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Greetings I am running UBUNTU 12.04 and logging in on UBUNTU 3D. Wondering if anyone knows the definitive answer to getting xscreensaver to load at start-up? I have removed gnome screensaver, installed xscreensaver with no results.

I have tried adding start-up applications:

> xscreensaver –nosplash (with no results)

also executed: 

sudo gedit /etc/xdg/autostart/screensaver.desktop

with is output:

> [Desktop Entry]
> 
> Exec=xscreensaver
> 
> Name=XScreenSaver
> Blockquote
> 
> Type=Application
> 
> X-KDE-StartupNotify=false

(with no results)

Also when I manually open the screensaver I get this error:

The XScreenSaver daemon doesn't seem to be running on ":0". Launch it now?

I have also tried following the instructions here (top answer)

Any help is appreciated.

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Kalamalka Kid
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    I'm not sure if it's a typo, but you have `xscreensaver –nosplash` not `xscreensaver -nosplash`. (It should be a hyphen, not an en-dash.) – Sparhawk Mar 28 '14 at 22:52
  • I didn't see that. Wondering though if that oversight would actually disable the launching at startup? I did try just entering the command without the splash part and ha no success. I believe the problem is rooted in the daemon error though – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 03:33
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    Ok, can you try testing that startup applications work (e.g. replace the `xscreensaver` command with something like `date > /tmp/startup_script_out`, and then check the file at `/tmp/startup_script_out`), and also check that the real command works (i.e. try manually running `xscreensaver -nosplash` in the terminal after startup). Also, you can test if `xscreensaver` is running with `pgrep xscreensaver` in the terminal. – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 03:52
  • ok hang on. fixing somethign here – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 04:25
  • date > /tmp/startup_script_out was entered into start-up. But could see no such file in the /tmp/ folder. WHen I try to run the command xscreensaver I get the error: xscreensaver: 21:39:54: "gnome-screensaver" is already running on display :0.0 (window 0x2e00001) – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 04:40
  • So looks like there are (at least) two problems then. How are you launching applications/commands at startup? And for the second part, from your link, you also need to remove gnome-screensaver. – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 04:43
  • ok. Gnome screensaver removed. As for startup applications I go to the application startup settings – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 04:46
  • ok one improvement now. I am no longer getting the "XScreenSaver daemon" error anymore. The output of 'pgrep xscreensaver' was 2438 .Now what should I do? – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 04:58
  • Okay that's great. Now it's just the startup problem. I don't actually use Unity, so I'm not sure how setting it up that way works. Is it as per the screenshots [here](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AddingProgramToSessionStartup)? And you fill in the "command" field? If so, try filling it with `bash -c 'date > /tmp/startup_script_out2'`. – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 05:17
  • the statup menu item is entered in two ways: 1- sudo gedit /etc/xdg/autostart/screensaver.desktop ----and 2 - going to starup application via UBUNTU menu, and enetering in the command line:/etc/xdg/autostart/xscreensaver -nosplash – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 05:28
  • I would think (1) would work, but (2) shouldn't (that directory should only contain `*.desktop` files, and they won't take flags anyway). Can you try my suggestion above using the GUI, as per my link? – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 05:31
  • I just tried putting # in front of all the commands in the etc/xdg/autostart/screensaver.desktop file to see if that was conflicting with anything, btu the result was nill. Now I will disable the other one in Startup Applications and restore the etc/xdg/autostart/screensaver.desktopfile and see if that works. – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 05:32
  • I'm not sure I understand. If you comment out the whole file, then you _should_ get no result. It just won't execute. And which "other one" are you talking about? – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 05:33
  • **"the statup menu item is entered in two ways: 1- sudo gedit /etc/xdg/autostart/screensaver.desktop ----and 2 - going to starup application via UBUNTU menu, and enetering in the command line:/etc/xdg/autostart/xscreensaver -nosplash"** I tried removing eazch of these individually to see if they were conflicting, but nothing changed, meaning the screensaver did not start after reboot. – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 05:39
  • in any case, whats interesting is that the command **xscreensaver -nosplash** works fine from Terminal, but wont load at startup. Perhaps there needs to be some kind of delay before the command is executed? – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 05:40
  • Yes, but the problem is that we haven't verified that manual startup commands are executed at all. So please try the GUI with http://askubuntu.com/questions/440528/xscreensaver-to-load-at-startup?noredirect=1#comment575549_440528 – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 05:42
  • ok thank you for your patience. thank link is to this page though – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 05:47
  • Yep, that was my earlier suggestion in the comments. You might have missed it. I think we're getting confused, so I'll reiterate. :) So… by adding a command to the startup scripts using the GUI as specified [here](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AddingProgramToSessionStartup), put `bash -c 'date > /tmp/startup_script_out2'` in the "command" field. – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 05:52
  • HI, again thank you for your patience. I tired adding: /usr/share/applications/Banshee to teh startup with no success. As for the command you are giving me, I am confused. What does it have to do with that link? I should also remind you that I am ubuntu 12.04 – Kalamalka Kid Mar 29 '14 at 06:02
  • Glad you got it worked out. My earlier comment was running a dummy command to confirm that startup scripts ran in general. I was linking to the Ubuntu help page that tells you how to add startup commands. `/usr/share/applications/Banshee` wouldn't work either, since that isn't the correct path. (As I saw before, `bash -c 'date > /tmp/startup_script_out2'` would have worked, but that's moot now.) Anyway, glad you worked it out. – Sparhawk Mar 29 '14 at 09:16

2 Answers2

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ok the answer is this: I had the WRONG directory for the applications. The path I had before was incorrect/. to determine which path was the correct one i executed:

**

$ which xscreensaver

**

which pointed out this was the path:

/usr/bin/xscreensaver

I put that in the command line in the startup menu application and it worked!

Kalamalka Kid
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0

In Xubuntu 14.04 I opened 

sudo mousepad /etc/xdg/autostart/screensaver.desktop,

and commented out the line

Exec=xscreensaver

to read

# Exec=xscreensaver

saved the file and restarted my computer. Result: screen saver doesn't start at all.

Eric Carvalho
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Ter3ry
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