Looking for a nifty screensaver for Ubuntu? Check out Gluqlo, a Linux version of the popular Fliqlo screensaver for Windows and OS X.
Ubuntu no longer bundles a screensavers with the default build. Instead, when you leave your computer idle for a set period Ubuntu blanks the display to conserve power.
I personally like having a screensaver running on my PC when i’m not using it, and if you do too you’ll likely already have XScreenSaver installed and set up.
If you don’t, you can install xscreensaver from Ubuntu Software, or via apt by using the following commands (as we’ll be using the terminal to install Gluquo i’m going to assume you don’t mind using it here):
sudo apt-get install xscreensaver xscreensaver-gl-extra xscreensaver-data-extra
You also need to remove gnome-screensaver:
sudo apt-get remove gnome-screensaver
Install Gluqlo
To install Gluqlo on Ubuntu Ubuntu 14.04 LTS through 16.04 LTS you need to add the application’s official PPA to your Software Sources:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:alexanderk23/ppa
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gluqlo
If you’re running Ubuntu 16.10 you can install the app manually using the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS package, which you can download directly from the PPA page and install using the Ubuntu Software app.
When everything has fully installed, launch the ‘screensaver’ app from the Unity Dash. Here you can choose to make Gluqlo your default screensaver.
Don’t see it listed? Run:
gedit ~/.xscreensaver
Add the following line to the programs: section
gluqlo -root \n\
Save the file.
Reopen Screensaver and you should now be able to select the Gluqlo screensaver within the app.
Don’t forget to add XScreenSaver to your start-up applications to ensure that it launches after each and every reboot.