Screen background color

Question

I'm looking for a way of getting the RGB value of the screen background color (a solid color selected in System Preferences). Possible via Terminal?

Answer 1

I can't see how you can do it in Terminal 'cause none of these show actual RGB value:
doug-penningtons-power-mac-g4:~ dougp$ file /Library/Desktop\ Pictures/Solid\ Colors/Solid\ White.png
/Library/Desktop Pictures/Solid Colors/Solid White.png: PNG image data, 128 x 128, 8-bit/color RGB, non-interlaced
doug-penningtons-power-mac-g4:~ dougp$ file /Library/Desktop\ Pictures/Solid\ Colors/Solid\ Kelp.png
/Library/Desktop Pictures/Solid Colors/Solid Kelp.png: PNG image data, 128 x 128, 8-bit/color RGBA, non-interlaced
doug-penningtons-power-mac-g4:~ dougp$ file /Library/Desktop\ Pictures/Solid\ Colors/Solid\ Kelp.png | hexdump -C
00000000 2f 4c 69 62 72 61 72 79 2f 44 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 |/Library/Desktop|
00000010 20 50 69 63 74 75 72 65 73 2f 53 6f 6c 69 64 20 | Pictures/Solid |
00000020 43 6f 6c 6f 72 73 2f 53 6f 6c 69 64 20 4b 65 6c |Colors/Solid Kel|
00000030 70 2e 70 6e 67 3a 20 50 4e 47 20 69 6d 61 67 65 |p.png: PNG image|
00000040 20 64 61 74 61 2c 20 31 32 38 20 78 20 31 32 38 | data, 128 x 128|
00000050 2c 20 38 2d 62 69 74 2f 63 6f 6c 6f 72 20 52 47 |, 8-bit/color RG|
00000060 42 41 2c 20 6e 6f 6e 2d 69 6e 74 65 72 6c 61 63 |BA, non-interlac|
00000070 65 64 0a |ed.|
00000073
But there is a non Terminal ray of hope with open Apps/Util/DigitalColor Meter. Go to /Library/Desktop\ Pictures/Solid\ Colors/Solid\ Kelp.png(or whatever solid.png), click to open it in Preview, hold cursor on solid opened color sample and with DColMeter you will get a reading of RGB value. See image.