.if n .sp 1
.if t .sp .5
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-.TH XScreenSaver 1 "16-Dec-2004 (4.19)" "X Version 11"
+.TH XScreenSaver 1 "20-Mar-2005 (4.21)" "X Version 11"
.SH NAME
xscreensaver - extensible screen saver framework, plus locking
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B xscreensaver
[\-display \fIhost:display.screen\fP] \
[\-verbose] \
+[\-no\-splash] \
[\-no\-capture\-stderr] \
-[\-no\-splash]
+[\-log \fIfilename\fP]
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fIxscreensaver\fP program waits until the keyboard and mouse have been
idle for a period, and then runs a graphics demo chosen at random. It
program pops up a dialog box that lets you configure the screen saver,
and experiment with the various display modes.
-.B Note:
-unlike
-.BR xlock (1),
-xscreensaver has a client-server model: the \fIxscreensaver\fP program is a
-daemon that runs in the background; it is controlled by the foreground
+.B Note that xscreensaver has a client-server model:
+the \fIxscreensaver\fP program is a daemon that runs in the background;
+it is controlled by the foreground
.BR xscreensaver-demo (1)
and
.BR xscreensaver-command (1)
the current settings will be written to the \fI.xscreensaver\fP file.
(The \fI.Xdefaults\fP file and the app-defaults file will never be
written by xscreensaver itself.)
+.SH COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS
+.I xscreensaver
+also accepts a few command-line options, mostly for use when debugging:
+for normal operation, you should configure things via the \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP
+file.
+.TP 8
+.B \-display \fIhost:display.screen\fP
+The X display to use. For displays with multiple screens, XScreenSaver
+will manage all screens on the display simultaniously.
+.TP 8
+.B \-verbose
+Same as setting the \fIverbose\fP resource to \fItrue\fP: print diagnostics
+on stderr and on the xscreensaver window.
+.TP 8
+.B \-no-capture-stderr
+Do not redirect the stdout and stderr streams to the xscreensaver window
+itself. If xscreensaver is crashing, you might need to do this in order
+to see the error message.
+.TP 8
+.B \-log \fIfilename\fP
+This is exactly the same as redirecting stdout and stderr to the given
+file (for append). This is useful when reporting bugs.
+.SH HOW IT WORKS
+When it is time to activate the screensaver, a full-screen black window is
+created on each screen of the display. Each window is created in such a way
+that, to any subsequently-created programs, it will appear to be a ``virtual
+root'' window. Because of this, any program which draws on the root
+window (and which understands virtual roots) can be used as a screensaver.
+The various graphics demos are, in fact, just standalone programs that
+know how to draw on the provided window.
+
+When the user becomes active again, the screensaver windows are unmapped, and
+the running subprocesses are killed by sending them \fBSIGTERM\fP. This is
+also how the subprocesses are killed when the screensaver decides that it's
+time to run a different demo: the old one is killed and a new one is launched.
+
+You can control a running screensaver process by using the
+.BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
+program (which see.)
+.SH POWER MANAGEMENT
+Modern X servers contain support to power down the monitor after an idle
+period. If the monitor has powered down, then \fIxscreensaver\fP will
+notice this (after a few minutes), and will not waste CPU by drawing
+graphics demos on a black screen. An attempt will also be made to
+explicitly power the monitor back up as soon as user activity is detected.
+
+The \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file controls the configuration of your
+display's power management settings: if you have used
+.BR xset (1)
+to change your power management settings, then xscreensaver will
+override those changes with the values specified
+in \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP (or with its built-in defaults, if there
+is no \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file yet.)
+
+To change your power management settings, run
+.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
+and change the various timeouts through the user interface.
+Alternately, you can edit the \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file directly.
+
+If the power management section is grayed out in the
+.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
+window, then that means that your X server does not support
+the XDPMS extension, and so control over the monitor's power state
+is not available.
+
+If you're using a laptop, don't be surprised if changing the DPMS
+settings has no effect: many laptops have monitor power-saving behavior
+built in at a very low level that is invisible to Unix and X. On such
+systems, you can typically adjust the power-saving delays only by
+changing settings in the BIOS in some hardware-specific way.
+
+If DPMS seems not to be working with XFree86, make sure the "DPMS"
+option is set in your \fI/etc/X11/XF86Config\fP file. See the
+.BR XF86Config (5)
+manual for details.
+.SH USING GNOME
+For many years, GNOME shipped \fIxscreensaver\fP as-is, and
+everything just worked out of the box. Recently, however, they've
+been re-inventing the wheel again in the form of "gnome-screensaver".
+
+To replace gnome-screensaver with xscreensaver:
+.RS 4
+.TP 3
+\fB1: Turn off gnome-screensaver.\fP
+Open ``System / Preferences / Screensaver'' and uncheck both boxes.
+.TP 3
+\fB2: Stop gnome-screensaver from launching at login.\fP
+Run the command:
+.EX
+gconftool-2 --type boolean -s \\
+/apps/gnome_settings_daemon/screensaver/start_screensaver \\
+false
+.EE
+Or, just uninstall the "gnome-screensaver" package entirely.
+.TP 3
+\fB3: Launch xscreensaver at login.\fP
+Open ``System / Preferences / Sessions / Startup Programs''.
+Click ``Add'' and type ``xscreensaver''.
+.TP 3
+\fB4: Tell Preferences to use the xscreensaver configurator.\fP
+Edit \fI/usr/share/applications/gnome-screensaver-preferences.desktop\fP
+and change the \fIExec=\fP line to say
+ Exec=xscreensaver-demo
+.TP 3
+\fB5: Make ``System / Quit / Lock Screen'' use xscreensaver.\fP
+Run the command:
+.EX
+sudo ln -sf /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command \\
+ /usr/bin/gnome-screensaver-command
+.EE
+.SH USING KDE
+KDE also has invented their own screen saver framework instead of
+simply using xscreensaver. To replace the KDE screen saver with
+xscreensaver, do the following:
+.RS 4
+.TP 3
+\fB1: Turn off KDE's screen saver.\fP
+Open the ``\fIControl Center\fP'' and
+select the ``\fIAppearance & Themes / Screensaver\fP'' page.
+Un-check ``\fIStart Automatically\fP''.
+.TP 3
+\fB2: Find your Autostart directory.\fP
+Open the ``\fISystem Administration -> Paths\fP'' page,
+and see what your ``Autostart path'' is set to: it will
+probably be \fI~/.kde/Autostart/\fP or something similar.
+.TP 3
+\fB3: Make xscreensaver be an Autostart program.\fP
+Create a .desktop file in your autostart directory
+called \fIxscreensaver.desktop\fP that contains the following five lines:
+.EX
+[Desktop Entry]
+Exec=xscreensaver
+Name=XScreenSaver
+Type=Application
+X-KDE-StartupNotify=false
+.EE
+.TP 3
+\fB4: Make the various "lock session" buttons call xscreensaver.\fP
+Replace the file \fIkdesktop_lock\fP or \fIkrunner_lock\fP
+or \fIkscreenlocker\fP
+in \fI/usr/bin/\fP (or possibly in \fI/usr/kde/3.5/bin/\fP
+or possibly in \fI/usr/lib/kde4/libexec/\fP
+or \fI/usr/libexec/kde4/\fP, depending on the distro and
+phase of the moon) with these two lines:
+.EX
+#!/bin/sh
+xscreensaver-command -lock
+.EE
+Make sure the file is executable (chmod a+x).
+.RE
.PP
+Now use xscreensaver normally, controlling it via the usual
+.BR xscreensaver-demo (1)
+and
+.BR xscreensaver-command (1)
+mechanisms.
+.SH USING GDM
+You can run \fIxscreensaver\fP from your
+.BR gdm (1)
+session, so that the screensaver will run even when nobody is logged
+in on the console. To do this, run
+.BR gdmconfig (1)
+and on the \fIBackground\fP page, type the
+command \fB"xscreensaver -nosplash"\fP into the \fIBackground Program\fP
+field. That will cause gdm to run xscreensaver while nobody is logged
+in, and kill it as soon as someone does log in. (The user will then
+be responsible for starting xscreensaver on their own, if they want.)
