Mudspike Screensaver

This is probably a terrible idea and is not going to work, but I’m really (really) bored after waiting at this bloody airport for hours. Travelling sucks so I just spent an hour or two doing this to stop going insane.

It’s a screensaver that queries the forum here for images with a lot of likes and that are in the #screens-aars category. If you press Space while an image is being displayed it’ll open the post in a browser (probably).

The Discourse search API is pretty crappy, so if the search for an image fails then it just shows a logo. It should work on multi-monitors (just have a tiny laptop here). It has a default search option, but not really tried that much - in theory the setting should take similar things to the in-built search here on the web. I test it by putting the word ‘Harrier’ in the settings screen and it seemed to work. By default it’ll randomize some dates so you don’t always see the same images (probably).

Because it’s a binary you can view the code here if you’re as bored as me.

Here it is (with an installer this time).
MudspikeScreenSaverInstaller-1-0-1.zip (831.1 KB)

You right click menu on the .scr file and hit ‘Install’ and then see if it works as a default screen saver thingy. You’ll need .NET (high number) so probably Windows 10+ I’d guess. I don’t really know much about screensavers, but they are really .exe files renamed to be .scr and a /s parameter to run full screen and a /c to see their settings. If you have to fiddle around to get it to work then please do share how. One way would be to do something like this just to see if it works start c:\the-path\MudspikeScreenSaver.exe /s in a .cmd batch file or something (rename the .scr back to .exe). Anyway, good luck…

See you in 30 hours. :scream:

12 Likes

Good luck and I wish you strength on your travels. 30 hours. sheesh. Couldn’t that be done remotely? Think of all the exhaust blasted straight into the stratosphere!

Anyway, the app threw an “unhandled exception” on my box. And I can fix a fence, a chainsaw and a printer, but not a bit of software :wink:

3 Likes

Listen, my entire livelihood depends on people destroying the planet with nary a moment’s thought. Let’s just keep on the down-low. OK?

7 Likes

I burn 1000-1500 litres of diesel a week for money. I’m with @smokinhole :joy:

4 Likes

Hey…those chem trails don’t get up there by themselves…somebody’s got to do it. :open_mouth:

6 Likes

at least fearless, you have time for some pastime activities :slight_smile: imagine that you have to fly it all your self :wink:

really!? what happened to the manual saw ?? :smile:

2 Likes

It rarely needa fixing. Some sharpening at times. :nerd_face:

4 Likes

I often think about that. :slight_smile:. I have to be there in person, and it’ll be about 6 weeks as an initial guess, although I might try to take vacation somewhere else during it if things go well (Singapore/Australia etc).

I was sort of thinking that might happen, as in this is the only laptop in the world it would work on. I updated the first post to put an installer with it, so that might help. I’d love to see if anyone can get it going.

I’m on SAI37 with internet, so burning the most fuel I can for the money

You’d know I’d love to. You are right, being bored is a bit of a luxury but it felt good to vent. We land in about 6 hours or so, and then another flight.

3 Likes

I really can’t sleep, but figured out why this wouldn’t have worked before.

Windows 11 still expects screensaver name to be a maximum of 8 letters, as per the DOS restriction, so screensaverlongname.scr is seen as screen~1.scr or something. I, of course, gave it a longer name than that which means if you tried it (thank you!) then you’d only see the logo fail screen. I updated the installer to go with a short name, and it’s in the first post. Steps:

  1. Run the installer. It might check you have .NET ok, but not much to do on recent Windows. If you had it before it should upgrade.

  2. After the installer has finished they’ll be a folder at Program Files (x86) / Mudspike / Mudspike Screensaver with some stuff in it, that looks like this (with the new short name that works):

image

  1. Right mouse click and choose ‘Install’ to set it as a screensaver, like this:

image

  1. In the config or settings for the screensaver you can enter in different stuff so you see images you like. In what may be the worlds worst form, you can enter it here:

image

I personally cheat and use search times like @eightball dcs (you can use usernames etc) or sometimes things like where you are or even harrier for some classics. The randomization uses past dates, so if you choose something recent then it might not work.

Anyway, I still can’t sleep but at least this stupid thing now works.

4 Likes

Said everyone who has worked in tech support at one time or another. I sympathise. #ITmetoo :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: