4 a screen saver and locker for the X window system
7 http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/
15 The `configure' shell script will attempt to figure out which options are
16 appropriate for your system, and will create config.h and the various
17 Makefiles for you. Run `configure --help' to see how to override these
18 choices, or to specify things like the default installation directory.
19 The file `INSTALL' gives a general overview of use of these sorts of
20 configure scripts (those generated by the GNU autoconf system.)
21 The most important hint is probably this:
23 ./configure --with-motif=/opt/Motif --with-xpm=/usr/local
25 To build on VMS, see README.VMS.
27 If you think you've found a bug, please let me know! No bug report is too
28 small. But first, please read the enclosed `README.debugging' file to find
29 out what kind of information would be most helpful to include in your bug
34 You can try out xscreensaver like so:
37 xscreensaver-command -demo
39 After a few seconds, the screen should go black, and a dialog box should
40 appear in the upper right corner. This is "Demo Mode".
42 Note: unlike `xlock', xscreensaver has a client-server model: the
43 `xscreensaver' process is a daemon that runs in the background; it is
44 controlled by the foreground `xscreensaver-command' program.
46 xscreensaver has an extensive manual -- please read it!
50 The xscreensaver daemon waits until the keyboard and mouse have been idle
51 for a period, and then runs a graphics demo chosen at random. The demo is
52 terminated as soon as there is any mouse or keyboard activity (or, in
53 locking mode, when the proper password is typed.)
55 It is trivially easy to add new display modes to xscreensaver: any program
56 which can be invoked in such a way that it draws on the root window of the
57 screen can be used as a screensaver. You just change a resource setting --
58 there's no need to recompile or reinstall anything.
62 Along with the xscreensaver daemon itself, this package also includes
63 numerous graphics hacks for use as screensavers. There is nothing magic
64 about these: they are just programs that draw on the root window.
66 More than 80 such programs are included. For details, see the xscreensaver
67 web page, or the enclosed manual pages. There are also some helpful hints
68 on customization in the xscreensaver app-defaults file (normally installed
69 in /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/XScreenSaver.)
71 The latest version of xscreensaver is always available on the web at
72 http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/.
76 Changes since 2.33: * Fixed a bug that was making `pipes' generate way too
77 many valves. Made the viewpoint in `pipes' be selected
78 randomly instead of always being -10 degrees.
79 * Fixed a bug in the XSHM code, in the case where the
80 server supports the XSHM extension but is not the same
81 machine as the client.
82 * Made `rd-bomb' default to taking up the whole screen.
83 * Made it not try to do fading/unfading if no PseudoColor
85 * Initial attempt at supporting VT-locking (doesn't work
87 * Eliminated the `captureStdout' resource; now
88 `captureStderr' controls both streams.
89 * Added `-capture-stderr' and `-no-capture-stderr'
90 command-line arguments.
91 * Added `glplanet' hack.
92 * When a hack is selected with `xscreensaver-command
93 -select', that hack will be used until further notice
94 (until the saver turns off, or another activation
96 Changes since 2.32: * Made `xscreensaver-command' print error messages:
97 the xscreensaver daemon now responds to ClientMessage
98 events by writing a response message on a window
99 property, instead of just writing to its stderr.
100 * Made the ~/.xscreensaver file be automatically reloaded
101 when the file date changes.
102 * The password dialog and splash screen no longer depend
103 on Motif or Athena. This should clear up a number of
104 focus problems, and is the first step on the path
105 toward moving all of the Motif/Athena/whatever code
106 out of the xscreensaver daemon, and into external
108 * Don't complain about LessTif 0.86 any more, since the
109 new password dialog makes that problem go away.
110 * Configure tweaks for Irix 6.5, SunOS 5.something.
111 * New `-reflect' option to `distort'.
112 Changes since 2.31: * Added reading and writing of a ~/.xscreensaver file,
113 so that the Preferences panel can save its settings.
114 * New version of `rubik'.
115 * Added `-select N' argument to `xscreensaver-command'.
116 * Oops, left out some of the `bubbles3d' files...
117 Changes since 2.30: * The cursor was invisible in the password dialog. Fixed.
118 * Made configure warn against MesaGL 2.6.
119 * Fixed X error at startup when using non-default visual.
120 * New version of `crystal', `ant', and `atlantis' from
122 * New hack, `bubble3d'.
