg

http://images.google.de/images?hl=de&q=Fluxbox&sa=N&tab=wi

I'm using the standard windows background, because I have always at least
an eMail client at fullscreen, with all other programs at fullscreen, too,
and switching between the programs with a double height task bar, so I
never see the background.

http://www.frank-buss.de/tmp/desktop.jpg

  http://apollomaniacs.web.infoseek.co.jp/apollo/aps_wallpapere.htm

And here you can get a gazillion and a half more stunning images:

  http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html

This script is written in Ruby (yeah I know, not lisp) and its free
software (GPL2). If you make changes/improvements, please pass them along
to them so that I can reintegrate them back into my version.

Also, be forewarned that the script does not cleanup after itself and will
leave droppings in /tmp/apod. Also, feel free to remove the xsetbg system
call at the end of the script if you'd prefer to run it yourself instead.

Set your screen resolution and the directories you want to use at the
beginning of the file.

Enjoy,
Brandon Edens

#!/usr/bin/ruby -w
#--
# apod - script to pull the astronomy picture of the day and generate an image
# suitable as a desktop wallpaper.
# See: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod
#
# Copyright (c) 2006 Matthew Brandon Edens
# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
# GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
# Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
#++

# This program requires both RMagick and wget to function.
require 'ftools'
require 'fileutils'
require 'date'
require 'tmpdir'
require 'RMagick'

# globals - tweak the program here
SCREEN_WIDTH=1280
SCREEN_HEIGHT=768

TMPDIR="/tmp/apod"

HOME="/home/brandon"
WALLPAPER="#{HOME}/wallpaper.jpg"
HIGHRES="#{HOME}/media/pictures/astronomy_picture_of_the_day/highres"
DESKTOP="#{HOME}/media/pictures/astronomy_picture_of_the_day/wallpaper"

def wrap(str, max_size)
    all = []
    line = ''
    for l in str.split
        if (line+l).length >= max_size
            all.push(line)
            line = ''
        end
        line += line == '' ? l : ' ' + l
    end
    all.push(line).join("\n")
end

def month_to_number(str)
  case str
  when "January"
    return 1
  when "February"
    return 2
  when "March"
    return 3
  when "April"
    return 4
  when "May"
    return 5
  when "June"
    return 6
  when "July"
    return 7
  when "August"
    return 8
  when "September"
    return 9
  when "October"
    return 10
  when "November"
    return 11
  when "December"
    return 12
  end
end

if $0 == __FILE__
  url = ARGV[0]

  # some initial directory creation
  FileUtils.mkdir(TMPDIR) unless File.directory?(TMPDIR)

  # pull down the needed astronomy picture of the day images and html
  wget = Kernel.system("wget -q -nd -nc -O#{TMPDIR}/index.html #{ARGV[0] ? ARGV[0] : 'http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/index.html'}")
  wget = Kernel.system("wget -q -nd -nc -r -l1 -P#{TMPDIR} --accept jpg,png,gif,jpeg,index.html #{ARGV[0] ? ARGV[0] : 'http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/index.html'}")
  # open the astronomy index.html to get names of images and explanation
  index = File.open("#{TMPDIR}/index.html")
  st = index.read =~ /<body.*?>/im
  index.rewind
  en = index.read =~ /<\/body>/im
  index.rewind
  text = index.read[st...en]

  # get the date from the index html page pulled down from the site
  re = /([0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]) (January|February|March|April|May|June|July|August|September|October|Novemb er|December) ([0-9]+)/m
  md = re.match(text)
  year = md[1]
  month = month_to_number(md[2])
  day = md[3]
  date = "#{md[1]} #{md[2]} #{md[3]}"
  date_directory = "#{year}-#{month}-#{day}"

  # get the high resolution image filename
  re = /#{date}.*?<a href="(.*?)">/im
  md = re.match(text)
  tmp_str = md[1]
  re = /.*\/(.*?)$/m
  md = re.match(tmp_str)
  highres = md[1]

  # get the low resolution image filename
  re = /#{date}.*?<img src="(.*?)"/im
  md = re.match(text)
  tmp_str = md[1]
  re = /.*\/(.*?)$/m
  md = re.match(tmp_str)
  lowres = md[1]

  # get the explanation
  re = /(Explanation:.*?)Tomorrow's picture:/m
  md = re.match(text)
  explanation = md[1]
  explanation = wrap(explanation.gsub(/<.*?>/m, ""), 65)

  # generate the desktop wallpaper
  image = Magick::ImageList.new("#{TMPDIR}/#{lowres}")
  background = Magick::Image.new(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT) { self.background_color = 'black' }
  text = Magick::Draw.new
  wallpaper = background.composite(image, Magick::EastGravity, Magick::OverCompositeOp)
  text.annotate(wallpaper, (SCREEN_WIDTH - image.columns), SCREEN_HEIGHT, 10, 10, explanation) {
    self.gravity = Magick::WestGravity
    self.pointsize = 14
    self.stroke = 'transparent'
    self.fill = '#eeeeee'
    self.font_weight = Magick::BoldWeight
  }
  wallpaper.write("#{TMPDIR}/wallpaper.jpg")

  # make the directories for permanent storage
  FileUtils.mkdir("#{DESKTOP}/#{date_directory}") unless File.directory?("#{DESKTOP}/#{date_directory}")
  FileUtils.mkdir("#{HIGHRES}/#{date_directory}") unless File.directory?("#{HIGHRES}/#{date_directory}")

  # copy wallpaper to today's wallpaper location
  FileUtils.copy("#{TMPDIR}/wallpaper.jpg", "#{WALLPAPER}")

  # copy wallpaper to permanent location
  FileUtils.copy("#{TMPDIR}/wallpaper.jpg", "#{DESKTOP}/#{date_directory}/wallpaper.jpg")

  # copy highres to its permanent location
  FileUtils.copy("#{TMPDIR}/#{highres}", "#{HIGHRES}/#{date_directory}/#{highres}")

  # clean up afterwards
  #FileUtils.rm("#{TMPDIR}/index.html")
  #FileUtils.rm("#{TMPDIR}/#{highres}")
  #FileUtils.rm("#{TMPDIR}/#{lowres}")
  #FileUtils.rm("#{TMPDIR}/wallpaper.jpg")
  #FileUtils.rmdir("#{TMPDIR}")

  # set the X background
  Kernel.system("xsetbg -quiet -onroot -fullscreen #{WALLPAPER}")