# Adding more screensavers to Xscreensaver?



## onipar (Dec 31, 2011)

I've already installed xscreensaver on my Ubuntu 11.10, and it's working fine. There are a TON of screensavers to choose from within the program, but I was wondering if there are other that I can add? Specifically, my father wanted a Grateful Dead screensaver, but as far as I can tell, this isn't like in windows where you can just Google a type of screensaver and install it.

Is it possible to get outside screensavers?

Thanks!


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## NyxCharon (Jan 1, 2012)

Isn't there a screensaver installed by default on Ubuntu?


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## onipar (Jan 1, 2012)

In 11.10, the default is a black screen.  If I'm not mistaken, the thing i installed (xscreensaver) is the one that used to be the default.  I have it installed and working, and there are lots of options.  I was just trying to find out if I could download other screensavers to add to the program.


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## User0one (Jan 1, 2012)

Look for a photo screen saver. Then you just need to add a bunch of Grateful Dead jpegs


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## NyxCharon (Jan 1, 2012)

onipar said:


> In 11.10, the default is a black screen.  If I'm not mistaken, the thing i installed (xscreensaver) is the one that used to be the default.  I have it installed and working, and there are lots of options.  I was just trying to find out if I could download other screensavers to add to the program.



Well, I looked into it more. Ubuntu has made a complete mess of it 
That default black screen is provided by gnome-screensaver. Unity, the window manager for Ubuntu, is built off the gnome3 framework. Well, since they forked this whole thing together, it's not really possible to add any screensavers to gnome-screensaver.

Most people like you, then go back to xscreensaver. Well, you can _sorta_ add more screensavers to it, but it's going to be a bit of work. (from what i read) You have to find a program to display the image, then edit config files,etc so it then loads that program to display the image. If you still want to go ahead with it, I'm sure I could play around with it and work it out for you step by step. :good:


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## onipar (Jan 1, 2012)

Thanks for the help.  You know, I'm just going to stick with the screensavers that xscreensaver came bundled with.  Although, I do have a related problem now...

Yesterday I followed this guide in order to uninstall the Gnome screensaver (black screen) and install Xscreensaver. Everything worked fine. The first time I opened Xscreensaver, a dialog opened stating that it ws not running, and asked if I wanted to run it. I said yes. It worked all day.

This morning, when I restarted the system, I noticed the screensaver I had chosen did not go on, just the blank screen. When I opened Xscreensaver, the dialog opened again, asking if I wanted it to run on this monitor (like the first time). The exact message is as follows: "The Xscreensaver Daemon doesn't seem to be running on display ':0'. Launch it now?"

So, I'm wondering if there's a way to keep Xscreensaver running even after shutdown? I don't want to have to tell it to run every time I shut down.

Thanks!


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## NyxCharon (Jan 2, 2012)

Yup. Easy peezy.

Add the xscreensaver daemon to your list of startup programs. Go to System / Preferences / Sessions / Startup Programs, click "Add" and type "xscreensaver -no-splash".

Then
(in a terminal)
gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/gnome-screensaver-preferences.desktop

find this line:
Exec=gnome-screensaver-preferences
change to:
Exec=xscreensaver-demo

comment out the last couple lines like so:
#X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Bugzilla=GNOME
#X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Product=gnome-screensaver
#X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Component=general
#X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=gnome-screensaver

lastly,
Click System / Preferences / Screensaver to launch the xscreensaver configuration window, go to the "Advanced" tab and uncheck the "Power Management Enabled" checkbox. This should stop xscreensaver's power saving features from conflicting with Gnome Power Manager


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## onipar (Jan 2, 2012)

Hmmm, something didn't seem to work.  

After I typed in the terminal command, it asked for a password and then opened a new window with no text in it.  I didn't know what to do then because your next step says to look for a specific line.  

Thanks for the help, maybe I did something wrong in the first step?  I added the xscreensaver -no-splash to the startup, but I had to put a command line too, so I put the same thing again.  Not sure if that was right.


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## onipar (Jan 2, 2012)

Upon further reflection, I think your suggestion didn't work because as part of that guide I posted, they have us uninstall the gnome screensaver completely.  So when I'm looking for the directory you listed, it's not there.

I also, after checking closer, already had the xscreensaver in the startup programs.


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## NyxCharon (Jan 2, 2012)

onipar said:


> Upon further reflection, I think your suggestion didn't work because as part of that guide I posted, they have us uninstall the gnome screensaver completely.  So when I'm looking for the directory you listed, it's not there.
> 
> I also, after checking closer, already had the xscreensaver in the startup programs.



Let me see the entry for xscreensaver in the startup entries. screenshot if you can please.


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## onipar (Jan 2, 2012)

NyxCharon said:


> Let me see the entry for xscreensaver in the startup entries. screenshot if you can please.



  I'm an idiot.  Oh, man.  I'm sorry about this; I feel like I really wasted your time now.

I went to take the screen shot of the startup application, like you requested, and when I read the "command line,"  I noticed that I had misspelled "xscreensaver" as "xxscreensaver."

I fixed it, restarted, and lo and behold, the screensaver booted on start up.

Thanks so much for all your help.  I probably never would have noticed that without your suggestions.  Thanks!


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## NyxCharon (Jan 2, 2012)

No problem at all. Happy to help. :good:


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