+
+Another way to accomplish the same thing is to edit the
+file \fI/etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf\fP to include:
+.EX
+BackgroundProgram=xscreensaver -nosplash
+RunBackgroundProgramAlways=true
+.EE
+In this situation, the \fIxscreensaver\fP process will probably be running
+as user \fIgdm\fP instead of \fIroot\fP. You can configure the settings
+for this nobody-logged-in state (timeouts, DPMS, etc.) by editing
+the \fI~gdm/.xscreensaver\fP file.
+
+To get gdm to run the BackgroundProgram, you may need to switch it from
+the "Graphical Greeter" to the "Standard Greeter".
+
+It is safe to run \fIxscreensaver\fP as root (as \fIxdm\fP is likely to do.)
+If run as root, \fIxscreensaver\fP changes its effective user and group ids
+to something safe (like \fI"nobody"\fP) before connecting to the X server
+or launching user-specified programs.
+
+An unfortunate side effect of this (important) security precaution is that
+it may conflict with cookie-based authentication.
+
+If you get "connection refused" errors when running \fIxscreensaver\fP
+from \fIgdm\fP, then this probably means that you have
+.BR xauth (1)
+or some other security mechanism turned on. For information on the
+X server's access control mechanisms, see the man pages for
+.BR X (1),
+.BR Xsecurity (1),
+.BR xauth (1),
+and
+.BR xhost (1).
+.SH BUGS
+Bugs? There are no bugs. Ok, well, maybe. If you find one, please let
+me know. http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/bugs.html explains how to
+construct the most useful bug reports.
+.TP 8
+.B Locking and XDM
+If xscreensaver has been launched from
+.BR xdm (1)
+before anyone has logged in, you will need to kill and then restart the
+xscreensaver daemon after you have logged in, or you will be confused by
+the results. (For example, locking won't work, and your \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP
+file will be ignored.)
+
+When you are logged in, you want the \fIxscreensaver\fP daemon to be
+running under \fIyour\fP user id, not as root or some other user.
+
+If it has already been started by \fIxdm\fP, you can kill it by sending
+it the \fBexit\fP command, and then re-launching it as you, by putting
+something like the following in your personal X startup script:
+.EX
+xscreensaver-command -exit
+xscreensaver &
+.EE
+The ``\fIUsing XDM(1)\fP'' section, above, goes into more detail, and explains
+how to configure the system to do this for all users automatically.
+.TP 8
+.B Locking and root logins
+In order for it to be safe for xscreensaver to be launched by \fIxdm\fP,
+certain precautions had to be taken, among them that xscreensaver never
+runs as \fIroot\fP. In particular, if it is launched as root (as \fIxdm\fP
+is likely to do), xscreensaver will disavow its privileges, and switch
+itself to a safe user id (such as \fInobody\fP.)
+
+An implication of this is that if you log in as \fIroot\fP on the console,
+xscreensaver will refuse to lock the screen (because it can't tell
+the difference between \fIroot\fP being logged in on the console, and a
+normal user being logged in on the console but xscreensaver having been
+launched by the
+.BR xdm (1)
+.I Xsetup
+file.)
+
+The solution to this is simple: you shouldn't be logging in on the console
+as \fIroot\fP in the first place! (What, are you crazy or something?)
+
+Proper Unix hygiene dictates that you should log in as yourself, and
+.BR su (1)
+to \fIroot\fP as necessary. People who spend their day logged in
+as \fIroot\fP are just begging for disaster.
+.TP 8
+.B XAUTH and XDM
+For xscreensaver to work when launched by
+.BR xdm (1),
+programs running on the local machine as user \fI"nobody"\fP must be
+able to connect to the X server. This means that if you want to run
+xscreensaver on the console while nobody is logged in, you may need
+to disable cookie-based access control (and allow all users who can log
+in to the local machine to connect to the display.)
+
+You should be sure that this is an acceptable thing to do in your
+environment before doing it. See the ``\fIUsing XDM(1)\fP'' section,
+above, for more details.
+.TP 8
+.B Passwords
+If you get an error message at startup like ``couldn't get password
+of \fIuser\fP'' then this probably means that you're on a system in which
+the
+.BR getpwent (3)
+library routine can only be effectively used by root. If this is the case,
+then \fIxscreensaver\fP must be installed as setuid to root in order for
+locking to work. Care has been taken to make this a safe thing to do.
+
+It also may mean that your system uses shadow passwords instead of the standard
+.BR getpwent (3)
+interface; in that case, you may need to change some options
+with \fIconfigure\fP and recompile.
+
+If you change your password after xscreensaver has been launched, it will
+continue using your old password to unlock the screen until xscreensaver
+is restarted. On some systems, it may accept \fIboth\fP your old and new
+passwords. So, after you change your password, you'll have to do
+.EX
+xscreensaver-command -restart
+.EE
+to make \fIxscreensaver\fP notice.
+.TP 8
+.B PAM Passwords
+If your system uses PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules), then in order
+for xscreensaver to use PAM properly, PAM must be told about xscreensaver.
+The xscreensaver installation process should update the PAM data (on Linux,
+by creating the file \fI/etc/pam.d/xscreensaver\fP for you, and on Solaris,
+by telling you what lines to add to the \fI/etc/pam.conf\fP file.)
+
+If the PAM configuration files do not know about xscreensaver, then
+you \fImight\fP be in a situation where xscreensaver will refuse to ever
+unlock the screen.
+
+This is a design flaw in PAM (there is no way for a client to tell the
+difference between PAM responding ``I have never heard of your module,''
+and responding, ``you typed the wrong password.'') As far as I can tell,
+there is no way for xscreensaver to automatically work around this, or
+detect the problem in advance, so if you have PAM, make sure it is
+configured correctly!
+.TP 8
+.B Machine Load
+Although this program ``nices'' the subprocesses that it starts,
+graphics-intensive subprograms can still overload the machine by causing
+the X server process itself (which is not ``niced'') to consume many
+cycles. Care has been taken in all the modules shipped with xscreensaver
+to sleep periodically, and not run full tilt, so as not to cause
+appreciable load.
+
+However, if you are running the OpenGL-based screen savers on a machine
+that does not have a video card with 3D acceleration, they \fIwill\fP
+make your machine slow, despite
+.BR nice (1).
+
+Your options are: don't use the OpenGL display modes; or, collect the
+spare change hidden under the cushions of your couch, and use it to
+buy a video card manufactured after 1998. (It doesn't even need to be
+\fIfast\fP 3D hardware: the problem will be fixed if there is any
+3D hardware \fIat all.\fP)
+.TP 8
+.B XFree86's Magic Keystrokes
+The XFree86 X server traps certain magic keystrokes before client programs ever
+see them. Two that are of note are Ctrl+Alt+Backspace, which causes
+the X server to exit; and Ctrl+Alt+F\fIn\fP, which switches virtual consoles.
+The X server will respond to these keystrokes even if xscreensaver has the
+screen locked. Depending on your setup, you might consider this a problem.
+
+Unfortunately, there is no way for xscreensaver itself to override the
+interpretation of these keys. If you want to disable Ctrl+Alt+Backspace
+globally, you need to set the \fIDontZap\fP flag in
+your \fI/etc/X11/XF86Config\fP file. To globally disable VT switching,
+you can set the \fIDontVTSwitch\fP flag. See the
+.BR XF86Config (5)
+manual for details.
+.SH X RESOURCES
+These are the X resources use by the \fIxscreensaver\fP program.
+You probably won't need to change these manually (that's what the
+.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
+program is for).
.TP 8
.B timeout\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
The screensaver will activate (blank the screen) after the keyboard and
.B splashDuration\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
How long the splash screen should remain visible; default 5 seconds.
.TP 8
-.B quad\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
-If true, then \fIfour\fP screensavers will be run on each monitor.
-Use at your own risk!
-.TP 8
.B helpURL\fP (class \fBURL\fP)
The splash screen has a \fIHelp\fP button on it. When you press it, it will
display the web page indicated here in your web browser.
program will suppress the non-existent programs from the list if this
is true. Default: false.
.TP 8
-.B font\fP (class \fBFont\fP)
-The font used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStderr\fP is true.