123 * Added some new modes to `bsod'.
124 Changes since 2.29: * Changed the order in which -lSM and -lICE are linked
125 to be after Motif instead of before (Lesstif on Irix
127 Changes since 2.28: * Work around a bash bug in configure.
128 * Tweaked HPUX paths again. FTSOHPUX.
129 * Made configure recommend against LessTif 0.86, due
130 to a bug in that version that causes a security hole
131 in the screen locking code. LessTif 0.87 will fix it.
132 * Made all of the `--with' options to `configure' accept
133 a directory option as well (so that --with-motif=/FOO
134 will add -I/FOO/include -L/FOO/lib). I believe this is
135 the Configure Party Line of how do to such things.
136 * Fixed a bug where the mouse was left un-grabbed
137 after the first time the graphics hack was changed
138 (simplified all of the mouse-grabbing logic.)
139 * Maybe possibly perhaps made `vidwhacker' really not
140 leave stray xv windows around. This time for sure.
141 * Added a new erase mode (random dots fizzling out.)
142 * Added `-prefs' argument to `xscreensaver-command',
143 that brings up the Preferences dialog directly (it
144 seems that nobody ever noticed the `Preferences' button
145 on the Demo Mode dialog, maybe this will help.)
146 * Added a splash screen. Turn it off with *splash:false.
147 Changes since 2.27: * Better macsbug text in `bsod'.
148 * New version of `distort' with many new modes.
149 * Plugged a leak in `coral'.
150 * Tweaked configure for HPUX.
151 * Removed some compiler warnings.
152 * More consistent usage of stderr versus stdout.
153 * More diagnostics should an X error occur.
154 * Fixed a possible crash in SGI-specific unfading code.
155 Changes since 2.26: * Improved version of `distort'.
156 * Made `lament' compile against OpenGL 1.0 (though it
157 still requires 1.1 to work properly.)
158 * Updated my email address and home page.
159 Changes since 2.24: * Improved motion in `rd-bomb'.
160 * Added XSHM (shared memory extension) support to the
161 `distort', `interference', `moire', `rd-bomb', and
162 `swirl' hacks, which speeds them up a bit.
163 * Added `lament' hack.
164 Changes since 2.23: * Tweaked the order of the -L options again.
165 * Cleaned up configure's `--help' message.
166 * Added `kumppa' hack.
167 * Smarter maze-solving algorithm in `maze'.
168 * Took `xlyap' out of the default list of hacks, since
169 it's just incredibly buggy (and slow.) Maybe someday
170 someone will fix it...
171 * Added `distort' hack, but didn't add it to the default
172 list (yet) because it's still too slow.
173 * Made the Athena demo dialog look more like the Motif
174 version; it has a text-entry field now, too.
175 * Made the Athena password dialog echo asterisks, like
176 Motif does, instead of using a flyspeck font.
177 * Some random configure tweaks.
178 * Added a `timestamp' resource that makes the `-verbose'
179 messages include the time at which they were printed.
180 Changes since 2.22: * The fix for SGI's ``scheme'' nonsense broke things, and
181 let the user's "*background" resource show through.
182 Fixed it in a different way.
183 Changes since 2.21: * Added support for the DPMS server extension (Display
184 Power Management System.)
185 * Made configure advertize the `--enable-subdir' option a
186 little more, since that seemed to cause some people
187 stress. Also, made that directory be built into the
188 xscreensaver executable, as a hardcoded prefix to
189 $PATH. (Might help, shouldn't hurt.)
190 * Made configure prefer the two-arg gettimeofday to the
191 one-arg version, since AIX doesn't have any prototypes.
192 * Made it work with Xaw3d (the 3D Athena library.)
193 * Made `make install' create directories as necessary.
194 * New version of lmorph from Sverre.
195 * Added `crystal' and `discreet' hacks from xlockmore.
196 * Added a new mode to `bsod'.
197 Changes since 2.20: * Made `xscreensaver-command -time' use different words.
198 (It now describes the two states as "screen blanked
199 since..." and "screen non-blanked since..." instead of
200 "active since..." and "inactive since..." which a lot
201 of people interpreted as meaning the opposite of what
203 * Improved some error messages, in the hopes of making
204 the distinction between the xscreensaver and
205 xscreensaver-command programs more obvious.
