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jjSuper1

Member

Registered: 2025-05-02

Posts: 4  

Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

I've been dealing with a longstanding issue which I assumed was KDE specific.  It turns out, its an xscreensaver issue.  Finally after a long testing period, I can confirm that xscreensaver messes with my dual-monitor settings.

When reading on the xscreensaver website, I found that debian still dutifully ships v6.09.   Good old debain stable.

Except that's from like 1849, which while it works, may be the reason I am having issues..

What is the proceedure for Devuan to include https://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/xscree … .13.tar.gz in at least the experimental branch, or dev-testing.  I can't find this anywhere except on the official source website.

I'm going to install it locally myself, but it would be nice if someone checked these things once in a while.  I'm not one to update my software often, but being 2 years out of date and have no update even in experimental doesn't seem right.

Thanks!

RedGreen925

Member

Registered: 2024-12-07

Posts: 266  

Re: Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

but being 2 years out of date and have no update even in experimental doesn't seem right.

You must be new to a Debian based system, that IS the main complaint always given by people critical of the way they do things. Oh and two years out of date is nothing really for them they will gladly ship software that is sometimes a decade out of date.

greenjeans

Member

Registered: 2017-04-07

Posts: 1,429  

Website

Re: Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

Yep, the Obsession logout app for openbox is well over 10 years old at this point, lol, but still works!

Lots of others in there that are actively maintained but for some reason debian won't update them, like Yad is especially old and buggy but for some reason they won't update to any one of the dozen newer versions available.

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jjSuper1

Member

Registered: 2025-05-02

Posts: 4  

Re: Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

No I've been using Debian for centuries. I get that stable means stable, and old things just work, I'm fine with that. BUT, why is it not even in experimental? That's the real question.

RedGreen925

Member

Registered: 2024-12-07

Posts: 266  

Re: Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

BUT, why is it not even in experimental? That's the real question.

Two reasons I can see maintainer very busy the package is low priority or just to damn lazy to do anything about it. As you would know being long time user maintainers have their own little fiefdom over their packages with other developers hesitant to step in and do anything about it. If you feel this strongly about it file bug asking for newer version and see if anyone gets off their ass to do something about it.

pcalvert

Member

Registered: 2017-05-15

Posts: 285  

Re: Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

Look at the changelogs:

https://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/changelog.html
https://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs//main/x/xscreensaver/xscreensaver_6.09+dfsg1-2_changelog

Comparing the two, something seems a bit off to me. Then again, this is the first time I've done such a comparison, so maybe this is "normal" for Debian?

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ralph.ronnquist

Administrator

From: Battery Point, Tasmania, AUS

Registered: 2016-11-30

Posts: 1,565  

Re: Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

One of the policy choices for Devuan experimental is that its packages must reside at git.devuan.org, so that would be your first step. Next, the building would be off branch suites/experimental

Many of those details remain dutifully hidden from public at
https://git.devuan.org/devuan/documenta … aintainers

jjSuper1

Member

Registered: 2025-05-02

Posts: 4  

Re: Xscreensaver version in ports is still out of date

Thanks for the pointers and guidance, I'll do some emailing and bug filing reports.
Sadly, the error persists even in the latest version I built myself.

I  may update to Plasma 6.5 and see if that solves the issue.  Maybe Plasma and Xscreensaver AND AMD just don't play nice?