-Default \fB*\-medium\-r\-*\-140\-*\-m\-*\fP (a 14 point fixed-width font.)
-.TP 8
-.B mode\fP (class \fBMode\fP)
-Controls the behavior of xscreensaver. Legal values are:
-.RS 8
-.TP 8
-.B random
-When blanking the screen, select a random display mode from among those
-that are enabled and applicable. This is the default.
-.TP 8
-.B one
-When blanking the screen, only ever use one particular display mode (the
-one indicated by the \fIselected\fP setting.)
-.TP 8
-.B blank
-When blanking the screen, just go black: don't run any graphics hacks.
-.TP 8
-.B off
-Don't ever blank the screen, and don't ever allow the monitor to power down.
-
-.RE
-.TP 8
-.B selected\fP (class \fBInteger\fP)
-When \fImode\fP is set to \fIone\fP, this is the one, indicated by its
-index in the \fIprograms\fP list. You're crazy if you count them and
-set this number by hand: let
-.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
-do it for you!
-.TP 8
-.B programs\fP (class \fBPrograms\fP)
-The graphics hacks which \fIxscreensaver\fP runs when the user is idle.
-The value of this resource is a multi-line string, one \fIsh\fP-syntax
-command per line. Each line must contain exactly one command: no
-semicolons, no ampersands.
-
-When the screensaver starts up, one of these is selected (according to
-the \fBmode\fP setting), and run. After the \fIcycle\fP period
-expires, it is killed, and another is selected and run.
-
-If a line begins with a dash (-) then that particular program is
-disabled: it won't be selected at random (though you can still select
-it explicitly using the
-.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
-program.)
-
-If all programs are disabled, then the screen will just be made blank,
-as when \fImode\fP is set to \fIblank\fP.
-
-To disable a program, you must mark it as disabled with a dash instead
-of removing it from the list. This is because the system-wide (app-defaults)
-and per-user (.xscreensaver) settings are merged together, and if a user
-just \fIdeletes\fP an entry from their programs list, but that entry still
-exists in the system-wide list, then it will come back. However, if the
-user \fIdisables\fP it, then their setting takes precedence.
-
-If the display has multiple screens, then a different program will be run
-for each screen. (All screens are blanked and unblanked simultaniously.)
-
-Note that you must escape the newlines; here is an example of how you
-might set this in your \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file:
-
-.RS 8
-.EX
-programs: \\
- qix -root \\n\\
- ico -r -faces -sleep 1 -obj ico \\n\\
- xdaliclock -builtin2 -root \\n\\
- xv -root -rmode 5 image.gif -quit \\n
-.EE
-.RE
-.RS 8
-Make sure your \fB$PATH\fP environment variable is set up correctly
-\fIbefore\fP xscreensaver is launched, or it won't be able to find the
-programs listed in the \fIprograms\fP resource.
-
-To use a program as a screensaver, two things are required: that that
-program draw on the root window (or be able to be configured to draw on
-the root window); and that that program understand ``virtual root''
-windows, as used by virtual window managers such as
-.BR tvtwm (1).
-(Generally, this is accomplished by just including the \fI"vroot.h"\fP
-header file in the program's source.)
-
-If there are some programs that you want to run only when using a color
-display, and others that you want to run only when using a monochrome
-display, you can specify that like this:
-.EX
- mono: mono-program -root \\n\\
- color: color-program -root \\n\\
-.EE
-.RE
-.RS 8
-More generally, you can specify the kind of visual that should be used for
-the window on which the program will be drawing. For example, if one
-program works best if it has a colormap, but another works best if it has
-a 24-bit visual, both can be accommodated:
-.EX
- PseudoColor: cmap-program -root \\n\\
- TrueColor: 24bit-program -root \\n\\
-.EE
-.RE
-.RS 8
-In addition to the symbolic visual names described above (in the discussion
-of the \fIvisualID\fP resource) one other visual name is supported in
-the \fIprograms\fP list:
-.RS 1
-.TP 4
-.B default-n
-This is like \fBdefault\fP, but also requests the use of the default colormap,
-instead of a private colormap. (That is, it behaves as if
-the \fI\-no\-install\fP command-line option was specified, but only for
-this particular hack.) This is provided because some third-party programs
-that draw on the root window (notably:
-.BR xv (1),
-and
-.BR xearth (1))
-make assumptions about the visual and colormap of the root window:
-assumptions which xscreensaver can violate.
-
-.RE
-If you specify a particular visual for a program, and that visual does not
-exist on the screen, then that program will not be chosen to run. This
-means that on displays with multiple screens of different depths, you can
-arrange for appropriate hacks to be run on each. For example, if one screen
-is color and the other is monochrome, hacks that look good in mono can be
-run on one, and hacks that only look good in color will show up on the other.
-.RE
-.PP
-.PP
-You shouldn't ever need to change the following resources:
-.PP
-.TP 8
-.B pointerPollTime\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
-When server extensions are not in use, this controls how
-frequently \fIxscreensaver\fP checks to see if the mouse position or buttons
-have changed. Default 5 seconds.
-.TP 8
-.B windowCreationTimeout\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
-When server extensions are not in use, this controls the delay between when
-windows are created and when \fIxscreensaver\fP selects events on them.
-Default 30 seconds.
-.TP 8
-.B initialDelay\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
-When server extensions are not in use, \fIxscreensaver\fP will wait this many
-seconds before selecting events on existing windows, under the assumption that
-\fIxscreensaver\fP is started during your login procedure, and the window
-state may be in flux. Default 0. (This used to default to 30, but that was
-back in the days when slow machines and X terminals were more common...)
-.RE
-.PP
-There are a number of different X server extensions which can make
-xscreensaver's job easier. The next few resources specify whether these
-extensions should be utilized if they are available.
-.TP 8
-.B sgiSaverExtension\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
-This resource controls whether the SGI \fBSCREEN_SAVER\fP server extension
-will be used to decide whether the user is idle. This is the default
-if \fIxscreensaver\fP has been compiled with support for this
-extension (which is the default on SGI systems.). If it is available,
-the \fBSCREEN_SAVER\fP method is faster and more reliable than what will
-be done otherwise, so use it if you can. (This extension is only available
-on Silicon Graphics systems, unfortunately.)
-.TP 8
-.B mitSaverExtension\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
-This resource controls whether the \fBMIT\-SCREEN\-SAVER\fP server extension
-will be used to decide whether the user is idle. However, the default for
-this resource is \fIfalse\fP, because even if this extension is available,
-it is flaky (and it also makes the \fBfade\fP option not work properly.)
-Use of this extension is not recommended.
-.TP 8
-.B xidleExtension\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
-This resource controls whether the \fBXIDLE\fP server extension will be
-used to decide whether the user is idle. This is the default
-if \fIxscreensaver\fP has been compiled with support for this extension.
-(This extension is only available for X11R4 and X11R5 systems, unfortunately.)
-.TP 8
-.B procInterrupts\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
-This resource controls whether the \fB/proc/interrupts\fP file should be
-consulted to decide whether the user is idle. This is the default
-if \fIxscreensaver\fP has been compiled on a system which supports this
-mechanism (i.e., Linux systems.)
-
-The benefit to doing this is that \fIxscreensaver\fP can note that the user
-is active even when the X console is not the active one: if the user is
-typing in another virtual console, xscreensaver will notice that and will
-fail to activate. For example, if you're playing Quake in VGA-mode,
-xscreensaver won't wake up in the middle of your game and start competing
-for CPU.
-
-The drawback to doing this is that perhaps you \fIreally do\fP want idleness
-on the X console to cause the X display to lock, even if there is activity
-on other virtual consoles. If you want that, then set this option to False.
-(Or just lock the X console manually.)
-
-The default value for this resource is True, on systems where it works.
+.B GetViewPortIsFullOfLies\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
+Set this to true if the xscreensaver window doesn't cover the whole screen.
+This works around a longstanding XFree86 bug #421. See the
+xscreensaver FAQ for details.
.TP 8
-.B overlayStderr\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
-If \fBcaptureStderr\fP is True, and your server supports ``overlay'' visuals,
-then the text will be written into one of the higher layers instead of into
-the same layer as the running screenhack. Set this to False to disable
-that (though you shouldn't need to.)
