1 ..de EX \"Begin example
14 .TH XScreenSaver 1 "16-Jan-98" "X Version 11"
16 xscreensaver - graphics hack and screen locker, launched when the user is idle
19 [\-display \fIhost:display.screen\fP] [\-timeout \fIint\fP] [\-cycle \fIint\fP] [\-nice \fIint\fP] [\-lock] [\-no\-lock] [\-lock\-timeout \fIint\fP] [\-demo] [\-visual \fIvisual\fP] [\-install] [\-no\-install] [\-verbose] [\-silent] [\-xidle\-extension] [\-no\-xidle\-extension] [\-sgi\-extension] [\-no\-sgi\-extension] [\-mit\-extension] [\-no\-mit\-extension] [\-xrm \fIresources\fP]
21 The \fIxscreensaver\fP program waits until the keyboard and mouse have been
22 idle for a period, and then runs a graphics demo chosen at random. It
23 turns off as soon as there is any mouse or keyboard activity.
25 This program can lock your terminal in order to prevent others from using it,
26 though its default mode of operation is merely to display pretty pictures on
27 your screen when it is not in use.
29 The benefit that this program has over the combination of the
33 programs is the ease with which new graphics hacks can be installed. You
34 don't need to recompile (or even re-run) this program to add a new display
37 For the impatient, try this:
41 xscreensaver-command -demo
44 After a few seconds, the screen should go black, and a dialog box should
45 appear in the upper right corner. This is \fIDemo Mode\fP.
47 If \fIxscreensaver\fP receives the \fBDEMO\fP ClientMessage, which is done
49 .BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
50 program with the \fB\-demo\fP option, the screensaver will black the screen
51 and pop up a dialog box from which you can examine and experiment with the
54 The dialog box contains a scrolling list, a text field, and a number of
57 Double-clicking on one of the programs in the list will run it. The dialog
58 box will disappear, allowing the program access to the full screen. Clicking
59 the mouse again will bring the dialog box back.
61 Single-clicking in the list will place the indicated program and its args
62 in the text field to be edited. Edit the arguments and hit return to run
63 the program with the parameters you have specified. (Note that these are
64 one-time changes and won't be remembered; to make the changes permanent,
65 you need to edit your X resource file.)
70 Clicking this button will run the next program in the list after the
71 currently-selected one, and will scroll around to the top when it reaches
75 Opposite of Run Next; at the top, it scrolls around to the bottom.
78 This pops up a second dialog box, in which you have the option to
79 interactively change most of the screensaver's operational parameters,
80 such as its timeouts, and whether it should lock the screen. Changing
81 these parameters here will affect only the running \fIxscreensaver\fP
82 process; to make the changes permanent, you need to edit your X resource
86 Returns to normal screensaver operation.
89 This causes the X resource database to be re-read, to pick up any changes
90 you might have made. This works by causing the screensaver process to exit
91 and then restart itself with the same command-line arguments. This is just
92 like the \fI\-restart\fP argument to
93 .BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
94 except that when executed from this button, the screensaver will
95 automatically return to demo mode after restarting.
98 accepts the following command line options:
100 .B \-timeout \fIminutes\fP
101 The screensaver will activate after the keyboard and mouse have been idle
102 for this many minutes. Default 10.
104 .B \-cycle \fIminutes\fP
105 After the screensaver has been running for this many minutes, the currently
106 running graphics hack sub-process will be killed (with \fBSIGTERM\fP), and a
107 new one started. If this is 0, then the graphics hack will not be changed:
108 only one demo will run until the screensaver is deactivated by user activity.
111 .B \-nice \fIinteger\fP
112 The sub-processes created by \fIxscreensaver\fP will be ``niced'' to this
113 level, so that they are given lower priority than other processes on the
114 system, and don't increase the load unnecessarily. The default is 20.
116 (Higher numbers mean lower priority; see
121 Enable locking: before the screensaver will turn off, it requires you to
122 type the password of the person who launched the screensaver, or the root
123 password. (Note: this doesn't work if the screensaver is launched
126 because it can't know the user-id of the logged-in user.)
