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 are upgrading, you might want to delete your ~/.xscreensaver file.
28 If you don't, you might not see the new graphics modes. If you are upgrading
29 from version 2.* to version 3.*, definitely do delete your .xscreensaver file.
31 If you think you've found a bug, please let me know! No bug report is too
32 small. But first, please read the enclosed `README.debugging' file to find
33 out what kind of information would be most helpful to include in your bug
38 You can try out xscreensaver like so:
41 xscreensaver-command -demo
43 After a few seconds, the screen should go black, and a dialog box should
44 appear in the upper right corner. This is "Demo Mode".
46 Note: unlike `xlock', xscreensaver has a client-server model: the
47 `xscreensaver' process is a daemon that runs in the background; it is
48 controlled by the foreground `xscreensaver-command' program.
50 xscreensaver has an extensive manual -- please read it!
54 The xscreensaver daemon waits until the keyboard and mouse have been idle
55 for a period, and then runs a graphics demo chosen at random. The demo is
56 terminated as soon as there is any mouse or keyboard activity (or, in
57 locking mode, when the proper password is typed.)
59 It is trivially easy to add new display modes to xscreensaver: any program
60 which can be invoked in such a way that it draws on the root window of the
61 screen can be used as a screensaver. You just change a resource setting --
62 there's no need to recompile or reinstall anything.
66 Along with the xscreensaver daemon itself, this package also includes
67 numerous graphics hacks for use as screensavers. There is nothing magic
68 about these: they are just programs that draw on the root window.
70 More than 80 such programs are included. For details, see the xscreensaver
71 web page, or the enclosed manual pages. There are also some helpful hints
72 on customization in the xscreensaver app-defaults file (normally installed
73 in /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/XScreenSaver.)
75 The latest version of xscreensaver is always available on the web at
76 http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/.
80 Changes since 3.00: * Some fixes to `reflect'.
82 * Made it log unsuccessful attempts to unlock the screen
84 * Fixed a bug where `xscreensaver-demo' could be seeing
85 a different programs list than `xscreensaver' did.
86 Changes since 2.34: * The xscreensaver daemon no longer links against Motif
87 or Athena: demo-mode and the preferences panel are no
88 longer built in to the daemon, but are now handled by
89 an external program, `xscreensaver-demo'.
90 (I decided that this, along with the recent addition
91 of the `.xscreensaver' config file, justified bumping
92 the version number to 3.00, since this is a fairly
93 major architectural change.)
94 * Lines in the `*programs' resource may now begin with
95 the character "-", meaning "don't run this hack."
96 In this way, it's possible to disable a hack without
97 throwing away the information about it (making it
98 easier to change your mind later.) Eventually the
99 preferences/demo mode GUI should represent this as a
100 checkbox or something.
101 * Fixed a short race condition where it was possible for
102 xscreensaver to die with a BadWindow error if it was
103 blanking the screen just as another window was being
105 * Made it possible to disable specific modes in `bsod'.
106 Changes since 2.33: * Fixed a bug that was making `pipes' generate way too
107 many valves. Made the viewpoint in `pipes' be selected
108 randomly instead of always being -10 degrees.
109 * Fixed a bug in the XSHM code, in the case where the
110 server supports the XSHM extension but is not the same
111 machine as the client.
112 * Made `rd-bomb' default to taking up the whole screen.
113 * Made it not try to do fading/unfading if no PseudoColor
115 * Initial attempt at supporting VT-locking (doesn't work
117 * Eliminated the `captureStdout' resource; now
118 `captureStderr' controls both streams.
119 * Added `-capture-stderr' and `-no-capture-stderr'
120 command-line arguments.
121 * Added `glplanet' hack.
122 * When a hack is selected with `xscreensaver-command
123 -select', that hack will be used until further notice
124 (until the saver turns off, or another activation
126 Changes since 2.32: * Made `xscreensaver-command' print error messages:
127 the xscreensaver daemon now responds to ClientMessage
128 events by writing a response message on a window
129 property, instead of just writing to its stderr.
130 * Made the ~/.xscreensaver file be automatically reloaded
131 when the file date changes.
132 * The password dialog and splash screen no longer depend
133 on Motif or Athena. This should clear up a number of
134 focus problems, and is the first step on the path
135 toward moving all of the Motif/Athena/whatever code
136 out of the xscreensaver daemon, and into external
138 * Don't complain about LessTif 0.86 any more, since the
139 new password dialog makes that problem go away.
