XScreenSaver

XScreenSaver is a screen saver and locker for the X Window System.

Installing XScreenSaver

Install the xscreensaver package found in the official repositories.

Alternatively, there is a patched version with the Arch Linux logo in the AUR named xscreensaver-arch-logo^AUR. Running this package instead of the one available in the official repositories is advantageous for several reasons:

1. Since makepkg is compiling it from source code, the resulting package will contain processor-specific optimizations unique to your specific system -- assuming you set up your /etc/makepkg.conf with the appropriate CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS.
2. This package is Arch-branded (screensavers, lock screen, etc.)
3. If running GNOME, this package will provide an icon to enter the XScreenSaver preferences under System>Preferences>Screensaver whereas the package in the official repositories does not.

Configuring XScreenSaver

Global options are defined in /usr/share/X11/app-defaults/XScreenSaver. Under a standard setup, there is likely no need to edit this file. Instead most options are configured on a user-by-user basis simply by running xscreensaver-demo

$ xscreensaver-demo

DPMS settings

XScreenSaver manages display energy saving (DPMS) independently of X itself and overrides it. To configure the timings for standby, display poweroff and such, use xscreensaver-demo or edit the configuration file manually, e.g. ~/.xscreensaver,

timeout:	1:00:00
cycle:		0:05:00
lock:		False
lockTimeout:	0:00:00
passwdTimeout:	0:00:30
fade:		True
unfade:		False
fadeSeconds:	0:00:03
fadeTicks:	20
dpmsEnabled:	True
dpmsStandby:	2:00:00
dpmsSuspend:	2:00:00
dpmsOff:	4:00:00

Starting XScreenSaver

Single-User Systems

Simply installing the xscreensaver package is not enough to have it run automatically. The xscreensaver program has to be started, which is commonly done by the desktop environment via a line in ~/.xinitrc as follows:

/usr/bin/xscreensaver -no-splash &

The ampersand & argument makes the xscreensaver program run in the background and is required.

Note: XScreenSaver is automatically started by Xfce in /etc/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc, to ensure it gets executed use startxfce4 and not xfce4-session.

exec startxfce4 --with-ck-launch

Multi-User Systems

If operating with multiple users with a display manager (e.g. SLiM, GDM, KDM) it is best to start XScreenSaver via the desktop manager's native screensaver interface. This allows full management of user switching. For example, if using GNOME, install gnome-screensaver and xscreensaver but only have gnome-screensaver active. This allows for all the screensavers to be selected, and keep the ability for user switching in the event that one user has the screen locked, and another user wants to "switch users" to he/she can access to the box.

Note: Some XScreenSaver native functionality will be lost such as the ability to capture a screen, use photos in a pre-defined path, and/or display custom texts when running the DM's native screensaver with a subset of XScreenSaver's offerings (for example, Flipscreen3D, photopile, etc.)

Another option to retain multi-user support, without having to install a second screensaver, is to modify either ~/.xscreensaver for per-user settings, or /usr/share/X11/app-defaults/XScreenSaver for global settings, and add the following line.

newLoginCommand: /usr/bin/gdmflexiserver

Note: The command given is for GDM; if you are using a different login manager, you will need to replace it with your preferred login manager's command.

Lock Screen

You may immediately trigger xscreensaver, if it is running, and lock the screen with the following command:

$ xscreensaver-command --lock

Automatically lock when suspending/sleeping/hibernating

Create the following file:

/etc/systemd/system/xscreensaver.service

[Unit]
Description=Lock X session using xscreensaver
Before=sleep.target

[Service]
User=yourusername
Type=oneshot
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
ExecStart=/usr/bin/xscreensaver-command -lock

[Install]
WantedBy=sleep.target

and enable it with

# systemctl enable xscreensaver

You may want to set XScreenSaver's fade out time to 0.

Disabling XScreenSaver for Media Applications

MPlayer

Add the following to ~/.mplayer/config

heartbeat-cmd="xscreensaver-command -deactivate >&- 2>&- &"

XBMC

There is no native support within XBMC to disable XScreenSaver (although XBMC does come with its own screensaver). A 3rd party application available in the AUR called caffeine^AUR does just this. Once running, simply add xbmc.bin to the list of apps for automatic activation.

Adobe Flash/MPlayer/VLC

There is no native way to disable XScreenSaver for flash, but there is script named lightsOn that works great and has support for Firefox's Flash plugin, Chromium's Flash plugin, MPlayer, and VLC.

Using XScreenSaver as animated wallpaper

You can run xscreensaver in the background, just like a wallpaper. First, kill any process that is controlling the background (the root window). Locate the desired XScreenSaver executable (they are usually on /usr/lib/xscreensaver/) and run it with the -root flag, like this

$ /usr/lib/xscreensaver/glslideshow -root &

XScreenSaver as wallpaper under xcompmgr

xcompmgr may cause problems, so you need to use xwinwrap to run it in order to use it as wallpaper. You can find it as shantz-xwinwrap-bzr^AUR in the AUR.

Run it with the following command:

$ xwinwrap -b -fs -sp -fs -nf -ov  -- /usr/lib/xscreensaver/glslideshow -root -window-id WID &

Theming

XScreenSaver's unlock screen can be themed with X resources (see: XScreenSaver resources).

User switching from the lock screen

By default, xscreensaver's "New Login" button in the lock screen will call /usr/bin/gdmflexiserver to allow for user switching. This is fine if using gdm or kdm. Other display managers such as lightdm and lxdm support this functionality as well.

LXDM

Simply paste the following into ~/.xscreensaver to use LXDM's switching mode:

newLoginCommand: lxdm -c USER_SWITCH

Lightdm

Simply paste the following into ~/.xscreensaver to use lightdm's switching mode:

newLoginCommand: dm-tool switch-to-greeter

See Also

PanicLock -- Lock your screen and close any selected programs in background.