[derefr]

For use with vintage computers that use CRTs? If not, what kind of oddball display / use-case do you have, where it would be better to play a screensaver than to follow the usual modern flow of display dim -> display black -> display sleep -> computer lock -> [maybe] computer sleep?

[KetoManx64]

One of the great strengths of Linux, and one of the things that draws new people in, is the custizability and making the system your own to whatever degree you want. That a "modern" display manager doesn't let you have a screensaver and people try to cover up for it with "you're just trying to use your system wrong. Be normal and use your system like we say is normal" is embarassing.

[unclad5968]

I think that's a little dramatic. Screen savers originally served a purpose, and it's not unreasonable to be unaware that some people see them are customization.

If you think it's embarrassing, you're welcome to contribute a working implementation or pay someone else to do it. Otherwise, I don't see how it's embarrassing.

[KetoManx64]

I'll just keep using X/XLibre. Wayland developers are way to user hostile for it to be worth the effort.

[mappu]

What modern display manager doesn't let you? In KDE the screensaver is merged into the screen locker settings, you can pick any "wallpaper plugin" which includes slideshows, video, or animation if you plug in e.g. https://store.kde.org/p/2143912 or https://store.kde.org/p/2194089

[KetoManx64]

Wayland doesn't support screen savers: https://www.jwz.org/blog/2023/09/wayland-and-screen-savers/

[mappu]

He said (2023) it needs an extension protocol or per-compositor work - so screensaver support is available in KDE using the Screen Locker integration, just no port was done AFAICS.

A general "wayland" protocol for it didn't exist back then, but in this thread we see ext-session-lock exists now, and jwz was recently trying to use it where available: https://www.jwz.org/blog/2025/07/xscreensaver-wayland-and-lo... so you might see an xscreensaver port soon.

[derefr]

Some hardcore Greenpeace types might argue that this is a special case where such a person is literally using their system "wrong" — as in unethically. In the sense that they are deliberately wasting [i.e. "turning into waste heat"] a nontrivial amount of power, by keeping however-many monitors they use always powered on, never allowing any of them to enter sleep.

It's a sort of attitude that isn't really that problematic when one person does it; but becomes problematic if it becomes a popular thing to do.

Anyone here who lived through the 1990s might remember that the ENERGY STAR certification initiative — that today measures all sorts of things — began specifically to grade computer monitors on their ability to be put into a low-power sleep state by software control.

Everyone back then loved the computer personalization aspect of screensavers — I had After Dark installed myself! — and what resulted was an energy-waste tragedy-of-the-commons of a large-enough scale that the EPA had to get involved.

[throitallaway]

If there's one thing I never tire of, it's someone telling me that I don't need something or how I'm doing it wrong. I would love a screensaver that scrubs my OLED pixels.

[free_bip]

OLEDs still have burn-in issues even with all the fancy mitigation systems they have.

[zamadatix]

Turning dim and black as soon as possible is actually the best for an OLED. A traditional screensaver is a net negative. The built-in fancy-mitigation systems are also probably better than any intermittent fancy screensaver (without the ability to analyze the panel wear to be corrected directly), but at least that's angling towards something better than a loss.

Of course, screensavers are still plain fun. That's justification enough to set one if you want.

[whatevaa]

OLED. KDE has kinda a workaround with lock delay.

I use steam deck with TV as a media PC and it's OLED, I don't want to lock a media PC nor want to display a static picture on it.

[yjftsjthsd-h]

> what kind of oddball display / use-case do you have,

It's fun.