[TriLUG] GUI Screensaver Froze-up Problem

[Gregory Woodbury]

On Sat, Oct 11, 2003 at 05:05:54PM -0400, Jturena at aol.com wrote:
> My Screensaver "froze". I do not know how to fix this problem...it has 
> happened in the past.
> 
>  I am running RH 8.0. (with a basic, all-default installation; in other 
> words, I do not know enough about the system to "set" and change anything yet).
>  I am using GNOME as my default GUI.
>  By default, while using Gnome, after a preset amount of time of dis-use, a 
> screensaver program will begin running.
>  The program seems to run through a batch of separate distinguishable 
> screensaver patterns, one after the other. 
> 
>  As the patterns are running their course, it happens that it will freeze 
> during the course of its run. The keyboard and mouse lose their functionality, 
> and I am left with a screensaver frozen in the middle of its pattern, with no 
> reasonable recourse, that I am aware of, but to "reboot" the system. Ugh!
> 
>  I am wondering if this isn't a glitch in the particular individual 
> screensaver script(?), and/or, a problem between my computer's graphic capabilities and 
> the script's requirements for running.
>  It seems to me that it would be such a long drawn-out process for someone 
> with my limited knowledge, to fix, that I thought I would ask if this is a 
> 'common' problem, and what I should do about it.
>  I remember this happening to me before, in a whole other Installation, I 
> thought, and I only rebooted and carried on, but I know it made me very insecure 
> about leaving my GUI application open, and letting it go into screensaver 
> mode, for fear of it freezing up while running a screensaver-- which now it has 
> done.
>  I am suspecting something is wrong within the individual screensaver script 
> that is running at the time it freezes up, and if I could eliminate the 
> script, I would fix the problem; but I do not know how to correlate the 
> picture/screensaver on the screen, with a particular script. Or it could be another 
> problem...
> 
>  Anyway, it is enough to drive me to write the LUG and see if anybody knows 
> what is wrong with 'whatever'.
>  Thanks in advance for any helpful response.
>  Meanwhile I will try and find a website with info on known Gnome Screensaver 
> problems.
>  Jim U.

I had this problem with RHL8 GNOME Screensavers.  It is a few particular
screen savers that freeze at random intervals.  My first cut was to go
into the Control Center and disable the few screensavers that did it.
Then I upgraded to RHL9 and the screensavers have apparently been fixed
in the new release.  As yet, no screen savers in RHL9 (on the main box)
or Fedora/Severn (beta) have frozen up.

-- 
Gregory G. "Wolfe" Woodbury      `-_-'    Owner/Admin: wolves.durham.nc.us
ggw at wolves.durham.nc.us         U     RHCT August 2003
"The Line Eater is a boojum snark."     Hug your wolf.