140 * Configure tweaks for Irix 6.5, SunOS 5.something.
141 * New `-reflect' option to `distort'.
142 Changes since 2.31: * Added reading and writing of a ~/.xscreensaver file,
143 so that the Preferences panel can save its settings.
144 * New version of `rubik'.
145 * Added `-select N' argument to `xscreensaver-command'.
146 * Oops, left out some of the `bubbles3d' files...
147 Changes since 2.30: * The cursor was invisible in the password dialog. Fixed.
148 * Made configure warn against MesaGL 2.6.
149 * Fixed X error at startup when using non-default visual.
150 * New version of `crystal', `ant', and `atlantis' from
152 * New hack, `bubble3d'.
153 * Added some new modes to `bsod'.
154 Changes since 2.29: * Changed the order in which -lSM and -lICE are linked
155 to be after Motif instead of before (Lesstif on Irix
157 Changes since 2.28: * Work around a bash bug in configure.
158 * Tweaked HPUX paths again. FTSOHPUX.
159 * Made configure recommend against LessTif 0.86, due
160 to a bug in that version that causes a security hole
161 in the screen locking code. LessTif 0.87 will fix it.
162 * Made all of the `--with' options to `configure' accept
163 a directory option as well (so that --with-motif=/FOO
164 will add -I/FOO/include -L/FOO/lib). I believe this is
165 the Configure Party Line of how do to such things.
166 * Fixed a bug where the mouse was left un-grabbed
167 after the first time the graphics hack was changed
168 (simplified all of the mouse-grabbing logic.)
169 * Maybe possibly perhaps made `vidwhacker' really not
170 leave stray xv windows around. This time for sure.
171 * Added a new erase mode (random dots fizzling out.)
172 * Added `-prefs' argument to `xscreensaver-command',
173 that brings up the Preferences dialog directly (it
174 seems that nobody ever noticed the `Preferences' button
175 on the Demo Mode dialog, maybe this will help.)
176 * Added a splash screen. Turn it off with *splash:false.
177 Changes since 2.27: * Better macsbug text in `bsod'.
178 * New version of `distort' with many new modes.
179 * Plugged a leak in `coral'.
180 * Tweaked configure for HPUX.
181 * Removed some compiler warnings.
182 * More consistent usage of stderr versus stdout.
183 * More diagnostics should an X error occur.
184 * Fixed a possible crash in SGI-specific unfading code.
185 Changes since 2.26: * Improved version of `distort'.
186 * Made `lament' compile against OpenGL 1.0 (though it
187 still requires 1.1 to work properly.)
188 * Updated my email address and home page.
189 Changes since 2.24: * Improved motion in `rd-bomb'.
190 * Added XSHM (shared memory extension) support to the
191 `distort', `interference', `moire', `rd-bomb', and
192 `swirl' hacks, which speeds them up a bit.
193 * Added `lament' hack.
194 Changes since 2.23: * Tweaked the order of the -L options again.
195 * Cleaned up configure's `--help' message.
196 * Added `kumppa' hack.
197 * Smarter maze-solving algorithm in `maze'.
198 * Took `xlyap' out of the default list of hacks, since
199 it's just incredibly buggy (and slow.) Maybe someday
200 someone will fix it...
201 * Added `distort' hack, but didn't add it to the default
202 list (yet) because it's still too slow.
203 * Made the Athena demo dialog look more like the Motif
204 version; it has a text-entry field now, too.
205 * Made the Athena password dialog echo asterisks, like
206 Motif does, instead of using a flyspeck font.
207 * Some random configure tweaks.
208 * Added a `timestamp' resource that makes the `-verbose'
209 messages include the time at which they were printed.
210 Changes since 2.22: * The fix for SGI's ``scheme'' nonsense broke things, and
211 let the user's "*background" resource show through.
212 Fixed it in a different way.
213 Changes since 2.21: * Added support for the DPMS server extension (Display
214 Power Management System.)
215 * Made configure advertize the `--enable-subdir' option a
216 little more, since that seemed to cause some people
217 stress. Also, made that directory be built into the
218 xscreensaver executable, as a hardcoded prefix to
219 $PATH. (Might help, shouldn't hurt.)
220 * Made configure prefer the two-arg gettimeofday to the
221 one-arg version, since AIX doesn't have any prototypes.
222 * Made it work with Xaw3d (the 3D Athena library.)
223 * Made `make install' create directories as necessary.
224 * New version of lmorph from Sverre.
