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Those Linux distributions that have replaced XScreenSaver with other screen-locking frameworks have suffered notable security problems. Those other frameworks have a history of security bugs that allow the screen to be un-locked without a password, e.g., by simply holding a key down until the locker
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In 2004, Zawinski had written about the architectural decisions made in XScreenSaver with the goal of avoiding this very class of bug, leading him to quip in 2015, "If you are not running XScreenSaver on Linux, then it is safe to assume that your screen does not lock."
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Though many of the newer hacks take full advantage of the power of modern computers, the age of the project means that some of the older hacks may look dated to modern eyes, as they were originally written for much less powerful computers.
440:
into a separate process from the screen locking framework. This means that a programming error in one of the graphical display modes cannot compromise the screen locker itself (e.g., a crash in a display mode will not unlock the screen).
300:
409:, and the developer discourages anyone from porting it. The author considers Microsoft to be "a company with vicious, predatory, anti-competitive business practices" and says that, as one of the original authors of
373:) use XScreenSaver almost exclusively. On those systems, there are several packages: one for the screen-saving and locking framework, and two or more for the display modes, divided somewhat arbitrarily.
444:
It also means that a third-party screen saver can be written in any language or with any graphics library, so long as it is capable of rendering onto an externally provided window.
299:
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is responsible for detecting idle-ness, blanking and locking the screen, and launching the display modes. The display modes (termed "hacks" from the historical usage "
574:. Earlier versions of these frameworks still depended upon the XScreenSaver collection of screen savers, which is over 90% of the package. However, in 2011,
606:, to 3D demonstrations of complex mathematical principles, to simulations of other computer systems, to re-creations of artifacts and effects from movies.
48:
41:
462:
Rather than forking the code-base and re-writing the hacks to target different platforms, XScreenSaver contains a number of compatibility layers.
535:
the display modes, the XScreenSaver daemon links with as few libraries as possible. In particular, it does not link against GUI frameworks like
953:
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systems, the XScreenSaver display modes work either as normal screen savers (which
Android sometimes refers to as "Daydreams") or as
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63:
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models of a series of common drugs and other molecules, of which thirty-eight (38) are built in. It can also read
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version 3 dropped support for screensavers completely, supporting only simple screen blanking, and as of 2018,
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screen-blanking frameworks by default instead of the framework included with XScreenSaver. In 2011,
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in 1992 and is still maintained by him, with new releases coming out several times a year.
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systems, XScreenSaver is a stand-alone app that can run any of the hacks full-screen.
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program and running it. When run from the command-line, it is a fully functional
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For historical and portability reasons, the included hacks are all written in
1508:
1457:
351:
1486:
861:
766:
642:
430:
518:, XScreenSaver also contains an implementation of the X11 API in terms of
1317:"CVE-2019-3010, Privilege Escalation in Oracle Solaris XScreenSaver fork"
836:
479:
319:
274:
262:
851:
776:
775:– puts a moving spotlight across the desktop in the style of the
579:
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436:
This is an important security feature, in that the display modes are
358:
323:
238:
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285:
26:
1462:
668:
1411:"Sleep Mode: The Art of the Screensaver: Jamie Zawinski Interview"
894:– the filter-based fire effect, also known as flame effect.
690:
658:
370:
136:
807:
television set, including visual artifacts and reception issues.
1436:
1343:
1227:
979:"List of screen savers included in the XScreenSaver collection"
814:
797:– creates collages out of random images found on the Web.
787:
621:
500:
456:
448:
226:
218:
672:
650:
602:
The included hacks are highly varied, ranging from simple 2D
467:
381:
366:
327:
242:
1339:"Cinnamon-screensaver lock by-pass via the virtual keyboard"
720:
544:
1481:
559:
540:
536:
511:
488:
474:, XScreenSaver contains a complete implementation of the
471:
388:
331:
246:
222:
850:– based on the 1984 program regarded as the first
709:– 3D toasters fly around, inspired by the classic
487:
To allow the OpenGL 1.3-based hacks to run natively on
1161:"Re: What is the status of the screensaver in GNOME3?"
759:
from a file, or files placed in a directory, as input.
1470:
1295:"CVE-2015-7496, Hold ESC to unlock Gnome-session GDM"
765:– tiles the screen aperiodically with coloured
817:
and other celestial bodies that update in real time.
785:– an animation in the style of the video game
510:
And to allow the X11-based hacks to run natively on
888:– another effect common in older Amiga demos.
1251:"CVE-2014-1949, Cinnamon-Screensaver Lock Bypass"
586:4.0.8 no longer supports the XScreenSaver hacks.
499:, XScreenSaver contains an implementation of the
1506:
466:To allow the X11-based hacks to run natively on
835:Some of the included hacks are very similar to
634:variants from many computer systems, including
854:ever, showing the bouncing red and white ball.
380:systems, XScreenSaver works with the built-in
1389:"jwz.org blog post about Gnome security bugs"
973:
971:
882:similar to those common in older Amiga demos.
719:– an OpenGL animation of inter-meshing
860:– an implementation of full-screen 2D
733:– an OpenGL animation similar to the "
1273:"Mandriva Security Advisory MDVSA-2015:162"
671:computer, showing a user entering a simple
1095:"jwz.org blog post about the Android port"
968:
129:
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
1158:
420:
293:
1138:"XScreenSaver source code distribution"
1067:
1065:
1507:
1117:"XScreenSaver FAQ regarding KDE/Gnome"
1073:"jwz.org blog post about the iOS port"
905:Sleep Mode: The Art of the Screensaver
624:animation showing whales and dolphins.
47:Please improve this article by adding
547:for rendering the unlock dialog box.
338:operating systems. It was created by
1159:Campagna, Giovanni (21 March 2011).
1062:
954:"Debian XScreenSaver copyright list"
747:– an OpenGL animation showing
20:
872:– another common demo effect.
823:– animations similar to the "
307:Xscreensaver "GLMatrix" Screensaver
13:
1367:"XScreenSaver: On Toolkit Dialogs"
1023:"Debian XScreenSaver package list"
907:, a gallery exhibition curated by
433:") are each stand-alone programs.
14:
1536:
1429:
405:There is no official version for
1492:
1480:
1435:
1223:"Cinnamon-Screensaver Key Flood"
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25:
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1359:
1331:
1309:
1287:
1265:
1243:
1215:
1193:
1171:
1152:
1130:
1045:"XScreenSaver: Windows Version"
195:6.08 / October 10, 2023
1179:"Linux Mint 19.1 Announcement"
1109:
1087:
1037:
1015:
1001:"XScreenSaver release history"
993:
946:
925:
361:operating systems running the
1:
1499:Free and open-source software
1201:"Gnome-Screensaver Key Flood"
918:
903:XScreenSaver was featured in
737:" title sequence seen in the
689:– a number of coloured
451:. About half of them use the
49:secondary or tertiary sources
803:– simulates an analog
495:systems, which only support
455:API, and about half use the
345:
7:
898:
613:Examples of hacks include:
526:
10:
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135:XScreenSaver-demo and the
693:scroll across the screen.
630:– shows fake fatal
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699:– a 3D display of
503:1.3 API built in top of
827:" sequence seen in the
779:film opening sequences.
757:PDB (Protein Data Bank)
197:; 11 months ago
550:In recent years, some
308:
172:; 32 years ago
36:relies excessively on
667:– simulates an
554:have begun using the
421:Software Architecture
306:
286:jwz.org/xscreensaver/
1444:at Wikimedia Commons
913:Het Nieuwe Instituut
880:interference circles
639:Blue Screen of Death
584:cinnamon-screensaver
572:cinnamon-screensaver
543:, but uses only raw
478:API built on top of
316:free and open-source
16:Screensaver software
1520:Utilities for macOS
566:was forked as both
552:Linux distributions
318:collection of 240+
170:17 August 1992
125:
1297:. 24 November 2015
1181:. 20 December 2018
1025:. 24 December 2020
956:. 24 December 2020
701:strange attractors
411:Netscape Navigator
309:
146:Original author(s)
123:
1525:X Window programs
1440:Media related to
1413:. 27 January 2017
1369:. 19 October 2004
1347:. 15 January 2021
1319:. 23 October 2019
1253:. 16 January 2015
1140:. 8 December 2020
1003:. 8 December 2020
981:. 8 December 2020
677:terminal emulator
636:Microsoft Windows
576:gnome-screensaver
564:gnome-screensaver
556:gnome-screensaver
425:The XScreenSaver
415:First Browser War
407:Microsoft Windows
304:
292:
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121:
120:
113:
95:
1532:
1497:
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1450:Official website
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1231:. 22 August 2014
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909:Rafaël Rozendaal
805:cathode-ray tube
568:mate-screensaver
507:1.0 ("jwzgles").
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234:Operating system
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1275:. 29 March 2015
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1203:. 16 April 2014
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1167:(Mailing list).
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911:at Rotterdam's
901:
878:– moving
839:created by the
725:planetary gears
707:Flying toasters
655:Guru Meditation
632:screen of death
600:
531:In addition to
529:
423:
400:live wallpapers
363:X Window System
348:
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167:Initial release
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42:primary sources
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17:
12:
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5:
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1458:"XScreenSaver"
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1430:External links
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1391:. 4 April 2015
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1075:. 19 June 2012
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829:Matrix trilogy
818:
813:– draws
808:
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753:ball-and-stick
742:
739:Matrix trilogy
728:
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384:screen saver.
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340:Jamie Zawinski
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190:Stable release
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162:Jamie Zawinski
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151:Jamie Zawinski
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60:"XScreenSaver"
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1097:. 23 May 2016
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767:Penrose tiles
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598:Display Modes
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62: –
61:
57:
56:Find sources:
50:
44:
43:
39:
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
19:
1515:Screensavers
1461:
1442:XScreenSaver
1415:. Retrieved
1405:
1393:. Retrieved
1383:
1371:. Retrieved
1361:
1349:. Retrieved
1342:
1333:
1321:. Retrieved
1311:
1299:. Retrieved
1289:
1277:. Retrieved
1267:
1255:. Retrieved
1245:
1233:. Retrieved
1226:
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1205:. Retrieved
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1183:. Retrieved
1173:
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1142:. Retrieved
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1120:. Retrieved
1111:
1099:. Retrieved
1089:
1077:. Retrieved
1052:. Retrieved
1048:
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1027:. Retrieved
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1005:. Retrieved
995:
983:. Retrieved
958:. Retrieved
948:
936:. Retrieved
927:
904:
902:
891:
885:
875:
867:
862:bump mapping
857:
847:
837:demo effects
834:
825:digital rain
820:
810:
800:
794:
786:
782:
772:
762:
744:
735:digital rain
730:
716:
713:screensaver.
706:
696:
686:
680:
664:
643:kernel panic
627:
617:
612:
608:
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560:kscreensaver
549:
530:
461:
446:
443:
435:
431:display hack
424:
404:
393:
386:
375:
349:
320:screensavers
312:XScreenSaver
311:
310:
158:Developer(s)
124:XScreenSaver
107:
98:
88:
81:
74:
67:
55:
35:
18:
1417:24 December
1395:24 December
1373:24 December
1323:24 December
1279:24 December
1257:24 December
1235:24 December
1207:24 December
1185:24 December
1165:gnome-shell
1144:24 December
1122:24 December
1101:24 December
1079:24 December
1054:24 December
1049:www.jwz.org
1029:24 December
1007:24 December
985:24 December
960:24 December
933:"Changelog"
661:, and more.
657:" error, a
620:– an
604:psychedelia
356:open-source
275:MIT License
263:Screensaver
101:August 2019
1509:Categories
1351:15 January
1301:18 January
919:References
852:Amiga demo
795:Webcollage
783:Sproingies
777:James Bond
711:After Dark
649:crash, an
641:, a Linux
580:Linux Mint
533:sandboxing
482:("jwxyz").
215:Written in
202:2023-10-10
177:1992-08-17
71:newspapers
38:references
915:in 2017.
886:ShadeBobs
869:Metaballs
841:demoscene
801:XAnalogTV
773:Spotlight
590:crashes.
520:OpenGL ES
505:OpenGL ES
497:OpenGL ES
459:1.3 API.
438:sandboxed
378:Macintosh
365:(such as
359:Unix-like
346:Platforms
1463:Freecode
899:See also
745:Molecule
731:GLMatrix
691:barcodes
681:Phosphor
669:Apple II
618:Atlantis
527:Security
1473:Portals
938:4 March
821:XMatrix
815:planets
811:XPlanet
763:Penrose
687:Barcode
679:(as is
659:sad Mac
516:Android
493:Android
396:Android
371:FreeBSD
336:Android
281:Website
270:License
251:Android
200: (
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137:XMatrix
85:scholar
1344:GitHub
1228:GitHub
892:XFlame
876:Moire2
788:Q*bert
665:Apple2
647:Darwin
622:OpenGL
501:OpenGL
457:OpenGL
449:ANSI C
427:daemon
227:OpenGL
219:ANSI C
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1487:Linux
858:Bumps
848:Boing
721:gears
717:Gears
673:BASIC
651:Amiga
480:Cocoa
468:macOS
382:macOS
367:Linux
328:macOS
314:is a
243:macOS
92:JSTOR
78:books
1419:2020
1397:2020
1375:2020
1353:2021
1325:2020
1303:2021
1281:2020
1259:2020
1237:2020
1209:2020
1187:2020
1146:2020
1124:2020
1103:2020
1081:2020
1056:2020
1031:2020
1009:2020
987:2020
962:2020
940:2024
723:and
697:Flow
645:, a
628:BSOD
570:and
545:Xlib
522:1.0.
514:and
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470:and
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334:and
324:Unix
322:for
258:Type
239:Unix
139:hack
64:news
751:or
582:'s
558:or
541:KDE
539:or
537:GTK
512:iOS
489:iOS
476:X11
472:iOS
453:X11
394:On
389:iOS
387:On
376:On
332:iOS
247:iOS
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