[SOLVED] Ubuntu 10.04 GLText Clock

zer010 · 12-08-2010, 04:18 PM

This one seems to have been done to death, but I still can't seem to get a clock going. I had done it in Jaunty, but no matter how I configure it, it's not working in Lucid!
One issue I've found in the many threads and how-to docs is that everyone says that it's only a matter of adding the options to this line in /usr/share/applications/screensavers/gltext.desktop:

Code:

Exec=gltext -root

However, my gltext.desktop looks like this:

Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=GLText
Exec=/usr/lib/xscreensaver/gltext -root
TryExec=/usr/lib/xscreensaver/gltext
Comment=Displays a few lines of text spinning around in a solid 3D font. The te$
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Screensaver
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;

I've tried adding my time options to "Exec=..." and then to "TryExec=..." lines, with single quotes and double quotes, but to no avail. Am I doing this in the wrong file? What am I missing here?

zer010 · 12-10-2010, 04:36 PM

Ok, I finally got the clock that I want, but in a very cumbersome and bloated way.
First, I had to create a new file, /usr/share/applications/screensavers/gltime.desktop.

Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=GLTime
Exec=/usr/lib/xscreensaver/gltext -root -text "%I:%M:%S %p\n%a %b %d, %Y"
TryExec=/usr/lib/xscreensaver/gltext
Comment=Displays a few lines of text spinning around in a solid 3D font. The te$
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Screensaver;
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;

Next, I had to install xscreensaver-data-extra which includes a long list of other screensavers that I really didn't want and includes these packages:

Code:

libjpeg-progs libnetpbm10 netpbm xscreensaver-data-extra

The cumbersome part about all of this is that whenever I changed the gltime.desktop file I had to uninstall, then reinstall xscreensaver-data-extra. I also had to log out then log back in for the changes to take effect.
There's got to be a better way of accomplishing the same thing with out the bloat of all the other screensavers and without the hassle of reinstall and relogging ...

zer010 · 12-13-2010, 03:01 PM

From a post in UF:

Quote:

I was a bit off: it is the python-gmenu package that is triggered by dpkg to rebuild the desktop cache. The update-desktop-database program rebuilds the mime cache.

Here's how to force the desktop cache to rebuild:
Code:

Code:

$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure python-gmenu

So, after you install or modify gltime.desktop, run the above command.
--gmargo

I just auto-removed the xscreensaver-data-extra package, logged out and when I logged back in......I still have the gltime screensaver!
So there ya go! It might not even be necessary to install the xscreensaver-data-extra package.

zer010 · 03-18-2011, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zer010

From a post in UF:

I just auto-removed the xscreensaver-data-extra package, logged out and when I logged back in......I still have the gltime screensaver!
So there ya go! It might not even be necessary to install the xscreensaver-data-extra package.

I can say for a fact that it isn't necessary to install any of that stuff, just create the file and run the reconfigure and it's good! ^.^d