225 * Added `crystal' and `discreet' hacks from xlockmore.
226 * Added a new mode to `bsod'.
227 Changes since 2.20: * Made `xscreensaver-command -time' use different words.
228 (It now describes the two states as "screen blanked
229 since..." and "screen non-blanked since..." instead of
230 "active since..." and "inactive since..." which a lot
231 of people interpreted as meaning the opposite of what
233 * Improved some error messages, in the hopes of making
234 the distinction between the xscreensaver and
235 xscreensaver-command programs more obvious.
236 * Rewrote (and reorganized) parts of the xscreensaver and
237 xscreensaver-command manual pages.
238 * Renamed xscreensaver's `-lock' command-line option to
239 be `-lock-mode', to avoid confusion with the `-lock'
240 option to xscreensaver-command, which does a totally
242 * Removed xscreensaver's `-demo' command-line option for
243 a similar reason; use `xscreensaver-command -demo'
245 * Disabled SGI's ``scheme'' nonsense in a better way than
246 fully-qualifying the background colors in every single
248 * Fixed some other minor cosmetic problems when *sgiMode
250 * Fixed an X error in `bsod -root' (how ironic...)
251 Changes since 2.19: * Fixed a bug that caused the mouse to sometimes not be
252 grabbed properly (meaning the window manager menu could
253 pop up over the demo-mode display.)
254 * Fixed a bug that made the stderr output sometimes get
256 * Fixed a bug that made the demo-mode scrollbar move too
258 * Protected against a possible buffer overflow.
259 * Made `vidwhacker' not leave stray xv windows around.
260 * New version of `ant' so that Bagley doesn't calve.
261 * Make configure on AIX get XShm from the right library.
262 Changes since 2.18: * One file was missing from the tar file. Fixed.
263 Changes since 2.17: * Oops, atlantis wasn't being built by default. Fixed.
264 * Added `epicycle' hack.
265 * Added `interference' hack.
266 * Added `truchet' hack.
268 * Added some new modes to `vidwhacker'.
269 Changes since 2.16: * Added a -window-id argument to most hacks, so that they
270 can draw on arbitrary externally-provided windows.
271 * Synched with xlockmore 4.11a01.
273 * Added `atlantis' GL hack.
274 * Renamed `puzzle' hack to `jigsaw', since xlock already
275 had a different mode called `puzzle'.
276 * Made it self-configure properly when Motif 2.1.0 is
277 being used (requires -lXp now, sigh...)
278 Changes since 2.15: * Made `flag' able to do XPM images.
279 * New look for the xscreensaver logo (`xroger').
280 * Fixed compilation error on Suns with adjunct passwords.
281 * Got multi-architecture builds working again.
282 * Some configure tweaks for building on HPUX and Solaris.
283 * Fixed bug in decayscreen.
284 * Fixed typo in passwd.c.
285 * Made `cynosure' not die when colormap is full.
286 Changes since 2.14: * Added `cynosure' hack.
287 * Added `moire2' hack.
288 * Tweaked `erase.c' some more.
289 * Made unfading a bit smoother.
290 * Added `vidwhacker' hack (not installed by default.)
291 * Added `stairs' hack.
292 * Split `escher' into `cage' and `moebius', as per
294 * Changed subprocess handling to use sigaction() instead
295 of signal() if it's available (this is necessary for
296 SCO but should work fine on other systems too.)
297 * Various other tweaks.
298 Changes since 2.13: * Better fix for the Motif drag-and-die lossage.
299 * Put in some kludges to work around a LessTif bug.
300 * XScreenSaver is known to work with LessTif 0.82 now.
301 * Made fading work on high-end SGI video hardware.
302 * Fixed another SGI-specific bug in screen grabbing;
303 will the madness never cease?
304 * Fixed another crash in `xlyap'.
305 Changes since 2.12: * Made `decayscreen' do directions other than down.
307 * Fixed a crash in `xlyap'.
308 * Added CDE info to the man page, removed `cde.txt'.
309 * Configure tweaks for Zippy.
310 * Turned off the signal handling in `bubbles' because
311 it was sometimes failing to die.
312 * Added `hacks/xscreensaver-sgigl.c' to make it possible
313 to run SGI's ElectroPaint hack (/usr/demos/bin/ep)
314 with xscreensaver. Finally!
315 * Fixed a buffer overrun in the locking code that some
316 wily, malicious cracker must have slipped in.
