How does one make x-screensavers work with mate-screensaver?

Question

I am currently using Linux Mint - Mate Edition. I much prefer the mate-screensaver lock-screen so I refuse to use x-screensaver b/c its lock-screen is just hideous.

I have learned elsewhere on the internet that one can use x-screensavers on mate-screensaver merely by editing the .desktop files. However, the image manipulating ones do not work b/c the x-screensaver daemon normally takes a screenshot of the active desktop and then hands it to the screensaver to use and therefore this does not work when using such screen-savers with the mate-screensaver. How can I make them work properly? (by taking a screenshot first and then using it)

Answer 1

Mate-Screensaver (Using XScreensavers)

1. Download [mate-screensaver-hacks] package, unpack it and hold for later.

2. Install packages with additional screensavers: xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-data-extra xscreensaver-gl xscreensaver-gl-extra xscreensaver

   [Note: xscreensaver is ONLY installed to load the {.xscreensaver} file into the /home directory and to set your image directory.]

3. Run: xscreensaver to load the {.xscreensaver} file into the /home directory.

   [Note: Do Not start the xscreensaver daemon. I don't know what will happen if you do.]

   For GLSlideshow- click the Advanced-TAB in the upper left and select [Choose Random Image] then browse to the image directory you want to use and open it, then close Xscreensaver.

4. Use Synaptic Package Manager and do a Complete Removal of (xscreensaver) ONLY.

5. Open: {/usr/share/applications/screensavers} as Administrator and delete all the screensaver files. While still in Administrator mode go to the mate-screensaver-hacks directory and copy all the new screensavers into the directory you just deleted all the old ones from, then close the directory.

6. Open Mate-Screensaver and you should have all the Xscreensavers available for use.

   For GLSlideshow- open Text Editor as Administrator and then open /usr/share/applications/screensavers/glslideshow.desktop .

   Look for the following entry:

   Exec=glslideshow -root

   Modify this line to instead read:

   Exec=glslideshow -root -duration 15 -pan 15 -fade 5 -zoom 75

Where:

duration represents the amount of time (in seconds) to display an image for

pan represents the amount of time (in seconds) to run the pan effect on this image

fade represents the transition time (in seconds) to fade between images

zoom represents the amount to zoom and pan as a percentage. Default: 75, meaning that 75% or more of each image will always be visible. If set to 100%, then the images will always fill the screen, and no panning or zooming will occur. Images will still smoothly fade from one to another, however, assuming -fade is non-zero.

Note: With the settings of -pan 6 -duration 30, each image will be displayed five times (30/6), and then a new image will be loaded. If you want a new image to be loaded at each fade, then set -pan and -duration to the same value.

~~~ IMPORTANT ~~~

If GLSlideshow doesn't load after the set amount of time, follow these instructions:

Run:

$ sudo pluma /usr/share/applications/screensavers/personal-slideshow.desktop

Enter: Password

Text Editor will open as -Superuser- and the personal-slideshow.desktop file will be blank.

In same window click-Open and select File System, then open {/usr/share/applications/screensavers/glslideshow.desktop} file.

Click: Edit and Select All, then copy and paste to personal-slideshow.desktop file.

In the personal-slideshow.desktop file look for the following entry:

Name=GLSlideshow

Change it to a new name:

Name=(whatever you want)

Save and Exit

Open Mate-Screensaver and select your new slideshow screensaver. It should work just fine.

Use the same info above to adjust the settings. Just make sure you open personal-slideshow.desktop instead of glslideshow.desktop...

For GLSlideshow- to change the image directory open home/.xscreensaver in Text Editor. (Hidden file - mark Show hidden files.)

Look for the following entry:

imageDirectory: /home/*whatever*/*whatever*

Modify this line by replacing the current directory path with your new one. Save and exit.