tdebase/doc/kcontrol/screensaver/index.docbook

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<authorgroup>
<author>&Mike.McBride; &Mike.McBride.mail;</author>
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</authorgroup>

<date>2005-02-20</date>
<releaseinfo>3.4</releaseinfo>

<keywordset>
<keyword>KDE</keyword>
<keyword>KControl</keyword>
<keyword>screensaver</keyword>
<keyword>screen saver</keyword>
</keywordset>
</articleinfo>

<sect1 id="screensaver">

<title>Screen Saver</title>

<para>Using this module, you can choose your screen saver, determine
how much time must pass before the screen saver is activated, and add
or remove password protection to your screen saver.</para>

<sect2 id="ss-choose">
<title>Choosing the screen saver, and configuring its options</title>

<para>In the <guilabel>Settings</guilabel> box is a check box
labeled <guilabel>Start screen saver automatically</guilabel>.  This
box must have a mark in it, or &kde; will not launch any screen saver
and it will not allow you to adjust the settings of your screen
saver.</para>

<para>Along the left side is a list of all available screen savers.  You can
select a screen saver by simply clicking on its name.  Once
you have selected a screen saver, you will see a small preview on the 
monitor on the right.</para>

<note><para>The preview monitor will often show the screen saver
larger than it is when the screen saver is activated.  This is done on
purpose, since many of the details of the screen savers would be
unintelligible if actually scaled down to such a small
size.</para></note>

<para>Each screen saver has a different set of setup options.  By
clicking on <guilabel>Setup...</guilabel>, a dialog box will appear with
all available options.  As you adjust the options, the preview box in
the dialog box will show you what effect you will achieve with the
current settings.</para>

<para>When you are done setting up your screen saver, click
<guibutton>OK</guibutton>.</para> <para>Clicking <guibutton>Cancel</guibutton>
will erase any changes you made in this dialog box, and return you to the
screen saver module.</para>

<para>Clicking the <guibutton>About</guibutton> button will give you
the Copyright and Author information if you are interested.</para>

<para>When you think you have all the options set the way you want,
simply click on <guibutton>Test</guibutton> to immediately start the
screen saver <emphasis>exactly</emphasis> as it will appear.</para>

</sect2>

<sect2 id="ss-options">
<title>Setting the time, priority and passwords for screen
savers.</title>

<para>Below the screensaver list is a check box to have the screen saver <guilabel>Start automatically</guilabel> check box, and a spin box which determines the period of inactivity before the screen saver should be started.  You can enter any postive number of minutes in this box.</para>

<para>Below that is a check box labeled <guilabel>Require password to
stop screen saver</guilabel>.  If it is checked, when you click a key
or click a mouse button to end the screen saver and return to your
work, you must enter a password.  The password used is the same
password you used to login to your machine.  If there is no mark in
the check box, no password is required to return to your
desktop.</para>

<para>Enable the check box <guilabel>Make aware of
power management</guilabel> if you don't want the screensaver to start
while you watch TV or movies on your monitor.</para>

</sect2>

<sect2 id="ss-other"><title>Using a non-&kde; screen saver</title> 

<para>&kde; does not prevent another screen saver from working.  To use a
different screen saver, such as <application>xscreensaver</application>, simply
disable the &kde; Screen Saver, and set up your other screen saver program
normally.  </para>

</sect2>

<sect2 id="screensaver-remove">
<title>Removing and restoring a screen saver from your system</title>

<para>If you want to remove a screen saver from the list in this
Control Center Module, you will need to rename a file on your
system.</para>

<caution><para>Working as a <systemitem
class="username">root</systemitem> user is a potentially dangerous
situation.  While unlikely, it is entirely possible to do permanent
damage to your system while working as
<emphasis>root</emphasis>.</para>

<para>Be very careful following the next set of
directions</para></caution>

<para>To delete a screen saver, type the following commands:</para>

<screen>
<prompt>bash$</prompt> <command>cd 
$KDEDIR/share/applnk/System/ScreenSavers</command>
<prompt>bash$</prompt> <command>ls</command>
</screen> 

<para>This will give you a list of files.  You will notice
similarities between some of the file names and that of the screen saver you
want to remove.  Simply rename the file of similarly named desktop
file to a name which does not end in
<emphasis>desktop</emphasis>.</para>

<para>Example:</para>
<screen>
<prompt>bash$</prompt> <command>cd 
$KDEDIR/share/applnk/System/ScreenSavers</command>
<prompt>bash$</prompt> <command>mv KSpace.desktop KSpace.backup</command>
</screen> 

<para>Will remove Space (GL) from the list</para>

<note><para>You must close the &kcontrolcenter; entirely and restart it before 
the changes will be seen.</para></note>

<para>To restore the disabled screen saver, simply rename the file back to its 
original name:</para>

<screen>
<prompt>bash$</prompt> <command>cd 
$KDEDIR/share/applnk/System/ScreenSavers</command>
<prompt>bash$</prompt> <command>mv KSpace.backup KSpace.desktop</command>
</screen> 

<para>Restart the &kcontrolcenter;, and the screen saver is back in the 
list.</para>

</sect2>

<sect2 id="grace">
<title>Advanced Settings: Grace period</title>

<para>There is a five second grace period after the screen saver
begins before a  password is required even if <guilabel>Require
password</guilabel> is checked.</para>
<para>Locking the desktop manually, by clicking the lock icon
in the &kde; panel, causes the password protection to engage immediately with
no grace period.</para>
<para>To alter the grace period setting, you need to manually edit the 
configuration file.  To do so:</para>
<para>
<prompt>$</prompt> <command>cd <filename>~/.kde/share/config</filename>
</command>
</para>
<para>Now, using a text editor (the example uses &kate;, the &kde; text editor), 
load the <filename>kdesktoprc</filename>.</para>
<para>
<prompt>$</prompt> <command>kate <filename>kdesktoprc</filename>
</command>
</para>
<para>Search through the file for the section labeled 
<emphasis>[Screensaver]</emphasis>.</para>
<para>Look through all lines in the section for an entry entitled 
<emphasis>LockGrace</emphasis>.</para>
<para>If the entry exists, you can edit the value of the entry.  </para>
<screen>[Screensaver]
LockGrace=3000</screen>
<para>The value of the entity represents the duration of the grace period
in milliseconds. An entry of 3000, would change the grace period to 3 seconds.
You can set the value of the entry to any number between zero (no grace period) 
and 300000 (5 minutes).
</para>
<para>If the entry does not exist, simply add the entry to the end of the 
section.</para>

<para>Any changes to the configuration entry take effect
immediately.</para>

</sect2>

</sect1>

</article>