129 Disable locking. This is the default.
131 .B \-lock\-timeout \fIminutes\fP
132 This is how long after the screensaver activates that locking is enabled.
133 For example, if this is 5, and \fI\-timeout\fP is 10, then after 10 minutes,
134 the screen would blank. If there was user activity at 12 minutes, no password
135 would be required. But, if there was user activity at 15 minutes or later
136 (\fI\-lock\-timeout\fP minutes after activation) then a password would be
137 required. The default is 0, meaning that if locking is enabled, then
138 a password will be required as soon as the screensaver activates.
141 Enter the interactive demo mode immediately after startup. Normally
142 demo mode is invoked via the
143 .BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
144 program, but this is a shortcut for new users. See below for a description
145 of how demo-mode works.
147 .B \-visual \fIvisual\fP
148 Specify which X visual to use by default. Legal values are:
152 Use the screen's default visual (the visual of the root window.)
156 Use the visual which supports the most colors. Note, however, that the
157 visual with the most colors might be a TrueColor visual, which does not
158 support colormap animation. Some programs have more interesting behavior
159 when run on PseudoColor visuals than on TrueColor.
162 Use a monochrome visual, if there is one.
165 Use a grayscale or staticgray visual, if there is one and it has more than
166 one plane (that is, it's not monochrome.)
169 Use the best of the color visuals, if there are any.
172 where \fIclass\fP is one of \fBStaticGray\fP, \fBStaticColor\fP,
173 \fBTrueColor\fP, \fBGrayScale\fP, \fBPseudoColor\fP, or \fBDirectColor\fP.
174 Selects the deepest visual of the given class.
177 where \fInumber\fP (decimal or hex) is interpreted as a visual id number,
180 program; in this way you can have finer control over exactly which visual
181 gets used, for example, to select a shallower one than would otherwise
186 Note that this option specifies only the \fIdefault\fP visual that will
187 be used: the visual used may be overridden on a program-by-program basis.
188 See the description of the \fBprograms\fP resource, below.
192 Install a private colormap while the screensaver is active, so that the
193 graphics hacks can get as many colors as possible. This is the
194 default. (This only applies when the screen's default visual is being
195 used, since non-default visuals get their own colormaps automatically.)
196 This can also be overridden on a per-hack basis: see the discussion of
197 the \fBdefault\-n\fP name in the section about the \fBprograms\fP resource.
200 Use the default colormap.
208 .B \-xidle\-extension
209 Use the \fBXIDLE\fP server extension to decide whether the user is idle.
210 This is the default if \fIxscreensaver\fP has been compiled with support
211 for this extension. On X11R4 or X11R5 systems, the XIdle method is faster
212 and more reliable than what will be done otherwise, so use it if you can.
214 .B \-no\-xidle\-extension
215 Don't use the \fBXIDLE\fP server extension.
218 Use the SGI \fBSCREEN_SAVER\fP server extension to decide whether the user
219 is idle. This is the default if \fIxscreensaver\fP has been compiled with
220 support for this extension (which is the default on SGI systems.). If it
221 is available, the \fBSCREEN_SAVER\fP method is faster and more reliable than
222 what will be done otherwise, so use it if you can.
224 .B \-no\-sgi\-extension
225 Don't use the SGI \fBSCREEN_SAVER\fP server extension.
228 Use the \fBMIT\-SCREEN\-SAVER\fP server extension to decide whether the user
229 is idle. This is the default if \fIxscreensaver\fP has been compiled with
230 support for this extension. However, this extension is flaky, so it's use
231 is not really recommended. (It also makes the \fIfade\fP option not work
234 .B \-no\-mit\-extension
235 Don't use the \fBMIT\-SCREEN\-SAVER\fP server extension.
237 \fIxscreensaver\fP understands the following resources:
240 .B timeout \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
241 Same as the \fI\-timeout\fP command-line option. Default 10 minutes.
243 .B cycle \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
244 Same as the \fI\-cycle\fP command-line option. Default 10 minutes.
246 .B nice \fR(class \fBNice\fP)
247 Same as the \fI\-nice\fP command-line option. Default 10.
249 .B lock \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
250 Same as the \fI\-lock\fP command-line option.
252 .B lockTimeout \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
253 Same as the \fI\-lock\-timeout\fP command-line option.
255 .B passwdTimeout \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
256 If the screen is locked, then this is how many seconds the password dialog box
257 should be left on the screen before giving up (default 30.) This should not
258 be too large: the X server is grabbed for the duration that the password
259 dialog box is up (for security purposes) and leaving the server grabbed for
260 too long can cause problems.