+.B font\fP (class \fBFont\fP)
+The font used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStderr\fP is true.
+Default \fB*\-medium\-r\-*\-140\-*\-m\-*\fP (a 14 point fixed-width font.)
.TP 8
-.B overlayTextForeground\fP (class \fBForeground\fP)
-The foreground color used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStderr\fP
-is true. Default: Yellow.
+.B mode\fP (class \fBMode\fP)
+Controls the behavior of xscreensaver. Legal values are:
+.RS 8
.TP 8
-.B overlayTextBackground\fP (class \fBBackground\fP)
-The background color used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStderr\fP
-is true. Default: Black.
+.B random
+When blanking the screen, select a random display mode from among those
+that are enabled and applicable. This is the default.
.TP 8
-.B bourneShell\fP (class \fBBourneShell\fP)
-The pathname of the shell that \fIxscreensaver\fP uses to start subprocesses.
-This must be whatever your local variant of \fB/bin/sh\fP is: in particular,
-it must not be \fBcsh\fP.
-.SH COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS
-.I xscreensaver
-also accepts a few command-line options, mostly for use when debugging:
-for normal operation, you should configure things via the \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP
-file.
+.B random-same
+Like \fIrandom\fP, but if there are multiple screens, each screen
+will run the \fIsame\fP random display mode, instead of each screen
+running a different one.
.TP 8
-.B \-display \fIhost:display.screen\fP
-The X display to use. For displays with multiple screens, XScreenSaver
-will manage all screens on the display simultaniously.
+.B one
+When blanking the screen, only ever use one particular display mode (the
+one indicated by the \fIselected\fP setting.)
.TP 8
-.B \-verbose
-Same as setting the \fIverbose\fP resource to \fItrue\fP: print diagnostics
-on stderr and on the xscreensaver window.
+.B blank
+When blanking the screen, just go black: don't run any graphics hacks.
.TP 8
-.B \-no-capture-stderr
-Same as setting the \fIcaptureStderr\fP resource to \fIfalse\fP: do not
-redirect the stdout and stderr streams to the xscreensaver window itself.
-If xscreensaver is crashing, you might need to do this in order to see
-the error message.
-.SH HOW IT WORKS
-When it is time to activate the screensaver, a full-screen black window is
-created on each screen of the display. Each window is created in such a way
-that, to any subsequently-created programs, it will appear to be a ``virtual
-root'' window. Because of this, any program which draws on the root
-window (and which understands virtual roots) can be used as a screensaver.
-
-When the user becomes active again, the screensaver windows are unmapped, and
-the running subprocesses are killed by sending them \fBSIGTERM\fP. This is
-also how the subprocesses are killed when the screensaver decides that it's
-time to run a different demo: the old one is killed and a new one is launched.
-
-Before launching a subprocess, \fIxscreensaver\fP stores an appropriate value
-for \fB$DISPLAY\fP in the environment that the child will receive. (This is
-so that if you start \fIxscreensaver\fP with a \fI-display\fP argument, the
-programs which \fIxscreensaver\fP launches will draw on the same display;
-and so that the child will end up drawing on the appropriate screen of a
-multi-headed display.)
-
-When the screensaver turns off, or is killed, care is taken to restore
-the ``real'' virtual root window if there is one. Because of this, it is
-important that you not kill the screensaver process with \fIkill -9\fP if
-you are running a virtual-root window manager. If you kill it with \-9,
-you may need to restart your window manager to repair the damage. This
-isn't an issue if you aren't running a virtual-root window manager.
-
-For all the gory details, see the commentary at the top of xscreensaver.c.
-
-You can control a running screensaver process by using the
-.BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
-program (which see.)
-.SH POWER MANAGEMENT
-Modern X servers contain support to power down the monitor after an idle
-period. If the monitor has powered down, then \fIxscreensaver\fP will
-notice this (after a few minutes), and will not waste CPU by drawing
-graphics demos on a black screen. An attempt will also be made to
-explicitly power the monitor back up as soon as user activity is detected.
-
-As of version 3.28 (Feb 2001), the \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file controls the
-configuration of your display's power management settings: if you have
-used
-.BR xset (1)
-to change your power management settings, then xscreensaver will
-override those changes with the values specified
-in \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP (or with its built-in defaults, if there
-is no \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file yet.)
-
-To change your power management settings, run
-.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
-and change the various timeouts through the user interface.
-Alternately, you can edit the \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file directly.
-
-If the power management section is grayed out in the
-.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
-window, then that means that your X server does not support
-the XDPMS extension, and so control over the monitor's power state
-is not available.
-
-If you're using a laptop, don't be surprised if changing the DPMS
-settings has no effect: many laptops have monitor power-saving behavior
-built in at a very low level that is invisible to Unix and X. On such
-systems, you can typically adjust the power-saving delays only by
-changing settings in the BIOS in some hardware-specific way.
-
-If DPMS seems not to be working with XFree86, make sure the "DPMS"
-option is set in your \fI/etc/X11/XF86Config\fP file. See the
-.BR XF86Config (5)
-manual for details.
-.SH USING XDM(1)
-You can run \fIxscreensaver\fP from your
-.BR xdm (1)
-session, so that the screensaver will run even when nobody is logged
-in on the console.
-
-The trick to using xscreensaver with \fIxdm\fP is this: keep in mind the
-two very different states in which xscreensaver will be running:
-.RS 4
-.TP 3
-.B 1: Nobody logged in.
-
-If you're thinking of running xscreensaver from XDM at all, then it's
-probably because you want graphics demos to be running on the console
-when nobody is logged in there. In this case, xscreensaver will function
-only as a screen saver, not a screen locker: it doesn't make sense
-for xscreensaver to lock the screen, since nobody is logged in yet!
-The only thing on the screen is the XDM login prompt.
-.TP 3
-.B 2: Somebody logged in.
-
-Once someone has logged in through the XDM login window, the situation is
-very different. For example: now it makes sense to lock the screen (and
-prompt for the logged in user's password); and now xscreensaver should
-consult that user's \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file; and so on.
-.RE
-
-The difference between these two states comes down to a question of,
-which user is the \fIxscreensaver\fP process running as? For the first
-state, it doesn't matter. If you start \fIxscreensaver\fP in the usual
-XDM way, then xscreensaver will probably end up running as root, which
-is fine for the first case (the ``nobody logged in'' case.)
-
-However, once someone is logged in, running as root is no longer fine:
-because xscreensaver will be consulting root's \fI.xscreensaver\fP file
-instead of that of the logged in user, and won't be prompting for the
-logged in user's password, and so on. (This is not a security problem,
-it's just not what you want.)
-
-So, once someone has logged in, you want xscreensaver to be running as that
-user. The way to accomplish this is to kill the old xscreensaver process
-and start a new one (as the new user.)
-
-The simplest way to accomplish all of this is as follows:
-.RS 4
-.TP 3
-.B 1: Launch xscreensaver before anyone logs in.
-
-To the file \fI/usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsetup\fP, add the lines
-.EX
-xhost +localhost
-xscreensaver-command -exit
-xscreensaver &
-.EE
-This will run xscreensaver as root, over the XDM login window.
-Moving the mouse will cause the screen to un-blank, and allow the user
-to type their password at XDM to log in.
-.TP 3
-.B 2: Restart xscreensaver when someone logs in.
-
-Near the top of the file \fI/usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession\fP, add those same lines:
-.EX
-xscreensaver-command -exit
-xscreensaver &
-.EE
-When someone logs in, this will kill off the existing (root) xscreensaver
-process, and start a new one, running as the user who has just logged in.
-If the user's .xscreensaver file requests locking, they'll get it. They
-will also get their own choice of timeouts, and graphics demos, and so on.
-
-Alternately, each user could just put those lines in their
-personal \fI~/.xsession\fP files.
-.RE
-
-Make sure you have \fB$PATH\fP set up correctly in the \fIXsetup\fP
-and \fIXsession\fP scripts, or \fIxdm\fP won't be able to
-find \fIxscreensaver\fP, and/or \fIxscreensaver\fP won't be able to
-find its graphics demos.
