Project: Shantz XWinWrap Update to 0.3
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Here is another update for the fans of XWinWrap, the tiny program that allows you to run animated wallpapers on your system. You could use screensavers, movies and what not as your desktop background. This update fixes a segfault that many users were facing, a new debug option to print some debug mesages to get some info if it is not working for you and a new hack option for giving a “desktop window” name to the program. On many systems, the desktop is drawn by another program. e.g. in Ubuntu with Gnome environment, the desktop is managed by Nautilus, which creates a special window called “Desktop” and places it over your real desktop. This window name can be different in different systems. To find out what is yours, just run “xwininfo” in a terminal. Your cursor will become a “+” sign. Click anywhere on an empty area on your desktop, which will give you the window name of the transparent window, if any, that is covering your desktop. Pass this info to xwinwrap using the option “-d windowname” and it would help it to run better.
For more details, usage and downloads, head on to Shantz XWinWrap Home Page. As usual, 32 bit as well as 64 bit binary files are available as downloads. For users of Debian and derived operating systems (like Ubuntu, Mepis, etc), deb packages are also included for both architectures for easy installation. Source code is also available, of course.[tags]Projects, C, Xlib, X11, Shantz XWinWrap, XWinWrap, Desktop Background, Animated Wallpapers, Ubuntu, Linux, Debian, Mepis[/etc]
© Shantanu Goel | Project: Shantz XWinWrap Update to 0.3
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This post has 26 comments
February 26th, 2009
Still doesn’t work for me..=(
The info that shows when i enter xwininfo is:
Window id: 0×1a00048 (has no name)
Absolute upper-left X: 0
Absolute upper-left Y: 0
Relative upper-left X: 0
Relative upper-left Y: 0
Width: 1680
Height: 1050
Depth: 32
Visual Class: TrueColor
Border width: O
Class: InputOutput
Colormap: 0×1a00001 (not installed)
Bit Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
Window Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
Backing Store State: NotUseful
Save Under State: no
Map State: IsViewable
Override Redirect State: no
Corners: +0+0 -0+0 -0-0 +0-0
-geometry 1680×1050+0+0
February 27th, 2009
Hmmm..found the issue. You do have another program drawing a transparent window over your root window but it doesn’t have a name. I’ll make a change so that you can pass the window id to xwinwrap and then it “should” work but might be a bit problematic because window IDs change all the time, so you will have to give it manually every time. but anyways, i’ll try to figure out a way. Thanks for providing the info. Will contact you when i have a test version ready.
February 27th, 2009
BTW, can you tell me if you are using KDE or Gnome or some other window manager?
February 27th, 2009
At first (when i try with the other 0.2 version), i only had Gnome, and then installed KDE to see if with it i could get it worked..the information i passed you is using KDE (i haven’t tested the new version with Gnome, because i thought that will happen the same..)..maybe killing some processes that are running may solve the issue?..well, you are the one who knows about this, so i will wait for further instructions =P..many thanks for helping me try to get it worked!, cheers!
February 27th, 2009
@colo: Can you also pass me the xwininfo that you see when you are in Gnome? Also, just to make sure, the issue that you are having is the overlap issue (screensaver comes on top of all other windows). Is that correct? And are there any other issues that you are facing?
February 27th, 2009
yep, the screensaver comes on top of all other windows, that is the problem that i have..here is the info that sends xwininfo under Gnome (where i just tried xwinwrap again and happens the same)..
Window id: 0×180001d “x-nautilus-desktop”
Absolute upper-left X: 0
Absolute upper-left y: 0
Relative upper-left X: 0
Relative upper-left Y: 0
Width: 1680
Height: 1050
Depth: 24
Visual Class: TrueColor
Border width: 0
Class: InputOutput
Colormap: 0×20 (installed)
Bit Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
Window Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
Backing Store State: NotUseful
Save Under State: no
Map State: IsViewable
Override Redirect State: no
Corners: +0+0 -0+0 -0-0 +0-0
-geometry 1680×1050+0+0
February 27th, 2009
i don’t know if it is other “issue that i’am having” but, once i run the command in a terminal, as it goes on top of all the windows, i can’t do anything and see anything (only the screensaver being played)..and if i get to close the terminal, the screensaver goes away too..
February 28th, 2009
@Colo: I believe that I have fixed the issue. Could you please download this test version: http://www.safercode.com/xwinwrap.zip and test it for me. Pls test in gnome as well as kde. It should work automatically. If you face some issue, add the “-debug” option as the first option and run it again and let me know the output that it generates in the command window.
About the 2nd issue that you described, it is not an issue. You can either append a “&” at the end of the command or run it from the run dialogue box (alt+f2) instead of terminal then it will keep running.
February 28th, 2009
well, thank you..but, i extracted and didn’t know what to do (sorry, i’m new to linux)..then i searched for files named xwinwrap and replaced them with the new one (one in /usr/bin/). Now, i tried the command in a terminal and says “bash: /usr/bin/ no se puede ejecutar el archivo binario” (in english it would be something like “it is impossible to run the binary file”)..and when i double click in it nothing happens..many thanks for your interest in helping me, i really appreciate it..cheers!..
