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 2.30: * The cursor was invisible in the password dialog. Fixed.
77 * Made configure warn against MesaGL 2.6.
78 * Fixed X error at startup when using non-default visual.
79 * New version of `crystal', `ant', and `atlantis' from
81 * New hack, `bubble3d'.
82 * Added some new modes to `bsod'.
83 Changes since 2.29: * Changed the order in which -lSM and -lICE are linked
84 to be after Motif instead of before (Lesstif on Irix
86 Changes since 2.28: * Work around a bash bug in configure.
87 * Tweaked HPUX paths again. FTSOHPUX.
88 * Made configure recommend against LessTif 0.86, due
89 to a bug in that version that causes a security hole
90 in the screen locking code. LessTif 0.87 will fix it.
91 * Made all of the `--with' options to `configure' accept
92 a directory option as well (so that --with-motif=/FOO
93 will add -I/FOO/include -L/FOO/lib). I believe this is
94 the Configure Party Line of how do to such things.
95 * Fixed a bug where the mouse was left un-grabbed
96 after the first time the graphics hack was changed
97 (simplified all of the mouse-grabbing logic.)
98 * Maybe possibly perhaps made `vidwhacker' really not
99 leave stray xv windows around. This time for sure.
100 * Added a new erase mode (random dots fizzling out.)
101 * Added `-prefs' argument to `xscreensaver-command',
102 that brings up the Preferences dialog directly (it
103 seems that nobody ever noticed the `Preferences' button
104 on the Demo Mode dialog, maybe this will help.)
105 * Added a splash screen. Turn it off with *splash:false.
106 Changes since 2.27: * Better macsbug text in `bsod'.
107 * New version of `distort' with many new modes.
108 * Plugged a leak in `coral'.
109 * Tweaked configure for HPUX.
110 * Removed some compiler warnings.
111 * More consistent usage of stderr versus stdout.
112 * More diagnostics should an X error occur.
113 * Fixed a possible crash in SGI-specific unfading code.
114 Changes since 2.26: * Improved version of `distort'.
115 * Made `lament' compile against OpenGL 1.0 (though it
116 still requires 1.1 to work properly.)
117 * Updated my email address and home page.
118 Changes since 2.24: * Improved motion in `rd-bomb'.
119 * Added XSHM (shared memory extension) support to the
120 `distort', `interference', `moire', `rd-bomb', and
121 `swirl' hacks, which speeds them up a bit.
122 * Added `lament' hack.
123 Changes since 2.23: * Tweaked the order of the -L options again.
124 * Cleaned up configure's --help message.
125 * Added `kumppa' hack.
126 * Smarter maze-solving algorithm in `maze'.
127 * Took `xlyap' out of the default list of hacks, since
128 it's just incredibly buggy (and slow.) Maybe someday
129 someone will fix it...
130 * Added `distort' hack, but didn't add it to the default
131 list (yet) because it's still too slow.
132 * Made the Athena demo dialog look more like the Motif
133 version; it has a text-entry field now, too.
134 * Made the Athena password dialog echo asterisks, like
135 Motif does, instead of using a flyspeck font.
136 * Some random configure tweaks.
137 * Added a `timestamp' resource that makes the `-verbose'
138 messages include the time at which they were printed.
139 Changes since 2.22: * The fix for SGI's "scheme" nonsense broke things, and
140 let the user's "*background" resource show through.
141 Fixed it in a different way.
142 Changes since 2.21: * Added support for the DPMS server extension (Display
143 Power Management System.)
144 * Made configure advertize the --enable-subdir option a
145 little more, since that seemed to cause some people
146 stress. Also, made that directory be built into the
147 xscreensaver executable, as a hardcoded prefix to
148 $PATH. (Might help, shouldn't hurt.)
149 * Made configure prefer the two-arg gettimeofday to the
150 one-arg version, since AIX doesn't have any prototypes.
151 * Made it work with Xaw3d (the 3D Athena library.)
152 * Made "make install" create directories as necessary.
153 * New version of lmorph from Sverre.
154 * Added `crystal' and `discreet' hacks from xlockmore.
155 * Added a new mode to `bsod'.
156 Changes since 2.20: * Made "xscreensaver-command -time" use different words.
157 (It now describes the two states as "screen blanked
158 since..." and "screen non-blanked since..." instead of
159 "active since..." and "inactive since..." which a lot
160 of people interpreted as meaning the opposite of what
162 * Improved some error messages, in the hopes of making
163 the distinction between the xscreensaver and
164 xscreensaver-command programs more obvious.
