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1. GNOME Screensaver
gnome-screensaver is a new screensaver that can replace xscreensaver. It is designed to integrate well with the desktop and provide a control interface that is desktop neutral. It simplifies and streamlines the experience for the user and provides more capability for the system administrator and vendor.
It is designed to support:
- a desktop neutral control interface via DBus
- a desktop neutral and standard way to install and manage screensaver themes
- switching users directly from the unlock dialog
- allowing a system administrator to set a mandatory policy for any setting
- a secure separation of user input processing and authentication from the screen locking window
- a separation between the screensaver theme engine and the theme settings
- integration with the desktop (themes, fonts, toolkit)
- translation into many languages by the GNOME Translation Project
- instantly applying settings changes
1.1. Looking for Help?
Report bugs to GNOME Bugzilla under the gnome-screensaver product.
1.2. Getting gnome-screensaver for Development
You will need to use GNOME 2.11.4 or later.
1.2.1. Development ideas
- Pause music (rhytmbox, banshee) on screen lock and continue when unlocking (Allow enable/disable in an option. I play music with screen locked)
- Generic callback interface for other applications based on d-bus. (Music play/pause, timekeeping, presence)
- Write manpages for gnome-screensaver and gnome-screensaver-command
- Do something usefull with a locked screen (display a clock, new email count (evolution) and missed calls (ekiga). This is what most cellphones do)
- Use-application-as-screensaver function. (e.g. run banshee fullscreen, but disallow starting other applications) (multiple levels of locked-ness?) This is different from a permanently locked-down kiosk-mode web browser (it is not permanent; it should be fast, easy, flexible and user-friendly).
- leave notes to visitors (e.g "Will be back at 2pm, call me on extension 123 if you need me.") (Get phone number from gnome-about-me prefs, display public schedule from evolution?)
- Specify lockdown so that only an admin account can unlock (or any specified user account/group). Useful to stop a user from an action until an admin comes to unlock.
- To-Do items shown during screensave? - perhaps interfaced through tomboy notes - a specially named or tagged notebook? (I forget things even if I put them in a To-Do note if they arent on screen all the time)
1.2.2. Getting From Git
To get the very latest copy you'll need to clone the Git repository, by running
git clone git://git.gnome.org/gnome-screensaver
Or, browse online: http://git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-screensaver/
1.2.3. Getting From a Package
Download the latest source package from the package directory http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/gnome-screensaver/.
1.2.4. Using JHBuild
JHBuild offers dependency handled building which can make testing a lot easier. Follow the instructions from the jhbuild site to get up and running, then run this to get the latest version.
jhbuild build gnome-screensaver