-
-(If your system does not seem to be executing the \fIXsetup\fP file, you
-may need to configure it to do so: the traditional way to do this is
-to make that file the value of the \fIDisplayManager*setup\fP resource
-in the \fI/usr/lib/X11/xdm/xdm-config\fP file. See the man page for
-.BR xdm (1)
-for more details.)
-
-It is safe to run \fIxscreensaver\fP as root (as \fIxdm\fP is likely to do.)
-If run as root, \fIxscreensaver\fP changes its effective user and group ids
-to something safe (like \fI"nobody"\fP) before connecting to the X server
-or launching user-specified programs.
-
-An unfortunate side effect of this (important) security precaution is that
-it may conflict with cookie-based authentication.
-
-If you get "connection refused" errors when running \fIxscreensaver\fP
-from \fIxdm\fP, then this probably means that you have
-.BR xauth (1)
-or some other security mechanism turned on. One way around this is to
-add \fB"xhost\ +localhost"\fP to \fIXsetup\fP, just before \fIxscreensaver\fP
-is launched.
-
-Note that this will give access to the X server to anyone capable of logging
-in to the local machine, so in some environments, this might not be
-appropriate. If turning off file-system-based access control is not
-acceptable, then running \fIxscreensaver\fP from the \fIXsetup\fP file
-might not be possible, and xscreensaver will only work when running as
-a normal, unprivileged user.
-
-For more information on the X server's access control mechanisms, see the
-man pages for
-.BR X (1),
-.BR Xsecurity (1),
-.BR xauth (1),
-and
-.BR xhost (1).
-.SH USING GDM(1)
-Using xscreensaver with
-.BR gdm (1)
-is easy, because gdm has a configuration tool. Just fire up
-.BR gdmconfig (1)
-and on the \fIBackground\fP page, type \fB"xscreensaver -nosplash"\fP into
-the \fIBackground Program\fP field. That will cause gdm to run xscreensaver
-while nobody is logged in, and kill it as soon as someone does log in.
-(The user will then be responsible for starting xscreensaver on their
-own, if they want.)
-
-Another way to accomplish the same thing is to edit the
-file \fI/etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf\fP to include:
-.EX
-BackgroundProgram=xscreensaver -nosplash
-RunBackgroundProgramAlways=true
-.EE
-In this situation, the \fIxscreensaver\fP process will probably be running
-as user \fIgdm\fP instead of \fIroot\fP. You can configure the settings
-for this nobody-logged-in state (timeouts, DPMS, etc.) by editing
-the \fI~gdm/.xscreensaver\fP file.
-
-To get gdm to run the BackgroundProgram, you may need to switch it from
-the "Graphical Greeter" to the "Standard Greeter".
-.SH USING KDE (K DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT)
-I understand that KDE has invented their own wrapper around xscreensaver,
-that is inferior to
-.BR xscreensaver-demo (1)
-in any number of ways. I've never actually seen it, but I'm told that
-this is the way you disable it:
-.RS 4
-.TP 3
-\fB1: Switch off KDE's screen saver.\fP
-Open the ``\fIControl Center\fP'' and
-select the ``\fILook and Feel / Screensaver\fP'' page.
-Turn off the ``\fIEnable Screensaver\fP'' checkbox.
-.TP 3
-\fB2: Find your Autostart directory.\fP
-Open the ``\fILook and Feel / Desktop / Paths\fP'' page,
-and see what your ``Autostart'' directory is set to: it will
-probably be \fI~/.kde3/Autostart/\fP or something similar.
-.TP 3
-\fB3: Make xscreensaver be an Autostart program.\fP
-Create a file in your autostart directory
-called \fIxscreensaver.desktop\fP that contains the following five lines:
-.EX
-[Desktop Entry]
-Exec=xscreensaver
-Name=XScreensaver
-Type=Application
-X-KDE-StartupNotify=false
-.EE
-.RE
-.PP
-Now use xscreensaver normally, controlling it via the usual
-.BR xscreensaver-demo (1)
-and
-.BR xscreensaver-command (1)
-mechanisms.
-.SH USING CDE (COMMON DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT)
-The easiest way to use \fIxscreensaver\fP on a system with CDE is to simply
-switch off the built-in CDE screensaver, and use \fIxscreensaver\fP instead;
-and second, to tell the front panel to run
-.BR xscreensaver\-command (1)
-with the \fI\-lock\fP option when the \fILock\fP icon is clicked.
+.B off
+Don't ever blank the screen, and don't ever allow the monitor to power down.
-To accomplish this involves five steps:
-.RS 4
-.TP 3
-\fB1: Switch off CDE's locker\fP
-Do this by turning off ``\fIScreen Saver and Screen Lock\fP'' in the
-Screen section of the Style Manager.
-.TP 3
-\fB2: Edit sessionetc\fP
-Edit the file \fI~/.dt/sessions/sessionetc\fP and add to it the line
-.EX
-xscreensaver &
-.EE
-And make sure the sessionetc file is executable.
-This will cause \fIxscreensaver\fP to be launched when you log in.
-(As always, make sure that xscreensaver and the graphics demos are on
-your \fB$PATH\fP; the path needs to be set in \fI.cshrc\fP
-and/or \fI.dtprofile\fP, not \fI.login\fP.)
-.TP 3
-\fB3: Create XScreenSaver.dt\fP
-Create a file called \fI~/.dt/types/XScreenSaver.dt\fP with the following
-contents:
-.EX
-ACTION XScreenSaver
-{
- LABEL XScreenSaver
- TYPE COMMAND
- EXEC_STRING xscreensaver-command -lock
- ICON Dtkey
- WINDOW_TYPE NO_STDIO
-}
-.EE
-This defines a ``lock'' command for the CDE front panel, that knows how
-to talk to \fIxscreensaver\fP.
-.TP 3
-\fB4: Create Lock.fp\fP
-Create a file called \fI~/.dt/types/Lock.fp\fP with the following
-contents:
-.EX
-CONTROL Lock
-{
- TYPE icon
- CONTAINER_NAME Switch
- CONTAINER_TYPE SWITCH
- POSITION_HINTS 1
- ICON Fplock
- LABEL Lock
- PUSH_ACTION XScreenSaver
- HELP_TOPIC FPOnItemLock
- HELP_VOLUME FPanel
-}
-.EE
-This associates the CDE front panel ``Lock'' icon with the lock command
-we just defined in step 3.
-.TP 3
-\fB5: Restart\fP
-Select ``\fIRestart Workspace Manager\fP'' from the popup menu to make
-your changes take effect. If things seem not to be working, check the
-file \fI~/.dt/errorlog\fP for error messages.
-.RE
-.SH USING HP VUE (VISUAL USER ENVIRONMENT)
-Since CDE is a descendant of VUE, the instructions for using xscreensaver
-under VUE are similar to the above:
-.RS 4
-.TP 3
-\fB1: Switch off VUE's locker\fP
-Open the ``\fIStyle Manager\fP'' and select ``\fIScreen\fP.''
-Turn off ``\fIScreen Saver and Screen Lock\fP'' option.
-.TP 3
-\fB2: Make sure you have a Session\fP
-Next, go to the Style Manager's, ``\fIStartup\fP'' page.
-Click on ``\fISet Home Session\fP'' to create a session, then
-on ``\fIReturn to Home Session\fP'' to select this session each
-time you log in.
-.TP 3
-\fB3: Edit vue.session\fP
-Edit the file \fI~/.vue/sessions/home/vue.session\fP and add to it
-the line
-.EX
-vuesmcmd -screen 0 -cmd "xscreensaver"
-.EE
-This will cause \fIxscreensaver\fP to be launched when you log in.
-(As always, make sure that xscreensaver and the graphics demos are on
-your \fB$PATH\fP; the path needs to be set in \fI.cshrc\fP
-and/or \fI.profile\fP, not \fI.login\fP.)
-.TP 3
-\fB3: Edit vuewmrc\fP
-Edit the file \fI~/.vue/vuewmrc\fP and add (or change) the Lock control:
-.EX
-CONTROL Lock
-{
- TYPE button
- IMAGE lock
- PUSH_ACTION f.exec "xscreensaver-command -lock"
- HELP_TOPIC FPLock
-}
-.EE
-This associates the VUE front panel ``Lock'' icon with the xscreensaver
-lock command.
