[OpenIndiana-discuss] Replace xscreensaver with mate-screensaver

[Gary Mills]

I recently posted a bug report describing my bad experience with
xscreensaver.  The report can be seen here:

    https://www.illumos.org/issues/16185

It contains a suggestion from Marcel Telka that I try replacing
xscreensaver with mate-screensaver.  Indeed, his PR at:

    https://github.com/OpenIndiana/oi-userland/pull/15702

suggests that OI change mate_install to install mate-screensaver
instead of xscreensaver.

Well, changing from xscreensaver to mate-screensaver is one way to get
rid of faulty software.  To be fair, I did try the replacement on one
of my systems.  Here is my experience with mate-screensaver.

It was easy to remove xscreensaver, although I had to kill the
xscreensaver daemon manually.  It was easy to install
mate-screensaver, but it also didn't start its daemon after the
install.  I noticed the System menu now had an item called "Control
Center".  In this country, we spell the second word "centre".  This
brings up a new utility, that has an icon called "Screensaver".  This,
in turn, brings up the mate-screensaver configuration utility.  I
found it easy to use.

To start the mate-screensaver daemon without rebooting or restarting
X11, I used the command:

    $ mate-screensaver &

The query command then succeeded:

    <mills at ryzen:563>$ mate-screensaver-command -q
    The screensaver is inactive
    The screensaver is not inhibited

I found that mate-screensaver does blank the screen and does lock the
screen with a password box.  In fact, it has all of the features I
require in a screensaver.  I'm going to keep it.  The password box
does show the wrong time, six hours fast in my case, but I'm willing
to ignore that error.

It's not a problem for me, but the package contain only four themes,
with no easy way to add more.  In short, mate-screensaver is a good
basic screensaver.  People who want to use xscreensaver will have to
install it themselves, if the change suggested in the PR takes place.

-- 
-Gary Mills-		-refurb-		-Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-