M: I've switched over to an Ubuntu desktop. I'm looking for a good utility to shuffle my backgrounds. Go online and find me what has a good reputation, and perhaps just as importantly, a high degree of ease of use and stability.

G: TL;DR:

1. The “default smart choice”: GNOME Wallpaper Slideshow (extension)

If you're on standard Ubuntu (GNOME), this is the cleanest answer.

Why it stands out

It’s described as “easy-to-use… set and forget” and basically does everything most people need without a full app citeturn1search6

Translation into reality:
This is the closest Linux equivalent to “Windows slideshow backgrounds but not annoying.”

2. The “classic Linux answer”: Variety

This is the one you’ll see recommended everywhere.

What it does well

Community sentiment:

“Simple, effective and trouble-free… very useful app” citeturn1search0

BUT — the part people gloss over

Translation:

3. Minimalist / “it will never break” options

These are the opposite philosophy.

feh

Example style:

while true; do
  feh --bg-fill -z ~/Pictures/*
  sleep 600
done

Nitrogen

Community take:

People use feh for minimalism, Nitrogen when they “get lazy and want a GUI” citeturn1search4

Translation:
These are “you control everything” tools. No magic, no surprises.

4. The overlooked middle ground

From broader Linux tool comparisons:

Practical recommendation (based on your priorities)

You said:

So:

If you're on stock Ubuntu (GNOME)

→ Use Wallpaper Slideshow extension
Best balance of simplicity + reliability.

If you want more features (auto-download, sources, filters)

→ Use Variety, but accept minor friction potential

If you want “never breaks, zero dependency”

→ Use feh + script

Blunt reality check (Linux angle)

There isn’t a single “perfect” solution like on Windows/macOS because:

So the most stable option is always the one closest to your desktop itself, not a third-party app.

That’s why the GNOME extension quietly wins for your criteria.

M: okay, so where’s the gnome extension kept?

G: TL;DR:
There are only two places GNOME extensions actually “live”:

citeturn0search8turn0search2

What that means in practice

1. The one you care about

Anything you install from:

→ goes here:

~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/

Each extension is its own folder named like:

[email protected]

That folder contains:

2. The “Ubuntu shipped stuff”

Anything installed via:

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-...

or bundled with Ubuntu:

→ goes here:

/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/

You generally don’t edit these manually unless you like breaking updates.

Quick way to open it (no thinking required)

From terminal:

nautilus ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/

or just:

cd ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/

Subtle but important distinction (this trips people up)

Settings are stored in GNOME’s config system (dconf/gsettings), not in the extension folder citeturn0search0

So:

Reality check (Linux behavior)

If you ever think:

“I installed something but I can’t find it”

It’s almost always because:

Bottom line

That’s the whole system—no hidden magic layer beyond that.

M: Let's try the question again. How do I know if it's already installed, and if it is installed, where would I find it using the graphics interface? Make it sound like it should already be showing up or pop up as an option. I am not seeing anything like that in any of the places I think of as obvious to look.

G: TL;DR:
If it’s installed, it will already be visible in the “Extensions” app. If you don’t see it there, it is not installed or not enabled. There is no hidden “maybe it’s somewhere else” layer.

What you should be seeing (normal behavior)

On Ubuntu (GNOME), extensions show up in one place:

The Extensions app

Inside that window:

If it’s not in this list → it is not installed (or GNOME isn’t loading it).

Why it feels like it should “just be there” (but isn’t)

Because GNOME does not ship a wallpaper shuffler by default.

So:

That mismatch is exactly why you’re not finding it.

Where it would appear if it were installed

1. Extensions app (primary location)

This is the authoritative list. No exceptions.

2. Sometimes in Settings (secondary, optional)

Some extensions add a panel here:

But:

So absence here means nothing.

3. Top bar indicators (rare for wallpaper tools)

Some extensions add icons to the top panel.

Wallpaper changers usually don’t, so don’t expect anything visible there.

The most likely situation you’re in

You’ve done one of these:

Fast sanity check (no guessing)

Run this:

gnome-extensions list

If the wallpaper extension is not in that list → it does not exist on your system.

If you want the “it just shows up” experience

Install Extension Manager (this is the missing GUI piece Ubuntu doesn’t make obvious):

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

Then:

After that:

Blunt conclusion

You’re not missing a menu.
You’re missing the extension.

GNOME doesn’t surface features that don’t exist yet, which is why nothing is “popping up” where you expect it.