Weirdness.....

The previous test was done on the laptop at work, an IBM something with the corporate PointSec screensaver.

On my home PC, the screensaver won't kick in when DOSBox is running. Only when I exit it, can I get the screensaver to run.

I tried it both with the copy installed on C, and the copy on the USB-stick that I used for testing at work. Same result: No screensaver when DOSBox is running.

My only guess at a cause for this difference, is this fancy Dell Power Saving thingy that is always running in my SysTray.

Some power savers will prevent the screensaver from running when on battery or in certain modes. Linux has does this for eons to save power when on battery. It just turns off the monitor instead of running the screensaver. Try closing that powersaver and see if it changes things.

Sephiroth wrote:

Try closing that powersaver and see if it changes things.

It did. Now the screensaver will kick in after 1 min - EXCEPT if I have had the DOSBox instance in fullscreen mode! If I just start DOSBox, the screensaver will activate after 1 minute. If I then do a quick ALT-ENTER, ALT-ENTER, the screensaver will not activate until I close the DOSBox instance, and wait another minute....

Lots of SDL demos here:
http://www.libsdl.org/demos.php
No installation for the programs in this package - Euphoria Collection 2:
http://www.rapideuphoria.com/sdl_demos2.zip

I tried the bounder_SDL.exe and life_SDL.exe demos. They both run fullscreen, and as expected I didn't get any screensaver.

OBS: First time I ran bounder_SDL it crashed. 2nd+3rd time was okay.

I'll give them a shot in a few and post my results afterwards.

As to what you said, are you stating that if you start fullscreen you should go windowed and then fullscreen again to disable the screensaver?

*UPDATE*

I tested those SDL demos, and with the exception of "Fireworks", the screensaver never came on. Something in that fireworks demo and the DOSBox build must be allowing the screensaver.

Sephiroth wrote:

As to what you said, are you stating that if you start fullscreen you should go windowed and then fullscreen again to disable the screensaver?

No. I start in windowed mode (which is the default for DOSBox). If then (on my home PC) do an ALT-ENTER (fullscreen), and a 2nd ALT-ENTER (windowed again), then I can not get the screensaver to activate until I exit DOSBox.

Well I don't care if it works windowed. I have the problem with fullscreen, although your discovery is interesting in that you have to go full and back to disable the screensaver. Sounds like disabling the screensaver is a problem in general.

Sephiroth, you need to learn to read!!! I have no fucking screaming freaking problem with disabling the screeensaver. *IF* I have a problem, it is re-activating after having run DOSBox in fullscreen.

To repeat: I CAN NOT GET THE SCREENSAVER TO ACTIVATE WHILE DOSBOX IS RUNNING FULLSCREEN.

Who uses a screensaver anyway? Does the monitor power down work? If so then that's what should be used by people anyway, screensavers have no point today except to waste processor cycles and energy.

well another effect of this sdl bug or another bug is the fact that keyinput isn't registered by the backlight dimming algorithm of X . so that when playing with dosbox the system will dim the brightness as it considers it idle. not very handy

No. I start in windowed mode (which is the default for DOSBox). If then (on my home PC) do an ALT-ENTER (fullscreen), and a 2nd ALT-ENTER (windowed again), then I can not get the screensaver to activate until I exit DOSBox.

This is what I was commenting on. I said I dont' care if it works or not in WINDOWED mode. I'm not the one who needs to learn to read. Here, let me quote this and break it down like they did in english classes back in grade-school.

Well I don't care if it works windowed.

This indicates that I am not interested in your findings regarding windowed mode.

I have the problem with fullscreen,

This is where I tell you that I have the problem in fullscreen mode, not windowed. I did not say that you had the problem.

although your discovery is interesting in that you have to go full and back to disable the screensaver.

This states my interest in you discovering that going fullscreen and then back to windowed disables the screensaver while in windowed mode, nothing more.

Sounds like disabling the screensaver is a problem in general.

Just a generic comment on the overall situation.

Now explain where I said anything about disabling the screensaver and thus needing to learn to read? I honestly did not know how to phrase my comments any clearer than what I did. If there is such a way, please retype my post so that I may learn from it.

Now back to the subject at hand! I have tested several more SDL applications and so far and only two (fireworks and something else) allow the screensaver to kick in while in fullscreen mode. The rest will NOT allow the screensaver to kick in and work properly. This tells me that something in DOSBox, fireworks, and the other SDL app do something different and it allows the screensaver to kick in. This is only three apps out of a dozen or so, so how can I blame this on SDL is the majority are working?

how can I blame this on SDL is the majority are working?

Ask the SDL people. Not dosbox related obviously as it happens with other apps too. Closed.