262 .B verbose \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
263 Same as the \fI\-verbose\fP command-line option.
265 .B xidle \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
266 Same as the \fI\-xidle\fP command-line option.
268 .B fade \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
269 If this is true, then when the screensaver activates, the current contents
270 of the screen will fade to black instead of simply winking out. This only
271 works on displays with writable colormaps, that is, if the screen's default
272 visual is a PseudoColor visual. Default true. A fade will also be done when
273 switching graphics hacks (when the \fIcycle\fP timer expires.)
275 .B unfade \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
276 If this is true, then when the screensaver deactivates, the original contents
277 of the screen will fade in from black instead of appearing immediately. This
278 only works on displays with writable colormaps, and if \fIfade\fP is true
279 as well. Default false.
281 .B fadeSeconds \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
282 If \fIfade\fP is true, this is how long the fade will be in
285 .B fadeTicks \fR(class \fBInteger\fP)
286 If \fIfade\fP is true, this is how many times a second the colormap will
287 be changed to effect a fade. Higher numbers yield smoother fades, but
288 may make the fades take longer than the specified \fIfadeSeconds\fP if
289 your server isn't fast enough to keep up. Default 20.
291 .B visualID \fR(class \fBVisualID\fP)
292 Same as the \fI\-visual\fP command-line option. Default \fBdefault\fP.
294 .B installColormap \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
295 Same as the \fI\-install\fP command-line option. Default true.
297 .B captureStderr \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
298 Whether \fIxscreensaver\fP should redirect its standard-error stream to the
299 window itself. Since its nature is to take over the screen, you would not
300 normally see error messages generated by the screensaver or the programs it
301 runs; this resource will cause the output of all relevant programs to be
302 drawn on the screensaver window itself instead of written to the controlling
303 terminal of the screensaver driver process. Default true.
305 .B captureStdout \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
306 Like \fBcaptureStderr\fP but for the standard-output stream. Default true.
308 .B font \fR(class \fBFont\fP)
309 The font used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStdout\fP or
310 \fBcaptureStderr\fP are true. Default \fB*\-medium\-r\-*\-140\-*\-m\-*\fP
311 (a 14 point fixed-width font.)
313 .B textForeground \fR(class \fBForeground\fP)
314 The foreground color used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStdout\fP
315 or \fBcaptureStderr\fP are true. Default: Yellow.
317 .B textBackground \fR(class \fBBackground\fP)
318 The background color used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStdout\fP
319 or \fBcaptureStderr\fP are true. Default: Black.
321 .B programs \fR(class \fBPrograms\fP)
322 The graphics hacks which \fIxscreensaver\fP runs when the user is idle.
323 The value of this resource is a string, one \fIsh\fP-syntax command per line.
324 Each line must contain exactly one command -- no semicolons, no ampersands.
326 When the screensaver starts up, one of these is selected at random, and
327 run. After the \fIcycle\fP period expires, it is killed, and another
330 If the value of this resource is empty, then no programs will be run; the
331 screen will simply be made black.
333 If the display has multiple screens, then a different program will be run
336 Note that you must escape the newlines; here is an example of how you
337 might set this in your \fI.Xdefaults\fP file:
340 xscreensaver.programs: \\
342 ico -r -faces -sleep 1 -obj ico \\n\\
343 xdaliclock -builtin2 -root \\n\\
344 xv -root -rmode 5 image.gif -quit \\n
347 Make sure your \fB$PATH\fP environment variable is set up correctly
348 \fIbefore\fP xscreensaver is launched, or it won't be able to find the
349 programs listed in the \fIprograms\fP resource.