165 * Rewrote (and reorganized) parts of the xscreensaver and
166 xscreensaver-command manual pages.
167 * Renamed xscreensaver's "-lock" command-line option to
168 be "-lock-mode", to avoid confusion with the "-lock"
169 option to xscreensaver-command, which does a totally
171 * Removed xscreensaver's "-demo" command-line option for
172 a similar reason; use "xscreensaver-command -demo"
174 * Disabled SGI's "scheme" nonsense in a better way than
175 fully-qualifying the background colors in every single
177 * Fixed some other minor cosmetic problems when *sgiMode
179 * Fixed an X error in `bsod -root' (how ironic...)
180 Changes since 2.19: * Fixed a bug that caused the mouse to sometimes not be
181 grabbed properly (meaning the window manager menu could
182 pop up over the demo-mode display.)
183 * Fixed a bug that made the stderr output sometimes get
185 * Fixed a bug that made the demo-mode scrollbar move too
187 * Protected against a possible buffer overflow.
188 * Made `vidwhacker' not leave stray xv windows around.
189 * New version of `ant' so that Bagley doesn't calve.
190 * Make configure on AIX get XShm from the right library.
191 Changes since 2.18: * One file was missing from the tar file. Fixed.
192 Changes since 2.17: * Oops, atlantis wasn't being built by default. Fixed.
193 * Added `epicycle' hack.
194 * Added `interference' hack.
195 * Added `truchet' hack.
197 * Added some new modes to `vidwhacker'.
198 Changes since 2.16: * Added a -window-id argument to most hacks, so that they
199 can draw on arbitrary externally-provided windows.
200 * Synched with xlockmore 4.11a01.
202 * Added `atlantis' GL hack.
203 * Renamed `puzzle' hack to `jigsaw', since xlock already
204 had a different mode called `puzzle'.
205 * Made it self-configure properly when Motif 2.1.0 is
206 being used (requires -lXp now, sigh...)
207 Changes since 2.15: * Made `flag' able to do XPM images.
208 * New look for the xscreensaver logo (`xroger').
209 * Fixed compilation error on Suns with adjunct passwords.
210 * Got multi-architecture builds working again.
211 * Some configure tweaks for building on HPUX and Solaris.
212 * Fixed bug in decayscreen.
213 * Fixed typo in passwd.c.
214 * Made `cynosure' not die when colormap is full.
215 Changes since 2.14: * Added `cynosure' hack.
216 * Added `moire2' hack.
217 * Tweaked `erase.c' some more.
218 * Made unfading a bit smoother.
219 * Added `vidwhacker' hack (not installed by default.)
220 * Added `stairs' hack.
221 * Split `escher' into `cage' and `moebius', as per
223 * Changed subprocess handling to use sigaction() instead
224 of signal() if it's available (this is necessary for
225 SCO but should work fine on other systems too.)
226 * Various other tweaks.
227 Changes since 2.13: * Better fix for the Motif drag-and-die lossage.
228 * Put in some kludges to work around a LessTif bug.
229 * XScreenSaver is known to work with LessTif 0.82 now.
230 * Made fading work on high-end SGI video hardware.
231 * Fixed another SGI-specific bug in screen grabbing;
232 will the madness never cease?
233 * Fixed another crash in `xlyap'.
234 Changes since 2.12: * Made `decayscreen' do directions other than down.
236 * Fixed a crash in `xlyap'.
237 * Added CDE info to the man page, removed `cde.txt'.
238 * Configure tweaks for Zippy.
239 * Turned off the signal handling in `bubbles' because
240 it was sometimes failing to die.
241 * Added `hacks/xscreensaver-sgigl.c' to make it possible
242 to run SGI's ElectroPaint hack (/usr/demos/bin/ep)
243 with xscreensaver. Finally!
244 * Fixed a buffer overrun in the locking code that some
245 wily, malicious cracker must have slipped in.
246 * Disabled Motif drag-and-drool in the dialog box
247 buttons, since it's broken in some old versions of
249 Changes since 2.11: * Added `README.debugging'.
250 * Added `puzzle' hack.
251 * Added `xlyap' hack.