.RE
-.PP
-.SH BUGS
-Bugs? There are no bugs. Ok, well, maybe. If you find one, please let
-me know. http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/bugs.html explains how to
-construct the most useful bug reports.
.TP 8
-.B Locking and XDM
-If xscreensaver has been launched from
-.BR xdm (1)
-before anyone has logged in, you will need to kill and then restart the
-xscreensaver daemon after you have logged in, or you will be confused by
-the results. (For example, locking won't work, and your \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP
-file will be ignored.)
-
-When you are logged in, you want the \fIxscreensaver\fP daemon to be
-running under \fIyour\fP user id, not as root or some other user.
-
-If it has already been started by \fIxdm\fP, you can kill it by sending
-it the \fBexit\fP command, and then re-launching it as you, by putting
-something like the following in your personal X startup script:
-.EX
-xscreensaver-command -exit
-xscreensaver &
-.EE
-The ``\fIUsing XDM(1)\fP'' section, above, goes into more detail, and explains
-how to configure the system to do this for all users automatically.
+.B selected\fP (class \fBInteger\fP)
+When \fImode\fP is set to \fIone\fP, this is the one, indicated by its
+index in the \fIprograms\fP list. You're crazy if you count them and
+set this number by hand: let
+.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
+do it for you!
.TP 8
-.B Locking and root logins
-In order for it to be safe for xscreensaver to be launched by \fIxdm\fP,
-certain precautions had to be taken, among them that xscreensaver never
-runs as \fIroot\fP. In particular, if it is launched as root (as \fIxdm\fP
-is likely to do), xscreensaver will disavow its privileges, and switch
-itself to a safe user id (such as \fInobody\fP.)
+.B programs\fP (class \fBPrograms\fP)
+The graphics hacks which \fIxscreensaver\fP runs when the user is idle.
+The value of this resource is a multi-line string, one \fIsh\fP-syntax
+command per line. Each line must contain exactly one command: no
+semicolons, no ampersands.
-An implication of this is that if you log in as \fIroot\fP on the console,
-xscreensaver will refuse to lock the screen (because it can't tell
-the difference between \fIroot\fP being logged in on the console, and a
-normal user being logged in on the console but xscreensaver having been
-launched by the
-.BR xdm (1)
-.I Xsetup
-file.)
+When the screensaver starts up, one of these is selected (according to
+the \fBmode\fP setting), and run. After the \fIcycle\fP period
+expires, it is killed, and another is selected and run.
-The solution to this is simple: you shouldn't be logging in on the console
-as \fIroot\fP in the first place! (What, are you crazy or something?)
+If a line begins with a dash (-) then that particular program is
+disabled: it won't be selected at random (though you can still select
+it explicitly using the
+.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1)
+program.)
-Proper Unix hygiene dictates that you should log in as yourself, and
-.BR su (1)
-to \fIroot\fP as necessary. People who spend their day logged in
-as \fIroot\fP are just begging for disaster.
-.TP 8
-.B XAUTH and XDM
-For xscreensaver to work when launched by
-.BR xdm (1),
-programs running on the local machine as user \fI"nobody"\fP must be
-able to connect to the X server. This means that if you want to run
-xscreensaver on the console while nobody is logged in, you may need
-to disable cookie-based access control (and allow all users who can log
-in to the local machine to connect to the display.)
+If all programs are disabled, then the screen will just be made blank,
+as when \fImode\fP is set to \fIblank\fP.
-You should be sure that this is an acceptable thing to do in your
-environment before doing it. See the ``\fIUsing XDM(1)\fP'' section,
-above, for more details.
-.TP 8
-.B Passwords
-If you get an error message at startup like ``couldn't get password
-of \fIuser\fP'' then this probably means that you're on a system in which
-the
-.BR getpwent (3)
-library routine can only be effectively used by root. If this is the case,
-then \fIxscreensaver\fP must be installed as setuid to root in order for
-locking to work. Care has been taken to make this a safe thing to do.
+To disable a program, you must mark it as disabled with a dash instead
+of removing it from the list. This is because the system-wide (app-defaults)
+and per-user (.xscreensaver) settings are merged together, and if a user
+just \fIdeletes\fP an entry from their programs list, but that entry still
+exists in the system-wide list, then it will come back. However, if the
+user \fIdisables\fP it, then their setting takes precedence.
-It also may mean that your system uses shadow passwords instead of the standard
-.BR getpwent (3)
-interface; in that case, you may need to change some options
-with \fIconfigure\fP and recompile.
+If the display has multiple screens, then a different program will be run
+for each screen. (All screens are blanked and unblanked simultaneously.)
-If you change your password after xscreensaver has been launched, it will
-continue using your old password to unlock the screen until xscreensaver
-is restarted. On some systems, it may accept \fIboth\fP your old and new
-passwords. So, after you change your password, you'll have to do
+Note that you must escape the newlines; here is an example of how you
+might set this in your \fI~/.xscreensaver\fP file:
+
+.RS 8
.EX
-xscreensaver-command -restart
+programs: \\
+ qix -root \\n\\
+ ico -r -faces -sleep 1 -obj ico \\n\\
+ xdaliclock -builtin2 -root \\n\\
+ xv -root -rmode 5 image.gif -quit \\n
.EE
-to make \fIxscreensaver\fP notice.
-.TP 8
-.B PAM Passwords
-If your system uses PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules), then in order
-for xscreensaver to use PAM properly, PAM must be told about xscreensaver.
-The xscreensaver installation process should update the PAM data (on Linux,
-by creating the file \fI/etc/pam.d/xscreensaver\fP for you, and on Solaris,
-by telling you what lines to add to the \fI/etc/pam.conf\fP file.)
-
-If the PAM configuration files do not know about xscreensaver, then
-you \fImight\fP be in a situation where xscreensaver will refuse to ever
-unlock the screen.
-
-This is a design flaw in PAM (there is no way for a client to tell the
-difference between PAM responding ``I have never heard of your module,''
-and responding, ``you typed the wrong password.'') As far as I can tell,
-there is no way for xscreensaver to automatically work around this, or
-detect the problem in advance, so if you have PAM, make sure it is
-configured correctly!
-.TP 8
-.B Colormap lossage: TWM
-The \fBinstallColormap\fP option doesn't work very well with the
-.BR twm (1)
-window manager and its descendants, on 8-bit screens.
+.RE
+.RS 8
+Make sure your \fB$PATH\fP environment variable is set up correctly
+\fIbefore\fP xscreensaver is launched, or it won't be able to find the
+programs listed in the \fIprograms\fP resource.
-There is a race condition between the screensaver and this window manager,
-which can result in the screensaver's colormap not getting installed
-properly, meaning the graphics hacks will appear in essentially random
-colors. (If the screen goes white instead of black, this is probably why.)
+To use a program as a screensaver, two things are required: that that
+program draw on the root window (or be able to be configured to draw on
+the root window); and that that program understand ``virtual root''
+windows, as used by virtual window managers such as
+.BR tvtwm (1).
+(Generally, this is accomplished by just including the \fI"vroot.h"\fP
+header file in the program's source.)
-The
-.BR mwm (1)
-and
-.BR olwm (1)
-window managers don't have this problem. The race condition exists
-because X (really, ICCCM) does not provide a way for an OverrideRedirect
-window to have its own colormap, short of grabbing the server (which is
-neither a good idea, nor really possible with the current design.) What
-happens is that, as soon as xscreensaver installs its colormap, \fBtwm\fP
-responds to the resultant \fBColormapNotify\fP event by re-instaling the
-default colormap. Apparently, \fBtwm\fP doesn't \fIalways\fP do this; it
-seems to do it regularly if the screensaver is activated from a menu item,
-but seems to not do it if the screensaver comes on of its own volition, or
-is activated from another console.