351 To use a program as a screensaver, two things are required: that that
352 program draw on the root window (or be able to be configured to draw on
353 the root window); and that that program understand ``virtual root''
354 windows, as used by virtual window managers such as \fItvtwm\fP. (Generally,
355 this is accomplished by just including the \fI"vroot.h"\fP header file in
356 the program's source.)
358 If there are some programs that you want to run only when using a color
359 display, and others that you want to run only when using a monochrome
360 display, you can specify that like this:
363 mono: mono-program -root \\n\\
364 color: color-program -root \\n\\
368 More generally, you can specify the kind of visual that should be used for
369 the window on which the program will be drawing. For example, if one
370 program works best if it has a colormap, but another works best if it has
371 a 24-bit visual, both can be accomidated:
374 PseudoColor: cmap-program -root \\n\\
375 TrueColor: 24bit-program -root \\n\\
379 (This sort of thing used to be accomplished with the \fIcolorPrograms\fP
380 and \fImonoPrograms\fP resources, but those resources have now been removed;
381 a warning will be issued if they are used.)
383 In addition to the symbolic visual names described above (in the section
384 about the \fI\-visual\fP command-line option) one other visual name is
385 supported in the \fIprograms\fP list:
388 This is like \fBdefault\fP, but also requests the use of the default colormap,
389 instead of a private colormap. (That is, it behaves as if
390 the \fI\-no\-install\fP command-line option was specified, but only for
391 this particular hack.) This is provided because some third-party programs
392 that draw on the root window make assumptions about the visual and colormap
393 of that window: assumptions which xscreensaver can violate.
395 If you specify a particular visual for a program, and that visual does not
396 exist on the screen, then that program will not be chosen to run. This
397 means that on displays with multiple screens of different depths, you can
398 arrange for appropriate hacks to be run on each. For example, if one screen
399 is color and the other is monochrome, hacks that look good in mono can be
400 run on one, and hacks that only look good in color will show up on the other.
404 Normally you won't need to change the following resources:
406 .B bourneShell \fR(class \fBBourneShell\fP)
407 The pathname of the shell that \fIxscreensaver\fP uses to start subprocesses.
408 This must be whatever your local variant of \fB/bin/sh\fP is -- in particular,
409 it must not be \fBcsh\fP.
411 .B windowCreationTimeout \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
412 When server extensions are not in use, this controls the delay between when
413 windows are created and when \fIxscreensaver\fP selects events on them.
416 .B pointerPollTime \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
417 When server extensions are not in use, this controls how
418 frequently \fIxscreensaver\fP checks to see if the mouse position or buttons
419 have changed. Default 5 seconds.
421 .B initialDelay \fR(class \fBTime\fP)
422 When server extensions are not in use, \fIxscreensaver\fP will wait this many
423 seconds before selecting events on existing windows, under the assumption that
424 \fIxscreensaver\fP is started during your login procedure, and the window
425 state may be in flux. Default 30 seconds.
427 .B overlayStderr \fR(class \fBBoolean\fP)
428 If \fBcaptureStderr\fP or \fBcaptureStdout\fP are True, and your server
429 supports ``overlay'' visuals, then the text will be written into one of
430 the higher layers instead of into the same layer as the running screenhack.
431 Set this to False to disable that (though you shouldn't need to.)
433 When it is time to activate the screensaver, a full-screen black window is
434 created on each screen of the display. The window or windows is given the
435 appropriate properties so that, to any subsequently-created programs, it
436 will appear to be a ``virtual root'' window. Because of this, any program
437 which draws on the root window (and which understands virtual roots) can be
438 used as a screensaver.
440 When the user becomes active again, the screensaver windows are unmapped and
441 the running subprocesses are killed by sending them \fBSIGTERM\fP. This is
442 also how the subprocesses are killed when the screensaver decides that it's
443 time to run a different demo: the old one is killed and a new one is launched.