252 * Added "default-n" as a visual name, so that one can
253 have -install on by default, but turn it off for
254 certain poorly-behaved hacks (like xv.)
255 * Added support for grabbing frames of external video
256 (on SGI) to the screen-grabbing hacks (decayscreen,
257 slidescreen, slip, blitspin, and puzzle.)
258 * Improved look of tiles in `slidescreen'; fixed its
259 color allocation problem.
260 Changes since 2.10: * Tweaked `blitspin', added it to the default list.
261 * Added `lissie', `mountain', `triangle', `worm',
262 `rotor', and `ant' from xlockmore.
263 * Updated `sierpinski', `galaxy', and `lisa'.
264 * Thickened the lines in `braid' and `lmorph'.
265 * Updated VMS makefiles.
266 * Renamed `fract' to `vines'.
267 * Added `xjack' hack.
268 * Made a few more hacks use erase.c, and added a few
270 * Fixed compilation problem with Sun's version of OpenGL.
271 * Added ability to use sigaction() instead of signal()
272 to work around a SCO kernel bug.
273 Changes since 2.09: * Fixed colormap bugs in `rd-bomb'; sped up `coral'.
274 * Configure tweaks for *BSD.
275 Changes since 2.07: * New hacks `rd-bomb' and `coral'.
276 * New version of `maze' with some new algorithms.
277 * New colorized version of `rocks'.
278 * Fixed a bug in qix on 64-bit machines.
279 * Fixed a bug in the -time option.
280 * Fixed a bug in configure related to LessTif.
281 Changes since 2.06: * Minor header tweaks in windows.c and flag.c.
282 * Made multi-architecture (VPATH) builds work properly.
283 * Merged new GL stuff from xlockmore (rubik, morph3d.)
284 * Fixed intermittent crashes in `imsmap' and `munch'.
285 * Added `fadeplot' hack from xlockmore.
286 Changes since 2.05: * Merged in VMS support from Patrick Moreau.
287 Changes since 2.04: * Fixed a MIT-SCREEN-SAVER-related crash, and tweaked
288 configure to detect the extra-random -Xss library.
289 Changes since 2.03: * HP configure tweaks. Detect and warn about LessTif.
290 * Fixed low-color behavior of `goop', `pyro', `starfish',
291 `greynetic', `flame', `halo', and `moire'.
292 Changes since 2.02: * Fixed flicker in `pipes'. Fixed 3d in `bouboule'.
293 * Added `munch' hack.
294 * Added basic dependencies to the Makefile.in files.
295 Changes since 2.01: * Fixes for compiling with the MIT saver extension.
296 * Made the yow/fortune program be a configure option.
297 * Various configure tweaks.
298 Changes since 2.00: * Added `goop' and `starfish' hacks.
299 * Added colomap cycling to `halo'.
300 * Made `attraction' use the new colormap allocator.
301 * Added better $PATH diagnostics.
302 * There was a bug in frand! Color selection should be
304 Changes since 1.34: * Converted to use `configure' instead of `imake'.
305 * ANSI C is now required.
306 * Added Kerberos locking support, from Nat Lanza.
307 * Made the stderr text use overlay planes, if possible.
308 * Reworked the xlockmore compatibility stuff again.
309 * Added `gears', `superquadrics', `escher', `pipes',
310 and `sproingies' hacks (depend on OpenGL.)
311 Changes since 1.33: * Fixed some bugs, made fading be a little smoother.
312 Changes since 1.32: * Made it work with multi-headed displays.
313 * Generalized sub-process management (Unix sucks!)
314 * Added interactive mouse frobbing to Julia.
315 * Added (untested) support for HPUX shadow passwords.
316 * Made normal non-shadow passwords be checked if the
317 shadow passwords aren't accessible for some reason.
318 Changes since 1.31: * Removed *colorPrograms and *monoPrograms resources:
319 made it possible to specify the desired visual on a
321 * Cleaned up / restructured the driver: no more globals.
322 * Made the Motif and Athena dialogs share more code.
323 * Probably fixed some Athena colormap-installation bugs.
324 * Fixed screen grabbing (cmap) on SGI 12-bit PseudoColor.
325 * Fixed divide-by-zero in bright random colormaps.
326 * Added an improved version of xlock's `flag' hack.
327 * Made unfading work better, and not flicker on SGIs.
328 * Added `sphere', `forest', `lisa' hacks from xlockmore.
