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From: mouse@lightning.mcrcim.mcgill.EDU (der Mouse)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re:  Screen Savers
Message-ID: <9105082335.AA01850@lightning.McRCIM.McGill.EDU>
Date: 8 May 91 23:35:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: lightnin.9105082335.AA01850
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 28

> I am looking for some X applications for screen blanking.  (i.e., do
> something nice after the keyboard/mouse has been idle for a given
> time) The standard is OK, but I would prefer something more colorful
> ??

> I am hoping for something along the lines of "After Dark" on the mac.
> Does anyone know of any and where they can be obtained ?

The problem is that doing this requires a server extension.  The core X
protocol provides no way[%] for the screen-saver to tell when the user
is idle....

I believe there is an extension (the name xidle comes to mind) that
addresses the problem.  I haven't looked at it, since I don't go in for
flashy "screen savers": if I'm idle long enough for a screen-saver to
kick in, I'm not here to see what's going on on the screen anyway.
(Are there really people who do sit around watching screen-saver
pictures?  I suppose there must be....)

[%] Well, no practical way.  It may be possible to kludge something
    with grabs, but I suspect that would (a) impose an unacceptable
    performance penalty and (b) interfere with applications that use
    grabs.

					der Mouse

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