445 Before launching a subprocess, \fIxscreensaver\fP stores an appropriate value
446 for \fB$DISPLAY\fP in the environment that the child will recieve. (This is
447 so that if you start \fIxscreensaver\fP with a \fI-display\fP argument, the
448 programs which \fIxscreensaver\fP launches will draw on the same display;
449 and so that the child will end up drawing on the appropriate screen of a
450 multi-headed display.)
452 When the screensaver turns off, or is killed, care is taken to restore
453 the ``real'' virtual root window if there is one. Because of this, it is
454 important that you not kill the screensaver process with \fIkill -9\fP if
455 you are running a virtual-root window manager. If you kill it with \-9,
456 you may need to restart your window manager to repair the damage. This
457 isn't an issue if you aren't running a virtual-root window manager.
459 For all the gory details, see the commentary at the top of xscreensaver.c.
461 You can control a running screensaver process by using the
462 .BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
465 You can run \fIxscreensaver\fP from your xdm session, so that the
466 screensaver will run even when nobody is logged in on the console.
467 Simply add \fB"xscreensaver &"\fP to your \fI/usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsetup\fP
468 file. Because \fIxdm\fP grabs the keyboard, keypresses will not make
469 the screensaver deactivate, but any mouse activity will.
471 Make sure you have \fB$PATH\fP set up correctly in the Xsetup script, or
472 \fIxdm\fP won't be able to find \fIxscreensaver\fP, and/or \fIxscreensaver\fP
473 won't be able to find its graphics hacks.
475 (If your system does not seem to be executing the \fIXsetup\fP file, you
476 may need to configure it to do so -- the traditional way to do this is
477 to make that file the value of the \fIDisplayManager*setup\fP resource
478 in the \fIxdm-config\fP file. See the man page for
482 Users may want to add \fB"xscreensaver-command -restart"\fP to their
483 startup scripts, so that the screensaver will be reinitialized with
484 their private resource settings when they log in.
486 It is safe to run this program as root (as \fIxdm\fP is likely to do.) If
487 run as root, \fIxscreensaver\fP changes its effective user and group ids to
488 something safe (like \fI"nobody"\fP) before connecting to the X server
489 or launching user-specified programs.
491 Locking doesn't work if the screensaver is launched by \fIxdm\fP. To get
492 around this, you can run the screensaver from \fIxdm\fP without locking,
493 and kill and restart it from your personal X startup script to enable
494 locking; for example, by using this pair of commands:
497 xscreensaver-command -exit ; xscreensaver
499 .SH USING CDE (COMMON DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT)
500 The easiest way to use \fIxscreensaver\fP on a system with CDE is to simply
501 switch off the built-in CDE screensaver, and use \fIxscreensaver\fP instead;
502 and second, to tell the front panel to run
503 .BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
504 with the \fI\-lock\fP option when the \fILock\fP icon is clicked.
506 To accomplish this involves five steps:
509 \fB1: Switch off CDE's locker\fP
510 Do this by turning off ``\fIScreen Saver and Screen Lock\fP'' in the
511 Screen section of the Style Manager.
513 \fB2: Edit sessionetc\fP
514 Edit the file \fI~/.dt/sessions/sessionetc\fP and add to it the line
518 This will cause \fIxscreensaver\fP to be launched when you log in.
519 (As always, make sure that xscreensaver and the graphics demos are on
520 your \fB$PATH\fP; the path needs to be set in \fI.cshrc\fP
521 and/or \fI.dtprofile\fP, not \fI.login\fP.)
523 \fB3: Create XScreenSaver.dt\fP
524 Create a file called \fI~/.dt/types/XScreenSaver.dt\fP with the following
531 EXEC_STRING xscreensaver-command -lock
536 This defines a ``lock'' command for the CDE front panel, that knows how
537 to talk to \fIxscreensaver\fP.
539 \fB4: Create Lock.fp\fP
540 Create a file called \fI~/.dt/types/Lock.fp\fP with the following
546 CONTAINER_NAME Switch
547 CONTAINER_TYPE SWITCH
551 PUSH_ACTION XScreenSaver
552 HELP_TOPIC FPOnItemLock
556 This associates the CDE front panel ``Lock'' icon with the lock command
557 we just defined in step 3.