317 * Disabled Motif drag-and-drool in the dialog box
318 buttons, since it's broken in some old versions of
320 Changes since 2.11: * Added `README.debugging'.
321 * Added `puzzle' hack.
322 * Added `xlyap' hack.
323 * Added `default-n' as a visual name, so that one can
324 have -install on by default, but turn it off for
325 certain poorly-behaved hacks (like xv.)
326 * Added support for grabbing frames of external video
327 (on SGI) to the screen-grabbing hacks (decayscreen,
328 slidescreen, slip, blitspin, and puzzle.)
329 * Improved look of tiles in `slidescreen'; fixed its
330 color allocation problem.
331 Changes since 2.10: * Tweaked `blitspin', added it to the default list.
332 * Added `lissie', `mountain', `triangle', `worm',
333 `rotor', and `ant' from xlockmore.
334 * Updated `sierpinski', `galaxy', and `lisa'.
335 * Thickened the lines in `braid' and `lmorph'.
336 * Updated VMS makefiles.
337 * Renamed `fract' to `vines'.
338 * Added `xjack' hack.
339 * Made a few more hacks use erase.c, and added a few
341 * Fixed compilation problem with Sun's version of OpenGL.
342 * Added ability to use sigaction() instead of signal()
343 to work around a SCO kernel bug.
344 Changes since 2.09: * Fixed colormap bugs in `rd-bomb'; sped up `coral'.
345 * Configure tweaks for *BSD.
346 Changes since 2.07: * New hacks `rd-bomb' and `coral'.
347 * New version of `maze' with some new algorithms.
348 * New colorized version of `rocks'.
349 * Fixed a bug in qix on 64-bit machines.
350 * Fixed a bug in the -time option.
351 * Fixed a bug in configure related to LessTif.
352 Changes since 2.06: * Minor header tweaks in windows.c and flag.c.
353 * Made multi-architecture ($VPATH) builds work properly.
354 * Merged new GL stuff from xlockmore (rubik, morph3d.)
355 * Fixed intermittent crashes in `imsmap' and `munch'.
356 * Added `fadeplot' hack from xlockmore.
357 Changes since 2.05: * Merged in VMS support from Patrick Moreau.
358 Changes since 2.04: * Fixed a MIT-SCREEN-SAVER-related crash, and tweaked
359 configure to detect the extra-random -Xss library.
360 Changes since 2.03: * HP configure tweaks. Detect and warn about LessTif.
361 * Fixed low-color behavior of `goop', `pyro', `starfish',
362 `greynetic', `flame', `halo', and `moire'.
363 Changes since 2.02: * Fixed flicker in `pipes'. Fixed 3d in `bouboule'.
364 * Added `munch' hack.
365 * Added basic dependencies to the Makefile.in files.
366 Changes since 2.01: * Fixes for compiling with the MIT saver extension.
367 * Made the yow/fortune program be a configure option.
368 * Various configure tweaks.
369 Changes since 2.00: * Added `goop' and `starfish' hacks.
370 * Added colomap cycling to `halo'.
371 * Made `attraction' use the new colormap allocator.
372 * Added better $PATH diagnostics.
373 * There was a bug in frand! Color selection should be
375 Changes since 1.34: * Converted to use `configure' instead of `imake'.
376 * ANSI C is now required.
377 * Added Kerberos locking support, from Nat Lanza.
378 * Made the stderr text use overlay planes, if possible.
379 * Reworked the xlockmore compatibility stuff again.
380 * Added `gears', `superquadrics', `escher', `pipes',
381 and `sproingies' hacks (depend on OpenGL.)
382 Changes since 1.33: * Fixed some bugs, made fading be a little smoother.
383 Changes since 1.32: * Made it work with multi-headed displays.
384 * Generalized sub-process management (Unix sucks!)
385 * Added interactive mouse frobbing to Julia.
386 * Added (untested) support for HPUX shadow passwords.
387 * Made normal non-shadow passwords be checked if the
388 shadow passwords aren't accessible for some reason.
389 Changes since 1.31: * Removed *colorPrograms and *monoPrograms resources:
390 made it possible to specify the desired visual on a
392 * Cleaned up / restructured the driver: no more globals.
393 * Made the Motif and Athena dialogs share more code.
394 * Probably fixed some Athena colormap-installation bugs.
395 * Fixed screen grabbing (cmap) on SGI 12-bit PseudoColor.
396 * Fixed divide-by-zero in bright random colormaps.
397 * Added an improved version of xlock's `flag' hack.
398 * Made unfading work better, and not flicker on SGIs.
