Change default screen locker from XScreenSaver

[mfc]

Editor's note: This issue has evolved beyond the original issue description. Please see the comments below for more recent information about this issue.

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Qubes OS version (e.g., R3.1): R3.1

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Expected behavior:

lock screen looks like log-in screen

Actual behavior:

lock screen looks wacky-different. also ugly.

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

lock screen in XFCE

General notes:

see this Ask Ubuntu for reasons why this is a bad lockscreen: https://askubuntu.com/questions/216323/ugly-lock-screen-in-xubuntu

perhaps switch to gnome-screensaver as suggested in the Ask Ubuntu thread.

[marmarek]

I agree that xscreensaver is ugly. But it is effective. And given a number of problems with other screenlockers (#888, #963), not sure if it wise to change it here. Requires a lot of testing.
Actually it may be better to switch to something even uglier - physlock, in all desktop environments.

Indeed there have been quite a few problems with the alternatives in the past
https://www.jwz.org/blog/2015/04/i-told-you-so-again/

[mfc]

is there any setting in xscreensaver to have it look like the XFCE log-in screen, rather than the default screensaver screen? having them look the same would be a step forward in UX, and the XFCE log-in screen certainly looks better.

[marmarek]

I'm not aware of any, unfortunately. There are settings for screen saver
itself, but not for password prompt.

Best Regards,
Marek Marczykowski-Górecki
Invisible Things Lab
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?

[cfcs]

XScreensaver is a security disaster.
There is a long discussion / evaluation here:
#963

It's my personal opinion that spending time on prettifying a lock screen is great, but the work should be done on a screenlocking solution that we actually want to use. Please have a look at the two suggestions below:

• https://github.com/the-cavalry/light-locker/
• physlock (terminal-only, so no fancy bells and whistles).

[mfc]

XScreensaver is a security disaster.

confirmed: #2026

[cfcs]

I'm going to be bold and suggest that the KDE lock screen, apart from issues with random crashes, has similar issues related to stuff popping up on top, especially at times when you (or an attacker) attaches/detaches VGA/HDMI/whatever cables, or rotates monitors and so on.

Physlock is the way to go.