Cinnamon 19.1 - Install xscreensaver

[smurphos]

Missing your xscreensaver hacks in Cinnamon 19.1?

Why they were removed - https://github.com/linuxmint/cinnamon-s ... e385d48db1

Can you get them back? No.

But you can install the full version of xscreensaver and override cinnamon-screensaver. Please note that will also replace the Cinnamon lock-screen with the somewhat retro xscreensaver lock screen. I give no comment on whether the xscreensaver lock-screen is equally as secure.

Step 1 - Take a Timeshift snapshot just in case this goes horribly wrong and you need to revert

Step 2 - Disable cinnamon-screensaver

Run this command in a terminal. if you have multiple users you will need to do this for each user account.

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gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.session idle-delay 0 && gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.screensaver idle-activation-enabled false && gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.screensaver lock-enabled false

Step 3 - Install xscreensaver

Run this command in a terminal.

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apt install xscreensaver xscreensaver-data-extra xscreensaver-gl xscreensaver-gl-extra

Step 4- Link the cinnamon-screensaver-command to xscreensaver-command

Run this command in a terminal.

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sudo ln -sf /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command /usr/bin/cinnamon-screensaver-command

Please note this link will be overwritten by any future updates to the cinnamon-screensaver package. Simply rerun this command after any update to cinnamon-screensaver,

Step 5 - Set xscreensaver to start at user logon

Open Startup Applications and add a custom startup entry with no delay to run the command xscreensaver if you have multiple users you will need to do this for each user account.



Step 6 - Reboot

Step 7 - Set up your xscreensaver preferences

In the menu xscreensaver properties can be found in the preferences category as a 2nd Screensaver entry with the description Change screensaver properties. Alternatively you can launch it from the terminal with the command xscreensaver-demo. Most of the settings are self-explanatory. Blank time is the idle time before the screensaver kicks in.



Step 8 - Test

If all has gone well your menu lock screen shortcut and Ctrl-Alt-L keyboard shortcut should lock the screen with the xscreensaver lock-screen. The screensaver should kick in after your specified idle time and if you have set it to lock after a time period in xscreensaver properties that should work too.

How to revert

Step 1 and 2 will need to be applied in each user account the changes were applied to originally.

Step 1 - Remove the startup application entry for xscreensaver

Step 2 - revert the dconf changes

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gsettings reset org.cinnamon.desktop.session idle-delay && gsettings reset org.cinnamon.desktop.screensaver idle-activation-enabled && gsettings reset org.cinnamon.desktop.screensaver lock-enabled

Step 3 - Use Timeshift to revert back to a snapshot prior to xscreensaver install or carry on to Step 4

Step 4 - Reinstall cinnamon-screensaver to fix the link

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apt install --reinstall cinnamon-screensaver

Step 5 - Remove xscreensaver

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apt purge --autoremove xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-data-extra xscreensaver-gl xscreensaver-gl-extra

Edit to clarify that the gsettings commands are user account specific.

[smurphos]

If you just want something simple you can just add a background slideshow to the native Cinnamon screensaver / lockscreen - see viewtopic.php?f=208&t=290333

[tgwilt]

Thanks for the info. I don't worry about locking my computer.

[redlined]

undecided now if I want them back or not... Thanks for this tutorial to give me back the option though, for sure!

[bagpiperlb]

Thank you so much! I missed mine. As a Mac-to-Mint convert, the Flurry screensaver just rounds out the package for me. I already themed my mint with a combination of Mint-Y-Yltra-Dark, Mint-X-Aqua and Loki with the DMZ-black pointer and the Mac OS X Leopard aurora background. Of course, Flurry is the default screen saver on Mac OS X/macOS so...

[rymar]

I installed the Xscreensaver as per instructions and it worked great...except for the part that won't lock my computer. Reverted back as per instructions also. Now after my system goes into suspend it's really hard to wake up. That can take as long as 5 minutes before getting a login screen. What happens is that while suspended my VPN, which runs always, gets disconnected and after waking up tries to reconnect without success. This wasn't an issue before I tried Xscreensaver. Looking for a fix please?

