I think the screensavers for Linux are...welll......99% **** in the opinion of 99% of the worldpopulation. Cause of that I can't be sorry for needing new screensavers. I also think we should not add a default legacy-layer. New KDE users should see 10 good and appealing screensavers and not be bothered with ASCII-art, Lines that look like made with Paint 0.1 and some old 3d-screensavers who once had the Wow!-factor but now look old and boring.

When we made the step to KDE4, we broke some legacy stuff for the better. The screensavers should have the same treatment.

The "Linux Way" would be to patch xscreensaver to support the features you need. Is that impossible in this case? I don't object to seeing new screensavers, but I don't see any advantage in supporting QtQuick/QML. Certainly not enough to justify scrapping compatibility with xscreensaver -- especially when the future of Qt5 is so uncertain right now.

To me screensavers are like desktop wallpapers - they don't add any functionality, but they look nice and add some "personification" to your workspace. I use a screensaver called Electric Sheep which is very relaxing to watch, and I often receive comments from other people when my netbook kicks into screensaver mode. So I'll go against the stream and say "I'll miss them".

With that said, I can understand why there is a need for change, and it's always possible to just use xscreensaver.

> but I don't see any advantage in supporting QtQuick/QML. Certainly not enough
> to justify scrapping compatibility with xscreensaver

It is not the point to switch to QML, and XSS to be dropped because of that.

It is vice-versa, XSS dropping would be the reason to create QML screen savers (so that the users who like screen savers don't get left out).

One of the reasons for dropping XSS is security (native code running freely), the others are (as Martin already stated) the hackwork needed to integrate XSS into the workspace.

+1 for the idea.

And by the way, isn't it a must, since KDE is planning/getting to support Wayland and (maybe) dropping X at some point?

While I personally don't use screensavers, I do use the "monitor off" feature and also the lock screen. I'm looking forward to the way-better-looking lockscreen.

The only alternative to a screen saver is the Power Management module of "Desktop settings". I use the 'Performance' profile and "Dim display" is supposed to occur after 5 minutes. It doesn't.

The "Screen Energy Saving" does occur after the set time (10 minutes).

Deusdies wrote:I'm looking forward to the way-better-looking lockscreen.

+1 to that.

PS: Does this also mean that it will for example be possible to let the screen gently fade to/from black when locking/unlocking, as opposed to the current, abrupt (and sometimes flickering) transition?

smls wrote:

Deusdies wrote:I'm looking forward to the way-better-looking lockscreen.

+1 to that.

PS: Does this also mean that it will for example be possible to let the screen gently fade to/from black when locking/unlocking, as opposed to the current, abrupt (and sometimes flickering) transition?

Yes, in fact that is already implemented and looks really good

IMHO, x-screensavers are ugly!
I'm really happy if this new solution will make the lock screen way more appealing!!!

the few xscreensaver lovers can use xscreensaver, then go forward!!!

Hans wrote:To me screensavers are like desktop wallpapers - they don't add any functionality, but they look nice and add some "personification" to your workspace. I use a screensaver called Electric Sheep which is very relaxing to watch, and I often receive comments from other people when my netbook kicks into screensaver mode. So I'll go against the stream and say "I'll miss them".

I agree: I use screensavers on some of my pc's, but not all, but I like to have the option anyway (like Hans said, it's a personalization feature, like the wallpaper).
I don't mind replacing xscreensavers with other screensavers, as long as we can still develop and use new ones.

There are several existing ones that I enjoy, that I would like to see ported. One thing I miss from e.g. gnome and xfce is the ability to pick and choose which screensavers are enabled so I can turn off all of the ones that look like crud from last century (or that just don't work).
It would be nice to have a clean refresh of the list of screensavers; port the nicer ones over and create lots of new awesome-looking ones.

I personally don't care much about power-management features (I probably would if I used my laptop without the power cord, but I never go anywhere), but I do use the screen locking and prefer to have a screensaver running when the screen is locked.

I said that I would miss them but life without the clock simply wouldn't be the same again

As an ordinary user I do not want to play with settings, do things which are not needed. Unless I do not land into trouble, I do not bother about particular screensaver.

I hope KDE group can manage a smooth enough transition. Six sigma principles can provide them additional perspectives for scalability.

For those of us that use screensavers; I think it's a good idea to make the screensavers non-dependent to X11 seeing that Wayland is coming to play. It should be compatible to both to fit the users' preference.