Hi

Im new to Linux, i started using Ubuntu and Fedora and so far its offers an package called "xscreensaver". I wonder why it doesn't exist in RHEL8. Is there a way to install xscreensaver in RHEL8? if not do know any alternative UI that supports screensaver setup for RHEL8

Thank you for your help,

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 is a server distribution which runs from the command line so you don't need a screensaver.



Play Bonny!

1 members found this post helpful.

Can you teach me the steps in command line yto trigger that

Again: Red Hat Enterprise 8 is for **SERVERS** They typically don't even have screens/keyboards these days, and as such, no need for screensavers. While you *MIGHT* be able to install the software by building it from source, most distros don't use screen-savers any longer because they are security risks.

Past that, while you *CAN* run a desktop environment on it, unless you're PAYING for RHEL8 you shouldn't be using it. You won't have access to online repositories, updates/patches/security fixes, and installing anything new will be MUCH harder. If you need a server-class distro, load CentOS which is nearly identical to RHEL, but free. Otherwise, stick with Fedora or Ubuntu.

Not only, they do have a complete desktop environment available.

And does have a desktop installer available: (from the CentOS website).

Yes, both are correct...even noted that a desktop UI can be installed, and that the software itself might be able to be installed. And while there IS a version for desktops, it doesn't (to my knowledge) contain the xscreensaver package, due to the aforementioned security problems associated with it. Odds are the OP didn't download the workstation version, but the server version, as most do.

And it remains a poor choice for a desktop workstation.
Right; CentOS was also mentioned as an alternative to RHEL.

CentOS desktop is the platform of choice at our (for me: previous) university (Delft University of Technology) with more then a 1000 systems.
The servers are running real RHEL, but that was a bit too expensive for the desktops and openSUSE or even SLED (we had a campus license for that) turned out to be not compatible enough.
So at the time I retired the process started for all desktop systems to be converted to (at that time) CentOS 7 (which was released just a few months after my retirement, I only worked with 6.x).

I, too, run a CentOS (7) desktop, because my headless server at the data center is CentOS, and I didn't feel like learning another distro.

That said, and as has been pointed out, screensavers are a function of the desktop environment, not the underlying distro. I'm running Cinnamon on this desktop. Many of the options appear to be provided by xscreensaver, but I'm not clear whether it was installed by KDE when I built this box, or by Cinnamon, when I loaded that. I'm still working to grasp the howtos of the DEs.

So, to the OP. Which Desktop Environment have you installed/are running? Have you tried to use its menu entry for Screensaver?

If you haven't installed one, then, again, you don't even need a screensaver. Log out back to the login: prompt and turn the monitor off.

If it worked for your environment, that's great. I see a LOT of different hardware, and have trouble getting some 'consumer' devices working with RHEL/CentOS, and that hasn't changed in quite some time. I would never recommend it for desktop usage.

Hi

Im currently using Rhel8 with subscription. What do you mean by menu entry for screensaver? im only asking if there is a screensaver package or somehow alternative in Rhel8. If there is a way to install it please guide me since xscreensaver is available in Ubuntu and Fedora. Im a beginner here, regarding the desktop environment i believe im currently using GNOME.

Thank you so much

Sorry. I’ve not tried Gnome yet...only KDE and Cinnamon.
Is there not something similar to Windows start menu on your desktop?
Else wait for someone who knows Gnome to chime in...

Or you could ask Red Hat

Did you see the previous posts about why you shouldn't load xscreensaver, due to security issues? You can enable the EPEL repository (https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/instal...n-an-rhel-8-x/) and install it via YUM if you want to.

The entire purpose of a screen-saver is decades out of date...they were used to prevent burn-in on CRT screens, which you most likely don't have. And the fact that the screensaver will only come on when you **AREN'T AT THE COMPUTER** makes it even more pointless. Who cares what's on the screen when you're not there to look at it? Hitting CTRL-ALT-L will lock your screen when you walk off, and you don't have a security problem.