+If there are some programs that you want to run only when using a color
+display, and others that you want to run only when using a monochrome
+display, you can specify that like this:
+.EX
+ mono: mono-program -root \\n\\
+ color: color-program -root \\n\\
+.EE
+.RE
+.RS 8
+More generally, you can specify the kind of visual that should be used for
+the window on which the program will be drawing. For example, if one
+program works best if it has a colormap, but another works best if it has
+a 24-bit visual, both can be accommodated:
+.EX
+ PseudoColor: cmap-program -root \\n\\
+ TrueColor: 24bit-program -root \\n\\
+.EE
+.RE
.RS 8
+In addition to the symbolic visual names described above (in the discussion
+of the \fIvisualID\fP resource) one other visual name is supported in
+the \fIprograms\fP list:
+.RS 1
.TP 4
-.B Attention, window manager authors!
-You should only call
-.BR XInstallColormap (3)
-in response to user events. That is, it is appropriate to install a colormap
-in response to \fBFocusIn\fP, \fBFocusOut\fP, \fBEnterNotify\fP,
-and \fBLeaveNotify\fP events; but it is not appropriate to call it in
-response to \fBColormapNotify\fP events. If you install colormaps in
-response to \fIapplication\fP actions as well as in response to \fIuser\fP
-actions, then you create the situation where it is impossible for
-override-redirect applications (such as xscreensaver) to display their
-windows in the proper colors.
+.B default-n
+This is like \fBdefault\fP, but also requests the use of the default colormap,
+instead of a private colormap. (That is, it behaves as if
+the \fI\-no\-install\fP command-line option was specified, but only for
+this particular hack.) This is provided because some third-party programs
+that draw on the root window (notably:
+.BR xv (1),
+and
+.BR xearth (1))
+make assumptions about the visual and colormap of the root window:
+assumptions which xscreensaver can violate.
+
+.RE
+If you specify a particular visual for a program, and that visual does not
+exist on the screen, then that program will not be chosen to run. This
+means that on displays with multiple screens of different depths, you can
+arrange for appropriate hacks to be run on each. For example, if one screen
+is color and the other is monochrome, hacks that look good in mono can be
+run on one, and hacks that only look good in color will show up on the other.
.RE
+.PP
+.PP
+You shouldn't ever need to change the following resources:
+.PP
.TP 8
-.B Colormap lossage: XV, XAnim, XEarth
-Some programs don't operate properly on visuals other than the default one,
-or with colormaps other than the default one. See the discussion of the
-magic "default-n" visual name in the description of the \fBprograms\fP
-resource in the \fIConfiguration\fP section. When programs only work with
-the default colormap, you need to use a syntax like this:
-.EX
- default-n: xv -root image-1.gif -quit \\n\\
- default-n: xearth -nostars -wait 0 \\n\\
-.EE
-It would also work to turn off the \fBinstallColormap\fP option altogether,
-but that would deny extra colors to those programs that \fIcan\fP take
-advantage of them.
+.B pointerPollTime\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
+When server extensions are not in use, this controls how
+frequently \fIxscreensaver\fP checks to see if the mouse position or buttons
+have changed. Default 5 seconds.
.TP 8
-.B Machine Load
-Although this program ``nices'' the subprocesses that it starts,
-graphics-intensive subprograms can still overload the machine by causing
-the X server process itself (which is not ``niced'') to consume many
-cycles. Care has been taken in all the modules shipped with xscreensaver
-to sleep periodically, and not run full tilt, so as not to cause
-appreciable load.
-
-However, if you are running the OpenGL-based screen savers on a machine
-that does not have a video card with 3D acceleration, they \fIwill\fP
-make your machine slow, despite
-.BR nice (1).
-
-Your options are: don't use the OpenGL display modes; or, collect the
-spare change hidden under the cushions of your couch, and use it to
-buy a video card manufactured after 1998. (It doesn't even need to be
-\fIfast\fP 3D hardware: the problem will be fixed if there is any
-3D hardware \fIat all.\fP)
+.B pointerHysteresis\fP (class \fBInteger\fP)
+If the mouse moves less than this-many pixels in a second, ignore it
+(do not consider that to be "activity.") This is so that the screen
+doesn't un-blank (or fail to blank) just because you bumped the desk.
+Default: 10 pixels.
.TP 8
-.B XFree86's Magic Keystrokes
-The XFree86 X server traps certain magic keystrokes before client programs ever
-see them. Two that are of note are Ctrl+Alt+Backspace, which causes
-the X server to exit; and Ctrl+Alt+F\fIn\fP, which switches virtual consoles.
-The X server will respond to these keystrokes even if xscreensaver has the
-screen locked. Depending on your setup, you might consider this a problem.
-
-Unfortunately, there is no way for xscreensaver itself to override the
-interpretation of these keys. If you want to disable Ctrl+Alt+Backspace
-globally, you need to set the \fIDontZap\fP flag in
-your \fI/etc/X11/XF86Config\fP file. To globally disable VT switching,
-you can set the \fIDontVTSwitch\fP flag. See the
-.BR XF86Config (5)
-manual for details.
+.B windowCreationTimeout\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
+When server extensions are not in use, this controls the delay between when
+windows are created and when \fIxscreensaver\fP selects events on them.
+Default 30 seconds.
+.TP 8
+.B initialDelay\fP (class \fBTime\fP)
+When server extensions are not in use, \fIxscreensaver\fP will wait this many
+seconds before selecting events on existing windows, under the assumption that
+\fIxscreensaver\fP is started during your login procedure, and the window
+state may be in flux. Default 0. (This used to default to 30, but that was
+back in the days when slow machines and X terminals were more common...)
.TP 8
-.B MIT Extension and Fading
-The \fBMIT-SCREEN-SAVER\fP extension is junk. Don't use it.
+.B procInterrupts\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
+This resource controls whether the \fB/proc/interrupts\fP file should be
+consulted to decide whether the user is idle. This is the default
+if \fIxscreensaver\fP has been compiled on a system which supports this
+mechanism (i.e., Linux systems.)
-When using the \fBMIT-SCREEN-SAVER\fP extension in conjunction with
-the \fBfade\fP option, you'll notice an unattractive flicker just before
-the fade begins. This is because the server maps a black window just before
-it tells the \fIxscreensaver\fP process to activate. The \fIxscreensaver\fP
-process immediately unmaps that window, but this results in a flicker. I
-haven't figured a way to get around this; it seems to be a fundamental
-property of the (mis-) design of this server extension.
+The benefit to doing this is that \fIxscreensaver\fP can note that the user
+is active even when the X console is not the active one: if the user is
+typing in another virtual console, xscreensaver will notice that and will
+fail to activate. For example, if you're playing Quake in VGA-mode,
+xscreensaver won't wake up in the middle of your game and start competing
+for CPU.
-It sure would be nice if someone would implement the \fBSGI SCREEN_SAVER\fP
-extension in XFree86; it's dead simple, and works far better than the
-overengineered and broken \fBMIT-SCREEN-SAVER\fP extension.
-.TP 8
-.B Keyboard LEDs
-If \fIprocInterrupts\fP is on (which is the default on Linux systems) and
-you're using some program that toggles the state of your keyboard LEDs,
-xscreensaver won't work right: turning those LEDs on or off causes a
-keyboard interrupt, which xscreensaver will interpret as user activity.
-So if you're using such a program, set the \fIprocInterrupts\fP resource
-to False.
-.TP 8
-.B Extensions
-If you are not making use of one of the server extensions (\fBXIDLE\fP,
-\fBSGI SCREEN_SAVER\fP, or \fBMIT-SCREEN-SAVER\fP), then it is possible, in
-rare situations, for \fIxscreensaver\fP to interfere with event propagation
-and make another X program malfunction. For this to occur, that other
-application would need to \fInot\fP select \fBKeyPress\fP events on its
-non-leaf windows within the first 30 seconds of their existence, but then
-select for them later. In this case, that client \fImight\fP fail to receive
-those events. This isn't very likely, since programs generally select a
-constant set of events immediately after creating their windows and then
-don't change them, but this is the reason that it's a good idea to install
-and use one of the server extensions instead, to work around this shortcoming
-in the X protocol.
+The drawback to doing this is that perhaps you \fIreally do\fP want idleness
+on the X console to cause the X display to lock, even if there is activity
+on other virtual consoles. If you want that, then set this option to False.
