Screensaver Thoughts

[Eriol]

'ello, 'ello.

So unlike most here who are interested enough in DF to come to the message boards, I run the screensaver. With the newest version, I had a complaint and a thought.

1) What's with the glaring UT icon down in the right-hand corner? Could we at least have a switch for it? I understand it's there for probably some advertising purpose or something, but on my home computer it's a bit ugly to have it staring at me against the black background of the screensaver.

2) Whats the possibility of getting the screensaver to run as service as well? I'm all for using *all* of my idle cycles for FD, but I like my purty screensaver as well

Just some thoughts

[Welnic]

You could run the screensaver and the command line client as a service. It would always be running as a service and then they would both be running when the screensaver was running.

[Brian the Fist]

The icon in the corner is supposed to be white writing on a black background but for a time it was the reverse. Which version do you see?

As for running as a service, you need to use the text client. It doesnt make sense to run a screensaver as a 'service' - the two are mutually exclusive.

[HaloJones]

But it could make sense to run both. The screensaver is a great advert for your project but I wouldn't then do any work because I wouldn't want to stop the folding! Running the service as well gets over that.

[Eriol]

ok, maybe service was the wrong word then. Basically, I was wondering if it would be possible to have the program running in the background when I was using the computer, and then operating as a screensaver when it was idle. I think that's the way SETI@home works. I don't think it's a simple as a dual service/ss install because those two wouldn't be working on the same set of data.

I see the black writing on a white background. I downloaded the newest screensaver of July 23rd, and as I had just reinstalled my browser I don't think it could have been an older cached download. Am I wrong? Should I reinstall it?

[Paratima]

If you have the text client running in the background, then it runs ALL THE TIME, anyway. To have the screensaver loaded at the same time just defeats the purpose.

Besides, running ANY screen saver uses processor cycles (lots!) that could be put to better use folding protiens. Just run the text client.

[Brian the Fist]

Originally posted by Eriol
ok, maybe service was the wrong word then. Basically, I was wondering if it would be possible to have the program running in the background when I was using the computer, and then operating as a screensaver when it was idle. I think that's the way SETI@home works. I don't think it's a simple as a dual service/ss install because those two wouldn't be working on the same set of data.

I see the black writing on a white background. I downloaded the newest screensaver of July 23rd, and as I had just reinstalled my browser I don't think it could have been an older cached download. Am I wrong? Should I reinstall it?

Looks like we put the wrong logo bitmap in, oops. We'll fix it for the next one - looks much better, really. Anyhow to do what you want you need to install twice - the screensaver, and then the text client (see text client readme on running as a service). As long as you leave the priorities alone, the screensaver will run at higher priority than the service so it will 'take over' when it comes on. And yes, they will do separate work, similar to as if you had 2 CPUs if you do it this way. This isn't a bad thing necessarily though.

[HaloJones]

Originally posted by Paratima
If you have the text client running in the background, then it runs ALL THE TIME, anyway. To have the screensaver loaded at the same time just defeats the purpose.

Besides, running ANY screen saver uses processor cycles (lots!) that could be put to better use folding protiens. Just run the text client.

Screensavers in a busy office environment attract floating DC'ers who think that SETI looks kewl. More users equals more processor cycles in total. Running the text client as a service ensures maximum production while working and the screensaver encourages new users when you are not working.