399 * Added `sphere', `forest', `lisa' hacks from xlockmore.
400 * Added (untested) support for SunOS Adjunct passwords.
401 Changes since 1.30: * Improved colors and colormap cycling of many hacks.
402 * Cleaned up xlockmore compatibility layer.
403 * Made `blitspin' able to grab an image off the screen.
404 * Ported `swirl' and `bouboule' hacks from xlockmore.
405 * Made the driver more careful about not leaving bits on
406 the screen, or allowing other windows to raise
407 themselves: it now re-blanks the screen every so often.
408 * Added `-time' option to `xscreensaver-command'.
409 * Improved SGI screen-grabbing some more: now it can grab
410 TrueColor screens into PseudoColor windows and have the
411 colors still come out semi-reasonably.
412 Changes since 1.29: * Made `slidescreen' and `decayscreen' work better on
413 SGIs when windows of different visuals are present, by
414 using the XReadDisplay() extension to get a true 24-bit
415 image out of the frame buffer.
416 * Made `noseguy' be in color, if compiled with XPM.
417 * Ported `braid', `drift', `fract', `galaxy', `grav',
418 `ifs', `julia', `laser', `lightning', `penrose',
419 `sierpinski', `slip', `spiral', and `strange' hacks
421 * Merged `hopalong' hack with a more recent version.
423 Changes since 1.27: * Added `deco', `moire', and `kaleidescope' hacks.
424 * Merged in support for non-Motif locking and demo mode.
425 * Made `blitspin' and `bubbles' work in TrueColor.
426 * Fixed a stupid bug I introduced in `imsmap'.
427 * Added `poly' and `gravity' options to `qix'.
428 Changes since 1.26: * Added support for SGI SCREEN_SAVER extension.
429 * Made `fade' and `unfade' work on 8-bit SGIs.
430 * Made the dialog boxes more Motify.
431 * Added `bubbles' hack.
432 Changes since 1.25: * Added `lmorph' hack.
433 * Added viscosity and mouse-control to attraction.
434 * Fixed possible bad color choices in qix and attraction.
435 * Added ramp-mode to halo.
436 * Added a new RNG, which is faster and more portable
437 than using the RNG in libc.
438 * Made locking work on SCO.
439 * Various other minor tweaks that I don't remember.
440 Changes since 1.24: * Made it capture the stdout/stderr of its subprocesses
441 and present them on the screensaver window itself.
442 * Made demo mode work correctly with non-default visuals
443 and color maps, instead of always using the defaults.
444 * Added -visual argument to all included screenhacks.
445 * Support for the R6 MIT-SCREEN-SAVER server extension.
446 * Made the demo mode list scroll properly.
447 * Added `pedal' hack.
448 Changes since 1.23: * Fixed some private-colormap oddities in slidescreen,
449 decayscreen, and xroger. Fixed apparent conservation-
450 of-mass problem in pyro; made the shrapnel round.
451 Changes since 1.22: * Minor tweaks for IRIX5; fixed locking race condition.
452 Changes since 1.21: * Minor tweaks for X11R6.
453 * Fixes for non-default visuals.
454 Changes since 1.20: * Fixed bug in color blitspin; added default image.
455 * Added diagnostics to noseguy. Fixed off-by-one
456 error in flame. Added some missing casts.
457 Changes since 1.18: * Added `flame' hack.
458 * Fixed a minor Motif dialog text field bug.
459 * Fixed yet another XPointer-not-defined-in-R4 bug.
460 Changes since 1.17: * Added support for shadow password files.
461 * Fixed some Motif-related locking bugs.
462 * Added diagnostics when locking is disabled.
463 * Made blitspin able to use the XPM library.
464 * Added `decayscreen' hack.
465 Changes since 1.16: * Added `halo' hack.
466 Changes since 1.15: * Portability fixes.
467 Changes since 1.14: * Broke the driver up into more source files.
468 * Moved the hacks into their own directory.
469 * Made all `time' parameters accept the 00:00:00 syntax,
470 so that even the parameters which are normally read as
471 minutes can be specified in seconds.
472 * Added colormap cycling to `imsmap'.
473 * Made hyper work with K&R compilers.
474 Changes since 1.13: * Added `orbit' option to `attraction' hack.
475 * Added `lock-timeout' option.
476 * Cleaned up options of `maze' hack.
477 Changes since 1.8: * Added demo mode, and locking.
479 * Added `norotate' option to `rocks' hack.
projects / xscreensaver / blob