206 * Rewrote (and reorganized) parts of the xscreensaver and
207 xscreensaver-command manual pages.
208 * Renamed xscreensaver's `-lock' command-line option to
209 be `-lock-mode', to avoid confusion with the `-lock'
210 option to xscreensaver-command, which does a totally
212 * Removed xscreensaver's `-demo' command-line option for
213 a similar reason; use `xscreensaver-command -demo'
215 * Disabled SGI's ``scheme'' nonsense in a better way than
216 fully-qualifying the background colors in every single
218 * Fixed some other minor cosmetic problems when *sgiMode
220 * Fixed an X error in `bsod -root' (how ironic...)
221 Changes since 2.19: * Fixed a bug that caused the mouse to sometimes not be
222 grabbed properly (meaning the window manager menu could
223 pop up over the demo-mode display.)
224 * Fixed a bug that made the stderr output sometimes get
226 * Fixed a bug that made the demo-mode scrollbar move too
228 * Protected against a possible buffer overflow.
229 * Made `vidwhacker' not leave stray xv windows around.
230 * New version of `ant' so that Bagley doesn't calve.
231 * Make configure on AIX get XShm from the right library.
232 Changes since 2.18: * One file was missing from the tar file. Fixed.
233 Changes since 2.17: * Oops, atlantis wasn't being built by default. Fixed.
234 * Added `epicycle' hack.
235 * Added `interference' hack.
236 * Added `truchet' hack.
238 * Added some new modes to `vidwhacker'.
239 Changes since 2.16: * Added a -window-id argument to most hacks, so that they
240 can draw on arbitrary externally-provided windows.
241 * Synched with xlockmore 4.11a01.
243 * Added `atlantis' GL hack.
244 * Renamed `puzzle' hack to `jigsaw', since xlock already
245 had a different mode called `puzzle'.
246 * Made it self-configure properly when Motif 2.1.0 is
247 being used (requires -lXp now, sigh...)
248 Changes since 2.15: * Made `flag' able to do XPM images.
249 * New look for the xscreensaver logo (`xroger').
250 * Fixed compilation error on Suns with adjunct passwords.
251 * Got multi-architecture builds working again.
252 * Some configure tweaks for building on HPUX and Solaris.
253 * Fixed bug in decayscreen.
254 * Fixed typo in passwd.c.
255 * Made `cynosure' not die when colormap is full.
256 Changes since 2.14: * Added `cynosure' hack.
257 * Added `moire2' hack.
258 * Tweaked `erase.c' some more.
259 * Made unfading a bit smoother.
260 * Added `vidwhacker' hack (not installed by default.)
261 * Added `stairs' hack.
262 * Split `escher' into `cage' and `moebius', as per
264 * Changed subprocess handling to use sigaction() instead
265 of signal() if it's available (this is necessary for
266 SCO but should work fine on other systems too.)
267 * Various other tweaks.
268 Changes since 2.13: * Better fix for the Motif drag-and-die lossage.
269 * Put in some kludges to work around a LessTif bug.
270 * XScreenSaver is known to work with LessTif 0.82 now.
271 * Made fading work on high-end SGI video hardware.
272 * Fixed another SGI-specific bug in screen grabbing;
273 will the madness never cease?
274 * Fixed another crash in `xlyap'.
275 Changes since 2.12: * Made `decayscreen' do directions other than down.
277 * Fixed a crash in `xlyap'.
278 * Added CDE info to the man page, removed `cde.txt'.
279 * Configure tweaks for Zippy.
280 * Turned off the signal handling in `bubbles' because
281 it was sometimes failing to die.
282 * Added `hacks/xscreensaver-sgigl.c' to make it possible
283 to run SGI's ElectroPaint hack (/usr/demos/bin/ep)
284 with xscreensaver. Finally!
285 * Fixed a buffer overrun in the locking code that some
286 wily, malicious cracker must have slipped in.
287 * Disabled Motif drag-and-drool in the dialog box
288 buttons, since it's broken in some old versions of
290 Changes since 2.11: * Added `README.debugging'.
291 * Added `puzzle' hack.
292 * Added `xlyap' hack.
293 * Added `default-n' as a visual name, so that one can
294 have -install on by default, but turn it off for
295 certain poorly-behaved hacks (like xv.)