+(Or just lock the X console manually.)
-In all these years, I've not heard of even a single case of this happening,
-but it is theoretically possible, so I'm mentioning it for completeness...
+The default value for this resource is True, on systems where it works.
+.TP 8
+.B overlayStderr\fP (class \fBBoolean\fP)
+If \fBcaptureStderr\fP is True, and your server supports ``overlay'' visuals,
+then the text will be written into one of the higher layers instead of into
+the same layer as the running screenhack. Set this to False to disable
+that (though you shouldn't need to.)
+.TP 8
+.B overlayTextForeground\fP (class \fBForeground\fP)
+The foreground color used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStderr\fP
+is true. Default: Yellow.
+.TP 8
+.B overlayTextBackground\fP (class \fBBackground\fP)
+The background color used for the stdout/stderr text, if \fBcaptureStderr\fP
+is true. Default: Black.
+.TP 8
+.B bourneShell\fP (class \fBBourneShell\fP)
+The pathname of the shell that \fIxscreensaver\fP uses to start subprocesses.
+This must be whatever your local variant of \fB/bin/sh\fP is: in particular,
+it must not be \fBcsh\fP.
.SH ENVIRONMENT
.PP
.TP 8
to get the default host and display number, and to inform the sub-programs
of the screen on which to draw.
.TP 8
+.B XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW
+Passed to sub-programs to indicate the ID of the window on which they
+should draw on. This is necessary on Xinerama/RANDR systems where
+multiple physical monitors share a single X11 "Screen".
+.TP 8
.B PATH
to find the sub-programs to run.
.TP 8
.BR X (1),
.BR Xsecurity (1),
.BR xauth (1),
+.BR xdm (1),
+.BR gdm (1),
+.BR xhost (1),
.BR xscreensaver\-demo (1),
.BR xscreensaver\-command (1),
.BR xscreensaver\-gl\-helper (1),
.BR xscreensaver\-getimage (1),
-.BR xdm (1),
-.BR gdm (1),
-.BR xset (1),
-.BR xhost (1).
-.BR anemone (1),
-.BR ant (1),
-.BR apollonian (1),
-.BR atlantis (1),
-.BR attraction (1),
-.BR barcode (1),
-.BR blaster (1),
-.BR blitspin (1),
-.BR bouboule (1),
-.BR boxed (1),
-.BR braid (1),
-.BR bsod (1),
-.BR bubble3d (1),
-.BR bubbles (1),
-.BR bumps (1),
-.BR cage (1),
-.BR ccurve (1),
-.BR circuit (1),
-.BR compass (1),
-.BR coral (1),
-.BR cosmos (1),
-.BR critical (1),
-.BR crystal (1),
-.BR cubenetic (1),
-.BR cynosure (1),
-.BR dangerball (1),
-.BR decayscreen (1),
-.BR deco (1),
-.BR deluxe (1),
-.BR demon (1),
-.BR discrete (1),
-.BR distort (1),
-.BR drift (1),
-.BR electricsheep (1),
-.BR endgame (1),
-.BR engine (1),
-.BR epicycle (1),
-.BR eruption (1),*
-.BR euler2d (1),
-.BR extrusion (1),
-.BR fadeplot (1),
-.BR flag (1),
-.BR flame (1),
-.BR flipscreen3d (1),
-.BR flow (1),
-.BR fluidballs (1),
-.BR flurry (1),
-.BR forest (1),
-.BR galaxy (1),
-.BR gears (1),
-.BR gflux (1),
-.BR glblur (1),
-.BR glforestfire (1),
-.BR glplanet (1),
-.BR glsnake (1),
-.BR gltext (1),
-.BR goban (1),
-.BR goop (1),
-.BR grav (1),
-.BR greynetic (1),
-.BR halftone (1),
-.BR halo (1),
-.BR helix (1),
-.BR hopalong (1),
-.BR hyperball (1),
-.BR hypercube (1),
-.BR ifs (1),
-.BR imsmap (1),
-.BR interference (1),
-.BR jigsaw (1),
-.BR juggle (1),
-.BR julia (1),
-.BR kaleidescope (1),
-.BR kumppa (1),
-.BR lament (1),
-.BR laser (1),
-.BR lavalite (1),
-.BR lightning (1),
-.BR lisa (1),
-.BR lissie (1),
-.BR lmorph (1),
-.BR loop (1),
-.BR maze (1),
-.BR menger (1),
-.BR metaballs (1),
-.BR moebius (1),
-.BR moire (1),
-.BR moire2 (1),
-.BR molecule (1),
-.BR morph3d (1),
-.BR mountain (1),
-.BR munch (1),
-.BR nerverot (1),
-.BR noseguy (1),
-.BR pedal (1),
-.BR penetrate (1),
-.BR penrose (1),
-.BR petri (1),
-.BR phosphor (1),
-.BR pipes (1),
-.BR polyominoes (1),
-.BR popsquares (1),
-.BR pulsar (1),
-.BR pyro (1),
-.BR qix (1),
-.BR queens (1),
-.BR rd-bomb (1),
-.BR ripples (1),
-.BR rocks (1),
-.BR rorschach (1),
-.BR rotor (1),
-.BR rotzoomer (1),
-.BR rubik (1),
-.BR sballs (1),
-.BR shadebobs (1),
-.BR sierpinski (1),
-.BR sierpinski3d (1),
-.BR slidescreen (1),
-.BR slip (1),
-.BR sonar (1),
-.BR speedmine (1),
-.BR sphere (1),
-.BR sphereEversion (1),
-.BR spheremonics (1),
-.BR spiral (1),
-.BR spotlight (1),
-.BR sproingies (1),
-.BR squiral (1),
-.BR ssystem (1),
-.BR stairs (1),
-.BR starfish (1),
-.BR starwars (1),
-.BR stonerview (1),
-.BR strange (1),
-.BR superquadrics (1),
-.BR swirl (1),
-.BR t3d (1),
-.BR thornbird (1),
-.BR triangle (1),
-.BR truchet (1),
-.BR twang (1),
-.BR vermiculate (1),
-.BR vidwhacker (1),
-.BR vines (1),
-.BR wander (1),
-.BR webcollage (1),
-.BR whirlwindwarp (1),
-.BR whirlygig (1),
-.BR worm (1),
-.BR xaos (1),
-.BR xdaliclock (1),
-.BR xearth (1),
-.BR xfishtank (1),
-.BR xflame (1),
-.BR xjack (1),
-.BR xlyap (1),
-.BR xmatrix (1),
-.BR xmountains (1),
-.BR xrayswarm (1),
-.BR xsnow (1),
-.BR xspirograph (1),
-.BR xteevee (1),
-.BR zoom (1)
+.BR xscreensaver\-text (1).
.SH COPYRIGHT
-Copyright \(co 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
-2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 by Jamie Zawinski. Permission to use, copy,
-modify, distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for
-any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above
-copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright
-notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation.
-No representations are made about the suitability of this software for
-any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied
-warranty.
+Copyright \(co 1991-2011 by Jamie Zawinski.
+Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software
+and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee,
+provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
+both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
+supporting documentation. No representations are made about the
+suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is"
+without express or implied warranty.
.SH AUTHOR
Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>. Written in late 1991; version 1.0 posted
to comp.sources.x on 17-Aug-1992.
Please let me know if you find any bugs or make any improvements.
-.SH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-Thanks to Angela Goodman for the XScreenSaver logo.
-
-Thanks to the many people who have contributed graphics demos to the package.
-
-Thanks to David Wojtowicz for implementing \fIlockTimeout\fP.
-
-Thanks to Martin Kraemer for adding support for shadow passwords and
-locking-disabled diagnostics.
-
-Thanks to Patrick Moreau for the VMS port.
-
-Thanks to Nat Lanza for the Kerberos support.
-
-Thanks to Bill Nottingham for the initial PAM support.
-And thanks to Jon A. Christopher for implementing the Athena dialog
-support, back in the days before Lesstif or Gtk were viable alternatives
-to Motif.
+And a huge thank you to the hundreds of people who have contributed, in
+large ways and small, to the xscreensaver collection over the past
+two decades!
projects / xscreensaver / blobdiff