Mac OS X v10.6: Configuring a screen saver to run at the Login Window

Specifying a screen saver to run at the Login window

You can use either of the advanced methods below to enable and configure this feature. 

Use Mac OS X Server v10.6's Workgroup Manager 

1. In Workgroup Manager, select the Computer or Computer Group record you wish to manage.
2. Click Preferences in the top toolbar.
3. Click the Overview tab.
4. Click Login.
5. Click the Options tab.
6. Choose to manage the settings "Always".
7. Enable the checkbox next to the "Start screen saver after: X minutes".
8. Click the ellipsis button (…) to select a screen saver.
9. Click Apply Now.
    

Configure Mac OS X v10.6 via Terminal and the command line

Open Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities).

The following two Terminal commands will set the idle time to 5 minutes (300 seconds), and specify the Cosmos screen saver module. You can change the time period by adjusting the number, which is 300 seconds below. You can change the "Cosmos.slideSaver" to a different screen saver if desired.

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.screensaver loginWindowIdleTime 300 
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.screensaver loginWindowModulePath "/System/Library/Screen Savers/Cosmos.slideSaver"
 

Screen savers that may run at the Login window

For security reasons, there are restrictions on which screen savers can run at the Login window. Screen savers that may run at the Login window include:

• Apple screen saver modules; third-party or custom screen savers are not supported at the Login window
• Among Quartz Composer screen savers, only Arabesque, Shell, and Spectrum may run
• .slideSaver bundles are allowed

These types of screen savers are not allowed at the Login window:

• Third-party or custom screen savers
• MobileMe gallery feeds, RSS feeds, iPhoto/Aperture albums, random, and shuffle screen savers
• The iTunes Artwork screen saver