Simple Marquee screensaver

lukeprog · 12-21-2005, 01:34 PM

I'm deploying Linux in my library system. I'm using GNOME (Ubuntu). I want a simple marquee (scrolling text) screensaver that will say "Welcome to Your Public Library." None of the screensavers pre-installed to Ubuntu work for this. FontGlide (scroller) comes close, but I can't make it scroll text without all kinds of crazy fonts all the time, and I can't set the font size.

Any suggestions for where I can download a good GNOME screensaver that will let me scroll very simple text across the screen?

Thanks!

ille.pugil42 · 12-21-2005, 02:33 PM

I'm not sure of what additional screensavers gnome has available, but check out xscreensaver (http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/) - if memory serves correctly, there is a scrolling marquee. If you have any problems getting xscreenaver and gnome to work, check out the following:

http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/faq.html#gnomecc

Hope that helps.

lukeprog · 12-21-2005, 03:09 PM

Most xscreensaver screensavers are already in Ubuntu, I see. However, the only text-scrolling screensaver listed is FontGlide, which doesn't quite work for me due to the above reasons.

Any other ideas?

ille.pugil42 · 12-21-2005, 03:19 PM

I can't find any other marquees offhand, but I'd check out either flag or GLtext as a second best. I'll keep looking for an alternative for you...

lukeprog · 12-27-2005, 10:53 AM

Yup, those are the other two that were close but no cigar. BTW, I just realized that xscreensaver is the default screen saver manager for Ubuntu. I'm pretty surprised a basic Windows-style marquee screensaver isn't out there for Linux, as it'd be pretty easy to code compared to most Xscreensaver ones, and surely in high demand for public access scenarios.

ille.pugil42 · 12-27-2005, 11:26 AM

Yeah, I'm rather surprised by that too. I'm almost motivated to make one myself...

Epyon · 12-27-2005, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukeprog

I'm pretty surprised a basic Windows-style marquee screensaver isn't out there for Linux

KDE comes with one. Its called Banner.

ille.pugil42 · 12-27-2005, 11:55 AM

And in order to get that to work, one would need to install KDE, which the current version of Ubuntu does not include - that would mean getting kubuntu instead.

That, however, is an option. I think the more interesting thing, however, is that it just doesn't exist within xscreensaver... why is that?

lukeprog · 01-24-2006, 01:35 PM

The KDE banner screensaver is perfect, thanks. Kubuntu won't install on my older machines (not enough disk space), so I'm using Xandros, which is similarly easy but slighty un-Linux. It's working okay, though.

nx5000 · 01-24-2006, 01:38 PM

No need for kde

Thats one i use:

Code:

xlock -lock +allowroot +description +timeelapsed \
-info "Type xxx to unlock" \
-validate "Did you typed xxx ?" \
-invalid "I said xxx ! Nothing else !" \
-echokeys -icongeometry "1024x480" +mousemotion \
-messagefont "-adobe-utopia-bold-r-normal-*-64-*-*-*-*-*-*-*" \
-message "$1" \
-dpmsstandby 0 -dpmssuspend 0 -dpmsoff 0 \
-duration 45 -random -modelist marquee,nose,xjack &