Arch Linux

david_e

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2006-08-28

Posts: 83

[solved] xscreensaver don't work...

I am trying to use xscreensaver with fluxbox and kde, but it doesn't work at all. I am launching xscreensaver with:

xscreensaver -nosplash &

but when it starts a screensaver the only thing I get is a black screen with this error message:

bad root path: No such file or directory

followed by a message like this:

xscreensaver: [time stamp] child pid [...] exited abnormally ...

The strange thing is that it does work if I open "xscreensaver-demo" and chose "restart daemon" from the file menu  while "xscreensaver-command -restart" doesn't help...

Last edited by david_e (2007-04-18 16:00:13)

darose

Member

Registered: 2004-04-13

Posts: 163

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Same here.

Would love to have a solution

silvik

Member

From: Bucharest/Romania

Registered: 2006-11-08

Posts: 110

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

same here. following the error messages i added

/usr/lib/xscreensaver

in PATH and it  works, at least for me.

linuxinit

Member

From: Bumkcuf, Egypt

Registered: 2005-08-21

Posts: 33

Website

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

You will need to update your path and then restart the xscreensaver daemon or your desktop environment. I updated my path and then tried to run xscreensaver-demo and it kept failing because it uses the path found from the daemon, not the settings interface.

darose

Member

Registered: 2004-04-13

Posts: 163

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Well, I'd say that this is a bug, then.  I shouldn't need to update my path manually.  If a path update is necessary at all, then the xscreensaver package should do it itself (e.g., via an /etc/conf.d/xscreensaver file)

I just filed a bug on this: http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/6956

david_e

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2006-08-28

Posts: 83

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Yes works here too with the updated PATH.

*** EDIT ***
No need to do this anymore: solved with the last version of xscreensaver.

Last edited by david_e (2007-04-18 16:04:26)

darose

Member

Registered: 2004-04-13

Posts: 163

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Really?  Doesn't work for me under KDE.

Did you need to reboot to get it to work after the xscreensaver upgrade?  Are you using KDE?

david_e

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2006-08-28

Posts: 83

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

No I am using it under fluxbox: I am still using kde screensavers under kde. After the upgrade I logged out and in and it (xscreensaver) was working.

I have tried xscreensaver under kde running "xscreensaver &"  from a konsole and launching "xscreensaver-command -activate": it seems to work.

darose

Member

Registered: 2004-04-13

Posts: 163

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Maybe so.  But under KDE:

1) when you lock the screen, the screensaver doesn't activate
2) in Control Center -> Appearance & Themes -> Screen Saver, you can't preview or test the screen saver

Or at least I can't on my box.

david_e

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2006-08-28

Posts: 83

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

If "xscreensaver-command -activate" works than xscreensaver should be ok, to make it integrate in KDE you need to follow this instructions:

http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/man1.html#10

I think this should enable you to start xscreensaver when you lock the screen. (I didn't tried)

For the second issue I think there is no solution: the screensaver section of the kcontrol is related to KDE screensaver so it will always point to it even if you use xscreensaver.

darose

Member

Registered: 2004-04-13

Posts: 163

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

If "xscreensaver-command -activate" works than xscreensaver should be ok, to make it integrate in KDE you need to follow this instructions:

http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/man1.html#10

I think this should enable you to start xscreensaver when you lock the screen. (I didn't tried)

For the second issue I think there is no solution: the screensaver section of the kcontrol is related to KDE screensaver so it will always point to it even if you use xscreensaver.

Both of the things I mentioned were working (out of the box - i.e., without needing to follow JWZ's instructions) prior to the 5.01 upgrade.  So to me, this is a bug: something that was working is now broken.  Perhaps it's a KDE bug, and not xscreensaver, but it's still a bug.

david_e

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2006-08-28

Posts: 83

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Maybe it's a bug... I don't know: I never used xscreensaver till now... sorry I can't help.

djclue917

Member

Registered: 2006-12-03

Posts: 121

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

If "xscreensaver-command -activate" works than xscreensaver should be ok, to make it integrate in KDE you need to follow this instructions:

http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/man1.html#10

I think this should enable you to start xscreensaver when you lock the screen. (I didn't tried)

For the second issue I think there is no solution: the screensaver section of the kcontrol is related to KDE screensaver so it will always point to it even if you use xscreensaver.

Both of the things I mentioned were working (out of the box - i.e., without needing to follow JWZ's instructions) prior to the 5.01 upgrade.  So to me, this is a bug: something that was working is now broken.  Perhaps it's a KDE bug, and not xscreensaver, but it's still a bug.

Packaging bug actually (well technically not.). The kdeartwork needs to be rebuilt as it expects to find the screensavers in /usr/libexec and not in /usr/lib where the screensavers are now actually residing.

attila

Member

Registered: 2006-11-14

Posts: 293

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Packaging bug actually (well technically not.). The kdeartwork needs to be rebuilt as it expects to find the screensavers in /usr/libexec and not in /usr/lib where the screensavers are now actually residing.

And what is the reason for making a new package with the only difference that the screensavers being now in another directory? Or why has this be done before kdeartwork is rebuilt? Sorry, i don't see any advantage of this action and so i will stay with version 5.01-2 until i see here that all works fine as before.

djclue917

Member

Registered: 2006-12-03

Posts: 121

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Packaging bug actually (well technically not.). The kdeartwork needs to be rebuilt as it expects to find the screensavers in /usr/libexec and not in /usr/lib where the screensavers are now actually residing.

And what is the reason for making a new package with the only difference that the screensavers being now in another directory? Or why has this be done before kdeartwork is rebuilt? Sorry, i don't see any advantage of this action and so i will stay with version 5.01-2 until i see here that all works fine as before.

I don't actually understand what you meant... What I said was to rebuild kdeartwork because the new xscreensaver package now puts the screensavers in /usr/lib and not anymore in /usr/libexec. Because of that, xscreensavers in KDE wouldn't work anymore. And to solve that problem, kdeartwork needs to be rebuilt to "let it know" that the screensavers are now in /usr/lib and not in /usr/libexec. Clear enough? BTW, expect kdeartwork 3.5.6-2 soon as the bug report has now been assigned.

attila

Member

Registered: 2006-11-14

Posts: 293

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

I don't actually understand what you meant...

Sorry for the late answer, i forgot to suscribe to this thread.

In combination with this for me not so important change in which directory the screensaver modules stays and kdeartwork comes later i was a little bit angry about the consequences of this update procedure. But it is okay because no one can find a bug if nothing changes.-)

Is there a reason why xscreensaver don't step to version 5.02?

djclue917

Member

Registered: 2006-12-03

Posts: 121

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Arch is a bleeding-edge distro. That being said, we cannot do away with having broken packages once in a while. BTW, they've changed the directory because /usr/libexec isn't meant to be used for anything.

attila

Member

Registered: 2006-11-14

Posts: 293

Re: [solved] xscreensaver don't work...

Thanks for the info about /usr/libexec, i must say that i have heard about it, but forget it ... my error.

Another info for you: xscreensaver 5.02, which is builded by a copy from abs, works here ... i was too impatient.-)