296 * Added support for grabbing frames of external video
297 (on SGI) to the screen-grabbing hacks (decayscreen,
298 slidescreen, slip, blitspin, and puzzle.)
299 * Improved look of tiles in `slidescreen'; fixed its
300 color allocation problem.
301 Changes since 2.10: * Tweaked `blitspin', added it to the default list.
302 * Added `lissie', `mountain', `triangle', `worm',
303 `rotor', and `ant' from xlockmore.
304 * Updated `sierpinski', `galaxy', and `lisa'.
305 * Thickened the lines in `braid' and `lmorph'.
306 * Updated VMS makefiles.
307 * Renamed `fract' to `vines'.
308 * Added `xjack' hack.
309 * Made a few more hacks use erase.c, and added a few
311 * Fixed compilation problem with Sun's version of OpenGL.
312 * Added ability to use sigaction() instead of signal()
313 to work around a SCO kernel bug.
314 Changes since 2.09: * Fixed colormap bugs in `rd-bomb'; sped up `coral'.
315 * Configure tweaks for *BSD.
316 Changes since 2.07: * New hacks `rd-bomb' and `coral'.
317 * New version of `maze' with some new algorithms.
318 * New colorized version of `rocks'.
319 * Fixed a bug in qix on 64-bit machines.
320 * Fixed a bug in the -time option.
321 * Fixed a bug in configure related to LessTif.
322 Changes since 2.06: * Minor header tweaks in windows.c and flag.c.
323 * Made multi-architecture ($VPATH) builds work properly.
324 * Merged new GL stuff from xlockmore (rubik, morph3d.)
325 * Fixed intermittent crashes in `imsmap' and `munch'.
326 * Added `fadeplot' hack from xlockmore.
327 Changes since 2.05: * Merged in VMS support from Patrick Moreau.
328 Changes since 2.04: * Fixed a MIT-SCREEN-SAVER-related crash, and tweaked
329 configure to detect the extra-random -Xss library.
330 Changes since 2.03: * HP configure tweaks. Detect and warn about LessTif.
331 * Fixed low-color behavior of `goop', `pyro', `starfish',
332 `greynetic', `flame', `halo', and `moire'.
333 Changes since 2.02: * Fixed flicker in `pipes'. Fixed 3d in `bouboule'.
334 * Added `munch' hack.
335 * Added basic dependencies to the Makefile.in files.
336 Changes since 2.01: * Fixes for compiling with the MIT saver extension.
337 * Made the yow/fortune program be a configure option.
338 * Various configure tweaks.
339 Changes since 2.00: * Added `goop' and `starfish' hacks.
340 * Added colomap cycling to `halo'.
341 * Made `attraction' use the new colormap allocator.
342 * Added better $PATH diagnostics.
343 * There was a bug in frand! Color selection should be
345 Changes since 1.34: * Converted to use `configure' instead of `imake'.
346 * ANSI C is now required.
347 * Added Kerberos locking support, from Nat Lanza.
348 * Made the stderr text use overlay planes, if possible.
349 * Reworked the xlockmore compatibility stuff again.
350 * Added `gears', `superquadrics', `escher', `pipes',
351 and `sproingies' hacks (depend on OpenGL.)
352 Changes since 1.33: * Fixed some bugs, made fading be a little smoother.
353 Changes since 1.32: * Made it work with multi-headed displays.
354 * Generalized sub-process management (Unix sucks!)
355 * Added interactive mouse frobbing to Julia.
356 * Added (untested) support for HPUX shadow passwords.
357 * Made normal non-shadow passwords be checked if the
358 shadow passwords aren't accessible for some reason.
359 Changes since 1.31: * Removed *colorPrograms and *monoPrograms resources:
360 made it possible to specify the desired visual on a
362 * Cleaned up / restructured the driver: no more globals.
363 * Made the Motif and Athena dialogs share more code.
364 * Probably fixed some Athena colormap-installation bugs.
365 * Fixed screen grabbing (cmap) on SGI 12-bit PseudoColor.
366 * Fixed divide-by-zero in bright random colormaps.
367 * Added an improved version of xlock's `flag' hack.
368 * Made unfading work better, and not flicker on SGIs.
369 * Added `sphere', `forest', `lisa' hacks from xlockmore.
370 * Added (untested) support for SunOS Adjunct passwords.