560 Select ``\fIRestart Workspace Manager\fP'' from the popup menu to make
561 your changes take effect. If things seem not to be working, check the
562 file \fI~/.dt/errorlog\fP for error messages.
566 (This is not a bug, but) note that as of release 1.32, the \fBcolorPrograms\fP
567 and \fBmonoPrograms\fP resources are no longer used: they have been
568 supplanted by the extended syntax of the \fBprograms\fP resource (which is
569 described above, in the \fIresources\fP section.)
572 If you are not making use of one of the server extensions (\fBXIDLE\fP,
573 \fBSGI SCREEN_SAVER\fP, or \fBMIT-SCREEN-SAVER\fP), then it is possible, in
574 rare situations, for \fIxscreensaver\fP to interfere with event propagation
575 and make another X program malfunction. For this to occur, that other
576 application would need to \fInot\fP select \fBKeyPress\fP events on its
577 non-leaf windows within the first 30 seconds of their existence, but then
578 select for them later. In this case, that client \fImight\fP fail to receive
579 those events. This isn't very likely, since programs generally select a
580 constant set of events immediately after creating their windows and then
581 don't change them, but this is the reason that it's a good idea to install
582 and use one of the server extensions instead, to work around this shortcoming
586 Although this program ``nices'' the subprocesses that it starts,
587 graphics-intensive subprograms can still overload the machine by causing
588 the X server process itself (which is not ``niced'') to suck a lot of
589 cycles. Care should be taken to slow down programs intended for use as
590 screensavers by inserting strategic calls to
594 (or making liberal use of any \fI\-delay\fP options which the programs
597 Also, an active screensaver will cause your X server to be pretty much
598 permanently swapped in; but the same is true of any program that draws
604 Latency and Responsiveness
605 If the subprocess is drawing too quickly and the connection to the X
606 server is a slow one (such as an X terminal running over a phone line) then
607 the screensaver might not turn off right away when the user becomes active
610 demo has this problem if being run in full-speed mode). This can be
611 alleviated by inserting strategic calls to
613 in code intended for use as a screensaver. This prevents too much graphics
614 activity from being buffered up.
617 Locking doesn't work if the screensaver is launched by \fIxdm\fP.
618 The reason for this is that when it is launched by \fIxdm\fP, the
619 screensaver process is owned by some standard user id (such as \fIroot\fP
620 or \fIdaemon\fP) instead of the user who is logged in on the console:
621 because the screensaver was started \fIbefore\fP anyone was logged in.
622 In order for the screensaver to prompt for the password of the person
623 who had logged in from \fIxdm\fP, it would need to know who that user was,
624 and there is no reliable and safe way to figure that out. (And even if
625 there was, there would be some other security issues here as well.)
627 So if you want to use it as a locker, you must start it with your user id.
628 If it has already been started by \fIxdm\fP, you can kill it with
629 \fBxscreensaver-command -exit\fP, and then start it again as you.
632 If you get an error message like ``couldn't get password of \fIuser\fP''
633 then this probably means that you're on a system in which the
635 library routine can only be effectively used by root. If this is the case,
636 then \fIxscreensaver\fP must be installed as setuid to root. Care has
637 been taken to make this a safe thing to do.
639 It also may mean that your system uses shadow passwords instead of the
640 standard \fIgetpwent\fP interface; in that case, you may need to change
641 some options with \fIconfigure\fP and recompile.
643 If you change your password after xscreensaver has been launched, it will
644 continue using your old password to unlock the screen until xscreensaver
645 is restarted. This turns out to be kind of hard to fix. (But remember,
646 kids! Unix security doesn't do much more than keep honest people honest...)
648 Colormap lossage: TWM
649 The \fBinstallColormap\fP option doesn't work very well with the
651 window manager and its descendants.
653 There is a race condition between the screensaver and this window manager,
654 which can result in the screensaver's colormap not getting installed
655 properly, meaning the graphics hacks will appear in essentially random
656 colors. (If the screen goes white instead of black, this is probably why.)