329 * Added (untested) support for SunOS Adjunct passwords.
330 Changes since 1.30: * Improved colors and colormap cycling of many hacks.
331 * Cleaned up xlockmore compatibility layer.
332 * Made `blitspin' able to grab an image off the screen.
333 * Ported `swirl' and `bouboule' hacks from xlockmore.
334 * Made the driver more careful about not leaving bits on
335 the screen, or allowing other windows to raise
336 themselves: it now re-blanks the screen every so often.
337 * Added `-time' option to `xscreensaver-command'.
338 * Improved SGI screen-grabbing some more: now it can grab
339 TrueColor screens into PseudoColor windows and have the
340 colors still come out semi-reasonably.
341 Changes since 1.29: * Made `slidescreen' and `decayscreen' work better on
342 SGIs when windows of different visuals are present, by
343 using the XReadDisplay() extension to get a true 24-bit
344 image out of the frame buffer.
345 * Made `noseguy' be in color, if compiled with XPM.
346 * Ported `braid', `drift', `fract', `galaxy', `grav',
347 `ifs', `julia', `laser', `lightning', `penrose',
348 `sierpinski', `slip', `spiral', and `strange' hacks
350 * Merged `hopalong' hack with a more recent version.
352 Changes since 1.27: * Added `deco', `moire', and `kaleidescope' hacks.
353 * Merged in support for non-Motif locking and demo mode.
354 * Made `blitspin' and `bubbles' work in TrueColor.
355 * Fixed a stupid bug I introduced in `imsmap'.
356 * Added `poly' and `gravity' options to `qix'.
357 Changes since 1.26: * Added support for SGI SCREEN_SAVER extension.
358 * Made `fade' and `unfade' work on 8-bit SGIs.
359 * Made the dialog boxes more Motify.
360 * Added `bubbles' hack.
361 Changes since 1.25: * Added `lmorph' hack.
362 * Added viscosity and mouse-control to attraction.
363 * Fixed possible bad color choices in qix and attraction.
364 * Added ramp-mode to halo.
365 * Added a new RNG, which is faster and more portable
366 than using the RNG in libc.
367 * Made locking work on SCO.
368 * Various other minor tweaks that I don't remember.
369 Changes since 1.24: * Made it capture the stdout/stderr of its subprocesses
370 and present them on the screensaver window itself.
371 * Made demo mode work correctly with non-default visuals
372 and color maps, instead of always using the defaults.
373 * Added -visual argument to all included screenhacks.
374 * Support for the R6 MIT-SCREEN-SAVER server extension.
375 * Made the demo mode list scroll properly.
376 * Added `pedal' hack.
377 Changes since 1.23: * Fixed some private-colormap oddities in slidescreen,
378 decayscreen, and xroger. Fixed apparent conservation-
379 of-mass problem in pyro; made the shrapnel round.
380 Changes since 1.22: * Minor tweaks for IRIX5; fixed locking race condition.
381 Changes since 1.21: * Minor tweaks for X11R6.
382 * Fixes for non-default visuals.
383 Changes since 1.20: * Fixed bug in color blitspin; added default image.
384 * Added diagnostics to noseguy. Fixed off-by-one
385 error in flame. Added some missing casts.
386 Changes since 1.18: * Added `flame' hack.
387 * Fixed a minor Motif dialog text field bug.
388 * Fixed yet another XPointer-not-defined-in-R4 bug.
389 Changes since 1.17: * Added support for shadow password files.
390 * Fixed some Motif-related locking bugs.
391 * Added diagnostics when locking is disabled.
392 * Made blitspin able to use the XPM library.
393 * Added `decayscreen' hack.
394 Changes since 1.16: * Added `halo' hack.
395 Changes since 1.15: * Portability fixes.
396 Changes since 1.14: * Broke the driver up into more source files.
397 * Moved the hacks into their own directory.
398 * Made all `time' parameters accept the 00:00:00 syntax,
399 so that even the parameters which are normally read as
400 minutes can be specified in seconds.
401 * Added colormap cycling to `imsmap'.
402 * Made hyper work with K&R compilers.
403 Changes since 1.13: * Added `orbit' option to `attraction' hack.
404 * Added `lock-timeout' option.
405 * Cleaned up options of `maze' hack.
406 Changes since 1.8: * Added demo mode, and locking.
408 * Added `norotate' option to `rocks' hack.
projects / xscreensaver / blob