Change screensaver to photo slideshow(?)

**Buntu Bunny** · August 15th, 2012

I've been trying out various desktops since I installed Ubuntu 12.04; so far I'm really liking Xfce. It's logical and highly customizable. I was also delighted to find that it hadn't abandoned the screensaver. My question is, is there a way to have it do a slideshow from my picture folder? I do a lot of photography and loved this feature with the old Gnome desktop in Ubuntu 10.04. Screensaver Preferences gives me a random mode, but it's all pre-installed stuff.

**Toz** · August 15th, 2012

If you are using xscreensaver, then select the GLSlideshow screensaver, click on the Advanced tab and under Image Manipulation, select "Choose Random Image" and specify the directory to use.

**OM55** · August 15th, 2012

Hello Buntu Bunny (I remember you from another thread... I'm glad you were able to install Ubuntu 12.04 on your new laptop...)

Here is another option for you:

The default screensaver in Ubuntu 12.04 (gnome-screensaver) does not have the option to show user photos. But you can easily replace it with another one that does, for example XScreenSaver. Not only XScreenSaver allows you to show user photos, it has hundreds of nice screensaver options (including even one with the Windows blue-screen-of-death...).

To do that, first remove the gnome-screensaver:

Code:

sudo apt-get remove gnome-screensaver

Then, install XScreenSaver with the additional data for the screensavers:

Code:

sudo apt-get install xscreensaver xscreensaver-data-extra xscreensaver-gl-extra

Reboot, and you are done.
You can launch XScreenSaver manually by typing:

Code:

screensaver

The option to select a folder with photos is in the 'Advance' tab.

Enjoy!

**Buntu Bunny** · August 15th, 2012

Toz, thanks! It worked.

OM55 (Hi! I remember you too) happily, Xfce comes with the xscreesnaver.

**ironscf** · September 4th, 2012

Thanks from me too. I should have searched forum sooner. Spent hours looking for a way to display photos from Pictures directory when PC idles.

**AnTonyWmM** · December 12th, 2012

I recently installed the xscreensaver, and have attempted to us GLslideshow to display photos from my Pictures folder. However, it simply goes to a black screen. I can see the pictures playing in the settings box, but when I click preview, the screen goes blank, and then a bit of orange script flashes in the upper corner of the screen momentarily, as if it can't find the directory or something.

Any insight?

Thanks,
Anthony

**Peter Maunder** · December 12th, 2012

There were problems with the XSCREENSAVER slideshow picking up the picture folder as there was a missing dependency libwww-perl in some distributions. I had to download the library for one of my machines. The problem was supposed to be fixed but may still be there. I could see the preview slideshow but GLSlideshow would not find the chosen folder when XScreensaver tripped.

**AnTonyWmM** · December 13th, 2012

Thanks for the info Peter!
Currently using Wallch as a desktop slideshow instead.

**Buntu Bunny** · December 13th, 2012

Originally Posted by AnTonyWmM

Thanks for the info Peter!
Currently using Wallch as a desktop slideshow instead.

Is Wallch an actual screensaver? Or is the slideshow on the active desktop as a background?

**eldiabolosk** · December 13th, 2012

TOZ: I do not have the you mentioned under GLSlideshow under advanced settings. All I got is Commandline: glslideshow -root
and Visual: GL

Help please.