screensaver problem
I've been trying to solve this problem off and on for a couple of months with no luck. Googl and web searches have only turned up a couple of posts that were remotely similar and w/ no solutions so here it is. 2 users on this machine have no problems setting up kscreensavers, if I create a new user that user can also set up their screensaver. The problem is that 1 existing user on the machine has no access to the kde screensavers. She can open kcontrolcenter, click on the screensaver module and the module window appears but no screensavers are shown in the list or preview portions of the window. All other users can choose kscreensavers using this method so it's not an install problem. As I said before, If I create a new user the screensaver module works. If I copy this users /.kde directory to my wifes home folder (the user that can't use the kcreensaver module) the screensaver module still doesn't work. From this it seems like a permissions problem, but since all users have basically the same permission setups and are members of the same groups I have no idea what the permissions problem could be. I've rooted around in the ~/.kde directory and found nothing unusual. As a matter of fact it is possible to hand edit the ~/.kde/share/config/kdesktoprc file and get a functioning screensaver, but this is not really an acceptable solution for my wife (the user in question) though. Suse 9.2 kde 3.5.1 (currently, but the problem has existed since 3.4 at least). Has anyone seen this problem? Any ideas Thanks -- dh
On Tuesday 21 February 2006 02:32, David Herman wrote: <snip>
The problem is that 1 existing user on the machine has no access to the kde screensavers. She can open kcontrolcenter, click on the screensaver module and the module window appears but no screensavers are shown in the list or preview portions of the window. All other users can choose kscreensavers using this method so it's not an install problem. <snip> Suse 9.2 kde 3.5.1 (currently, but the problem has existed since 3.4 at least).
Hi David, Just wanted to share an idea and observation with you. First, I'm also running 3.5.1 but on 9.3. When I open KDE CC and select Theme Manager instead of Screen Saver, I have a small panel, bottom right, also called "Screen Saver". It seems to have the same functions but it pops up in another window instead of being embedded. That might be worth looking into. Also, has your wife installed or enabled some program to run at login that might, by design, be defeating only /her/ screensaver settings? Maybe there's nothing wrong with the Screen Saver module and/or config files. Maybe it's just a software 'switch' somewhere that has been turned off inadvertently and forgotten. Finally... can't you just create a new account for her and migrate her data? Or does this screensaver problem get transferred over, too? regards, Carl
On Tuesday 21 February 2006 2:02 am, Carl Hartung wrote:
On Tuesday 21 February 2006 02:32, David Herman wrote: <snip>
She can open kcontrolcenter, click on the screensaver module and the module window appears but no screensavers are shown in the list or preview portions of the window. All other users can choose kscreensavers using this method so it's not an install problem.
<snip>
Suse 9.2 kde 3.5.1 (currently, but the problem has existed since 3.4 at least).
Hi David,
Just wanted to share an idea and observation with you. First, I'm also running 3.5.1 but on 9.3.
When I open KDE CC and select Theme Manager instead of Screen Saver, I have a small panel, bottom right, also called "Screen Saver". It seems to have the same functions but it pops up in another window instead of being embedded.
I just tried that with no improvement, I've also run the module directly from the konsole "kcmshell screensaver" with the same results (and no error messages).
That might be worth looking into. Also, has your wife installed or enabled some program to run at login that might, by design, be defeating only /her/ screensaver settings?
No, she just recently started learning how to change her desktop configuration using kcontrol, and has no idea how to install anything. Its possible this problem has existed for quite awhile. (even before the upgrade from 8.1)
Maybe there's nothing wrong with the Screen Saver module and/or config files. Maybe it's just a software 'switch' somewhere that has been turned off inadvertently and forgotten.
Thats what I'm hoping
Finally... can't you just create a new account for her and migrate her data? Or does this screensaver problem get transferred over, too?
I flirted w/ that, if I can get her to reset her config then I think it might work, otherwise I'll need to move just a few files from her ~/.kde folder at a time untill I find which one is causing the problem
regards,
Carl
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll probably be buying 10.1 when it comes out and that might be a good time to do a major cleanup, alot has changed since 9.2 systemwise, I'm probably missing out on features anyway. (as well as the knowledge of how to use them ;-) See ya -- dh
On Tuesday 21 February 2006 11:38, David Herman wrote:
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll probably be buying 10.1 when it comes out and that might be a good time to do a major cleanup, alot has changed since 9.2 systemwise, I'm probably missing out on features anyway. (as well as the knowledge of how to use them ;-)
Hi David, One more thought: I had a screensaver problem a while back that was caused by competing screensaver processes: Gnome's screensaver *and* xscreensaver had been activated by default at installation. I disabled xsceensaver and the problem went away. I'm not say this is your problem, but alluding to a possible interim workaround: Try this from a shell as user: xscreensaver-demo Good luck! Carl
On Tuesday 21 February 2006 9:01 am, Carl Hartung wrote:
On Tuesday 21 February 2006 11:38, David Herman wrote: ----------snip------------- Hi David,
One more thought: I had a screensaver problem a while back that was caused by competing screensaver processes: Gnome's screensaver *and* xscreensaver had been activated by default at installation. I disabled xsceensaver and the problem went away. I'm not say this is your problem, but alluding to a possible interim workaround: Try this from a shell as user: xscreensaver-demo
I have run into that problem before, but unfortunately thats not the case this time. I've also made sure that powersave features are not responsible. Actually the workaround you suggested is exactly what I had done for my wife until I can solve the problem. It seems that at least one other member of this list has the same problem, but other than that, internet references to this particular problem are pretty rare, I'm still searching for the solution though. Hopefully I'll be able to mark this thread solved someday.
Good luck!
Carl
Thanks, see ya -- dh
HI! David Herman wrote:
The problem is that 1 existing user on the machine has no access to the kde screensavers. She can open kcontrolcenter, click on the
I have exactly the same problem since updating to KDE 3.4.2. Also using Suse 9.2, now with KDE 3.5. Thomas
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Thomas Börkel