[smurphos]

I did see from your post history (had a look to see if there was a clue on what hardware you are running) that you had quite severe problems with the Cinnamon lock screen before - were those resolved before you tried xscreensaver? If so I'd try a timeshift back to just prior to trying xscreensaver

If not I'd start a new thread linking back to this one including the output of inxi -Fxz along with the output of these commands run after a reboot, followed by a suspend and a slow resume from suspend journalctl -r and the end of the output of dmesg (look at including the output after the first line including PM: suspend or similar)

[storieTyme]

Did Linux Mint 19.1 as a fresh install (replacing 17.3, which was retained for gfx compatibility) and used this post to bring xscreensaver back because I wanted the full screensaver options. Is there any way to use the stock Cinnamon screen locker with it, though? I don't really mind the xscreensaver lock's retro look or type-timer, but a couple of times when coming back from sleep, the machine went all the way back to the desktop and allowed for a moment of interaction with it before bringing the screensaver and password lock back up, which makes me worry about its security.

Even if some people found it redundant, i wish they just left them in for those of us that still prefer to use them. In my case its a style/feng shui thing for my computer area, and protects my external monitor, which is an older HDTV with mild image retention issues.

EDIT: I ask because I'm a little apprehensive about modifying your commands and really burning something up in the background. Snapshots don't always save my butt.

EDIT 2: Answered here viewtopic.php?f=90&t=283954&p=1603852#p1603852

[farkas]

Hi smurphos!
I would like to know if your above tutorial would work in Mint 19.2 cinnamon.

Made a post on seti@home https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_t ... p?id=84641
The replies aren't very encouraging. One of them points to xsrceensaver as a possible solution.
Google search for "seti@home screensaver in linux mint 19.2", returns my post at the top of the list.
Not very helpful nor are the following results of the search. Made several other searches using variations of the above query. Most are outdated or not applicable in Mint.
Made a post recently in Software & Applications. viewtopic.php?f=47&t=301529
Not many views and no replies.

Your replies to my previous posts have been a great help and successful!
viewtopic.php?f=211&t=299394&p=1669204#p1669204 and your cinnamox_themes tweaks are excellent!

Thank you!

[smurphos]

Hi,

Should work fine for 19.2

[farkas]

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

[sailalong]

Thank you. Exactly what I wanted.

[finwake]

Works with Mint 20.1 Cinnamon. Someone correct me, as I have blacklisted in Update Manager cinnamon-screensaver. Hopefully this will prevent needing to reactivate xscreensaver after updates...

[UncleBender]

This worked perfectly.

There are still linux users out there with OLED and Plasma monitors that will burn-in (me), so a workaround like this is absolutely necessary.

Thanks for stepping up and helping us out with that.

I also like the blacklist idea, will give that a try!

[coilwinder]

Clear and informative instructions! Great stuff, thank you!

Works great on Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon! (used about a week atm).
Recently upgraded from Mint 19.0 (I'm slow with upgrading).
Giving the blacklist idea a try as well. Don't know if it works yet though.

[greengamer077]

NOTE: downloading screensaver using the link up top does work

However when you do this people using the 2 moniter setup will have their setting set and stuck on default
to fix this UNINSTALL xscreensaver

then run this cmand

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apt install --reinstall cinnamon-control-center

then you can fix the moniter setup

[Ahmed_samy]

....

everything is good only one problem
the screensaver app is only in the start menu not in the settings app
how can I add it ?
and how can I make the screen saver a custom command like cmatrix ?

[smurphos]

everything is good only one problem
the screensaver app is only in the start menu not in the settings app
how can I add it ?
and how can I make the screen saver a custom command like cmatrix ?

The native cinnamon settings modules are small apps written in python - you'd need to write one for xscreensaver to integrate it in that way.

Xscreensaver ships xmatrix with package xscreensaver-data-extra and GLMatrix with package xscreensaver-gl. You can't integrate third party screensavers not written specifically for xscreensaver.

[Ahmed_samy]

...

okay thanks

[not4nuthin]

Just a thanks to smurphos for this Install xScreensaver. I moved today from windows-7 to linux (mint 21.2, Cinnamon v.5.8.4) and it works perfectly on a Dell 3910.