Gnome 3 doesn't come with a 'real' screensaver, so neither does Ubuntu Oneiric. All it offers is a blank screen, which most of us are not satisfied with. Don't panic, it is scheduled to return to Ubuntu soon:
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/desktop-o-screensaver
At the moment, the only workaround is to replace Gnome Screensaver with some alternative one. The most popular one is XScreenSaver, and this is how to implement it.
Installation and Configuration
First, remove 'gnome-screensaver' by going to a Terminal and running:
Now for installing XScreenSaver, run:
You'd also need to add XScreenSaver to your Startup Applications for running it automatically when you login. So search the Dash for 'Startup Applications' and open it.
Now, add a new entry for XScreenSaver as shown in the screenshot below:
Where is:
This is what you've got:
And as a bonus, you also get some extra power settings, which Oneiric is missing otherwise.
Inhibit the Screensaver when a Video is Playing
You obviously don't want the screensaver to kick-in every time you leave your mouse idle, especially while watching a movie. 'Caffeine' would serve that purpose nicely. So, get to a Terminal and run:
Bring the Lock Screen Back to Life
The removal of Gnome Screensaver results in the lock screen not working at all. To fix that, you need to create a symbolic link to the XScreenSaver executable in place of the now removed Gnome Screensaver executable. So from a Terminal, run:
You might need to re-login for the lock screen to start working.
Revert the Changes
If at some point you want to revert to Gnome Screensaver, just run these commands from a Terminal:
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/desktop-o-screensaver
At the moment, the only workaround is to replace Gnome Screensaver with some alternative one. The most popular one is XScreenSaver, and this is how to implement it.
First, remove 'gnome-screensaver' by going to a Terminal and running:
sudo apt-get remove gnome-screensaver
Now for installing XScreenSaver, run:
sudo apt-get install xscreensaver xscreensaver-gl-extra xscreensaver-data-extra
You'd also need to add XScreenSaver to your Startup Applications for running it automatically when you login. So search the Dash for 'Startup Applications' and open it.
Now, add a new entry for XScreenSaver as shown in the screenshot below:
Where is:
- Name = XScreenSaver
- Command = xscreensaver -no-splash
This is what you've got:
And as a bonus, you also get some extra power settings, which Oneiric is missing otherwise.
You obviously don't want the screensaver to kick-in every time you leave your mouse idle, especially while watching a movie. 'Caffeine' would serve that purpose nicely. So, get to a Terminal and run:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:caffeine-developers/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install caffeine python-glade2
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install caffeine python-glade2
The removal of Gnome Screensaver results in the lock screen not working at all. To fix that, you need to create a symbolic link to the XScreenSaver executable in place of the now removed Gnome Screensaver executable. So from a Terminal, run:
sudo ln -sf /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command /usr/bin/gnome-screensaver-command
You might need to re-login for the lock screen to start working.
If at some point you want to revert to Gnome Screensaver, just run these commands from a Terminal:
sudo apt-get remove xscreensaver xscreensaver-gl-extra xscreensaver-data-extra
sudo rm /usr/bin/gnome-screensaver-command
sudo apt-get install gnome-screensaver
sudo rm /usr/bin/gnome-screensaver-command
sudo apt-get install gnome-screensaver