662 window managers don't seem to have this problem. The race condition exists
663 because X does not provide a way for an OverrideRedirect window to have its
664 own colormap, short of grabbing the server (which is neither a good idea, nor
665 really possible with the current design.) What happens is that, as soon as
666 the screensaver installs its colormap, \fBtwm\fP responds to
667 the \fBColormapNotify\fP event that is generated by re-instaling the default
668 colormap. Apparently, \fBtwm\fP doesn't \fIalways\fP do this; it seems to do
669 it regularly if the screensaver is activated from a menu item, but seems to
670 not do it if the screensaver comes on of its own volition, or is activated
671 from another console. Any thoughts on this problem are welcome...
673 Colormap lossage: XV, XAnim, XEarth
674 Some programs don't operate properly on visuals other than the default one,
675 or with colormaps other than the default one. See the discussion of the
676 magic "default-n" visual name in the section about the \fBprograms\fP
677 resource. When programs only work with the default colormap, you need to
678 use a syntax like this:
680 default-n: xv -root image-1.gif -quit \\n\\
681 default-n: xearth -nostars -wait 0 \\n\\
683 It would also work to turn off the \fBinstallColormap\fP option altogether,
684 but that would deny extra colors to those programs that \fIcan\fP take
688 Apparently there are some problems with XView programs getting confused
689 and thinking that the screensaver window is the real root window even when
690 the screensaver is not active: ClientMessages intended for the window manager
691 are sent to the screensaver window instead. This could be solved by making
692 xscreensaver forward all unrecognised ClientMessages to the real root window,
693 but there may be other problems as well. If anyone has any insight on the
694 cause of this problem, please let me know. (XView is an X11 toolkit that
695 implements the (quite abominable) Sun OpenLook look-and-feel.)
697 MIT Extension and Fading
698 When using the \fBMIT-SCREEN-SAVER\fP extension in conjunction with
699 the \fBfade\fP option, you may notice an unattractive flicker just before
700 the fade begins. This is because the server maps a black window just before
701 it tells the \fIxscreensaver\fP process to activate. The \fIxscreensaver\fP
702 process immediately unmaps that window, but this results in a flicker. I
703 haven't figured a way to get around this; it seems to be a fundamental
704 property of the (mis-) design of this server extension.
706 LessTif (Motif Clone)
707 Demo mode is buggy if XScreenSaver was compiled against really old versions
708 LessTif; if you use LessTif, use version 0.82 or newer.
711 If you compiled against the Athena widget toolkit, the dialog boxes are
712 pretty ugly, especially the password dialog. Use Motif! If you don't
713 have OSF Motif, use GNU LessTif, it's free: http://www.lesstif.org/
716 If you're running Irix 6.3, you might find that your monitor is powering down
717 after an hour or two even if you've told it not to. This is fixed by SGI
718 patches 2447 and 2537.
721 There need to be a lot more graphics hacks. In particular, there should be
722 a simulation of a Lavalite (tm).
727 to get the default host and display number, and to inform the sub-programs
728 of the screen on which to draw.
731 to find the sub-programs to run.
734 to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources
735 stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
737 The latest version can always be found at
738 http://people.netscape.com/jwz/xscreensaver/
741 .BR xscreensaver\-command (1),
771 .BR kaleidescope (1),
805 .BR superquadrics (1),
827 Copyright \(co 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
828 by Jamie Zawinski. Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell
829 this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without
830 fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
831 both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
832 documentation. No representations are made about the suitability of this
833 software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied
836 Jamie Zawinski <jwz@netscape.com>. Written in late 1991; first posted
837 to comp.sources.x on 13-Aug-1992.
839 Please let me know if you find any bugs or make any improvements.
841 Thanks to David Wojtowicz for implementing \fIlockTimeout\fP.
843 Thanks to Martin Kraemer for adding support for shadow passwords and
844 locking-disabled diagnostics.
846 Thanks to the many people who have contributed graphics demos to the package.
848 Thanks to Patrick Moreau for the VMS port.
850 Thanks to Mark Bowyer for figuring out how to hook it up to CDE.
852 And huge thanks to Jon A. Christopher for implementing the Athena dialog
853 support, so that locking and demo-mode work even if you don't have Motif.