371 Changes since 1.30: * Improved colors and colormap cycling of many hacks.
372 * Cleaned up xlockmore compatibility layer.
373 * Made `blitspin' able to grab an image off the screen.
374 * Ported `swirl' and `bouboule' hacks from xlockmore.
375 * Made the driver more careful about not leaving bits on
376 the screen, or allowing other windows to raise
377 themselves: it now re-blanks the screen every so often.
378 * Added `-time' option to `xscreensaver-command'.
379 * Improved SGI screen-grabbing some more: now it can grab
380 TrueColor screens into PseudoColor windows and have the
381 colors still come out semi-reasonably.
382 Changes since 1.29: * Made `slidescreen' and `decayscreen' work better on
383 SGIs when windows of different visuals are present, by
384 using the XReadDisplay() extension to get a true 24-bit
385 image out of the frame buffer.
386 * Made `noseguy' be in color, if compiled with XPM.
387 * Ported `braid', `drift', `fract', `galaxy', `grav',
388 `ifs', `julia', `laser', `lightning', `penrose',
389 `sierpinski', `slip', `spiral', and `strange' hacks
391 * Merged `hopalong' hack with a more recent version.
393 Changes since 1.27: * Added `deco', `moire', and `kaleidescope' hacks.
394 * Merged in support for non-Motif locking and demo mode.
395 * Made `blitspin' and `bubbles' work in TrueColor.
396 * Fixed a stupid bug I introduced in `imsmap'.
397 * Added `poly' and `gravity' options to `qix'.
398 Changes since 1.26: * Added support for SGI SCREEN_SAVER extension.
399 * Made `fade' and `unfade' work on 8-bit SGIs.
400 * Made the dialog boxes more Motify.
401 * Added `bubbles' hack.
402 Changes since 1.25: * Added `lmorph' hack.
403 * Added viscosity and mouse-control to attraction.
404 * Fixed possible bad color choices in qix and attraction.
405 * Added ramp-mode to halo.
406 * Added a new RNG, which is faster and more portable
407 than using the RNG in libc.
408 * Made locking work on SCO.
409 * Various other minor tweaks that I don't remember.
410 Changes since 1.24: * Made it capture the stdout/stderr of its subprocesses
411 and present them on the screensaver window itself.
412 * Made demo mode work correctly with non-default visuals
413 and color maps, instead of always using the defaults.
414 * Added -visual argument to all included screenhacks.
415 * Support for the R6 MIT-SCREEN-SAVER server extension.
416 * Made the demo mode list scroll properly.
417 * Added `pedal' hack.
418 Changes since 1.23: * Fixed some private-colormap oddities in slidescreen,
419 decayscreen, and xroger. Fixed apparent conservation-
420 of-mass problem in pyro; made the shrapnel round.
421 Changes since 1.22: * Minor tweaks for IRIX5; fixed locking race condition.
422 Changes since 1.21: * Minor tweaks for X11R6.
423 * Fixes for non-default visuals.
424 Changes since 1.20: * Fixed bug in color blitspin; added default image.
425 * Added diagnostics to noseguy. Fixed off-by-one
426 error in flame. Added some missing casts.
427 Changes since 1.18: * Added `flame' hack.
428 * Fixed a minor Motif dialog text field bug.
429 * Fixed yet another XPointer-not-defined-in-R4 bug.
430 Changes since 1.17: * Added support for shadow password files.
431 * Fixed some Motif-related locking bugs.
432 * Added diagnostics when locking is disabled.
433 * Made blitspin able to use the XPM library.
434 * Added `decayscreen' hack.
435 Changes since 1.16: * Added `halo' hack.
436 Changes since 1.15: * Portability fixes.
437 Changes since 1.14: * Broke the driver up into more source files.
438 * Moved the hacks into their own directory.
439 * Made all `time' parameters accept the 00:00:00 syntax,
440 so that even the parameters which are normally read as
441 minutes can be specified in seconds.
442 * Added colormap cycling to `imsmap'.
443 * Made hyper work with K&R compilers.
444 Changes since 1.13: * Added `orbit' option to `attraction' hack.
445 * Added `lock-timeout' option.
446 * Cleaned up options of `maze' hack.
447 Changes since 1.8: * Added demo mode, and locking.
449 * Added `norotate' option to `rocks' hack.
projects / xscreensaver / blob