Screensaver files
 

I did an apt-cache search for screensavers on Debian:
and after I got the results I installed:
and then:
but now they are nowhere to be found in the menus - Desktop Settings, accessories, display, etc. Where should I look for them, and do I have to do something special to make a dialog box available to select what I want? I'd like to set up a screensaver, as I leave the laptop for a few minutes every so often when I go to get coffee, etc.
Any help is appreciated.

open xscreensaver. it should be in the menu somewhere!
if not, open a terminal and enter 'xscreensaver' or maybe 'xscreensaver-<Tab><Tab>' (that means, type out the first part, then hit Tab twice) - i think it's xscreensaver-gui or something like that.

That got me this:
Can't find it anywhere in the "Applications menu" which, I think, covers everything in the Debian install.
THX

Did you remove whatever screensaver was installed by default?

If you did not, you should. The presence of two screensaver programs may be confusing the desktop environment.

Is the xscreensaver package installed? It doesn't seem to... These are the mistakes happening when doing things without documentation reading...

have you also tried without the trailing '-'?
i.e. xscreensaver<Tab><Tab>

If I remember correctly it is called xscreensaver-demo or similar. I personally am happy with Xorg builtin screensaver, thus can't tell for sure.

Surprisingly enough it has a man page https://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/man1.html

yes, thanks for jogging my memory.
so judging from the output, xscreensaver is only half installed.
op, please open your software management tools and find out what xscreensaver related packages are installed.

Well ... I installed "xscreensaver" here in debian stretch (using KDE) and, xcreensaver works normally. Just type in the command line "xscreensaver" that appears a screen, where you can make the necessary settings.

Actually does not appear in the menu, at least in my KDE menu did not appear. I do not know if restarting X, it may appear ...

xscreensaver-demo is the configuration routine for xscreensaver.

There are a number of lamer spins of xscreensaver, such a mate-screensaver, gnomescreensaver, and kscreensaver.

Not a one of them can hold a candle to the real thing. I always make them go away and install the real thing.

that might be relevant.
i think you should be searching KDE settings for a screensaver (instead of the general application menu).
KDE like to do things their own way, you might have kscreensaver installed?

~$ apt-cache search screensaver
It seems that there is no "kscreensaver" in Debian 9


~$ apt-cache policy kscreensaver

Sorry, I've either been shovelling snow out of the chicken pens or shovelling it out of the way so I can get my car out onto the street, or recovering from bronchitis attacks - every time I shovel the car out, the state plow comes along and covers it back up!

To answer some of the previous questions, I never did find or remove any pre-installed screensavers. I did (I thought) install the package from Debian packages, but still haven't been successful at getting any screensaver to show up when my laptop sits idle for a while - it just goes into hibernation. I guess that will have to do, as I'm much too occupied with the Winter Snows ATM to deal with minor issues like screensavers, etc.. Besides, I'm a computer illiterate, I just like Debian in relation to the many derivatives out there and especially to M$ Windows.

Thanks to all who have tried to help me with this, all help is appreciated.
MJ73

^ you did only half of what i suggested.
are you sure you have looked through all KDE-specific setting dialogs and whatnot? [i don't use kde myself, so it's just an educated guess.]