February 28th, 2009
@colo: That’s correct that you need to replace the one in /usr/bin/. Just check whether it is marked executable or not. Sometimes, while copying this bit might not be set. You can make it executable by going to /usr/bin in terminal and then typing “chmod +x xwinwrap”. Then try to run the command. (And yeah, this is the 64 bit binary as I remember u using 64 bit version of Ubuntu. If you are using 32 bit version, then let me know and I’ll provide appropriate file for you)
February 28th, 2009
ahm, so thats the problem..i had formatted time ago and now i’m using 32bit version =(..sorry for it..if you doesn’t have time or anything, tell me, and i can format and installed again the 64bit version, there is no problem..many thanks!..
February 28th, 2009
No Problem at all. Download the file again from the same location. I’ve added the 32 bit for the test version as well. You can find it in the i386 folder inside the zip file. Pls test it and let me know.
March 1st, 2009
Thank you for your work, but it still doesn’t work (i tested it in both, gnome and kde)..my window id (when i put xwinwinfo in gnome) still says 0×180001d “x-nautilus-desktop”..and about the -debug option, when i run the command, i can’t do or see anything, because the screensaver is on top of everything, so i have to get to close the terminal without being able to see it, so i can not tell you what is the output =S =(..maybe there is a command that sends me the output to a text file? i don’t know XD
March 1st, 2009
Well, now i thought that if i run the command without the -fs, i could get and see the debug output…what surprise me is that then, the screensaver doesn’t goes to the top of all if it isn’t full screen (now i have it running at the baskground of all my appz, but only in a short piece of my desktop)..the output is
“Start finding desktop window
Found Window:180001D
Stop finding desktop window
Using Window: 180001D
Desktop window:180001D, Root window:8B
Created Window:3400001″
But if i use the -fs option it still doesn’t work =S..
The command i use is xwinwrap -ov — /usr/lib/xscreensaver/glmatrix -root -window- WID (or with the -fs after -ov)
March 1st, 2009
Bingo! now i tried the -g option, and put it 1650×1050+0+0 and works at the background of all! i don’t get why it doesn’t work with the -fs option but well, many thankss!!
March 1st, 2009
Now, i am trying the same in KDE, and here, it doesn’t work, no matter if i run the command without any -fs or -g option..the debug option output says:
Start finding desktop window
Found Window:1400045
Stop finding desktop window
Using Window:1400045
Desktop window: 1400045, Root Window:8B
Created Window: 2C00001
March 1st, 2009
sorry for my spam, but now i notice that when i put the option (in Gnome, where it sometimes works) -g 1680×1050+0+0 it doesn’t work (like when i put the option -fs) but when i put the option -g 1670×1050+0+0 or any number that IS NOT 1680 works perfect! (now im using 1681×1050+0+0 and works perfect..)..i’m very happy that you could help me make it work, many thanks!..and if you are able (whenever you want and can) to help me get it work in KDE i would appreciate it too!
March 1st, 2009
Thanks for the extensive testing colo. However, it should have worked with -fs option. I tried it myself today under gnome and kde with the desktop being drawn by other programs and without them as well. Can you pls try it one more time with fs option. To see the output if it covers everything, you just need to press ctrl+c without touching anything else. This should end the program and bring you back to terminal and show you the output. Also, check the xwininfo but use the -all switch (i.e. “xwininfo -all”) and click on a blank area and pass me that output as well.
March 1st, 2009
i tried again and it doesn’t work, it goes on top of everything with the option -fs or the option -g 1680×1050+0+0 (1680×1050 is my resolution)..the debug output (i pressed ctrl+c how you said) is:
Start finding desktop window
Stop finding desktop window
Using Window:8B
Desktop window:8B, Root window:8B
Created Window:3000001
When i put xwininfo -all sends me a lotttttttt of data, so i think will be better to make a txt file and upload it and give you the link..
March 1st, 2009
rapidshare.com/files/203752743/sds.html
March 1st, 2009
Colo, this output seems to be different from what i’ve received from you so far. I’ve added you on gtalk with email id that u used to post ur comments. Could you please ping me there?
June 5th, 2009
I have the same issue (see my comment to your other blog entry). I use Jabber/XMPP/gtalk so please add my email too. I would be happy to help fixing this issue.
June 12th, 2009
i have the same problem too. (it s at top of all)
March 1st, 2009
you don’t use msn? i have never used gtalk before, but i will try if you don’t use msn..
September 10th, 2009
I also have the same issue. Running Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty with GNOME. I’ve tried every command configuration I can think of, but the screensaver is always in the foreground, never the background.
September 10th, 2009
Disregard this, I’ve solved the problem by using xmatrix instead of glmatrix. Xmatrix doesn’t come standard with Jaunty (at least it didn’t for me), if anyone else is having this problem just open a terminal and
sudo aptitude install xscreensaver-data-extra
Then use xwinwrap as you normally would.
I am, however, having another problem: Windows work fine with xmatrix until I minimize them all, and then I can’t see them again, even if I maximize them. I have no idea what to do.