Comment 9 for bug 159263

I am having this same issue, Screensaver will start, and then quickly turn off. I logged the problem with "gnome-screensaver --no-daemon --debug" and the results I got were interesting. Side note, I am running Hardy, 8.04 LTS, with compiz-fusion Here is the cycle that it goes through:

[_gs_watcher_set_session_idle_notice] gs-watcher-x11.c:501 (15:56:35): Changing idle notice state: 1
[idle_timer] gs-watcher-x11.c:1115 (15:56:45): in idle timer
[watcher_idle_cb] gs-monitor.c:110 (15:56:45): Idle signal detected: 1
[gs_listener_set_session_idle] gs-listener-dbus.c:547 (15:56:45): Setting session idle: 1
[listener_check_activation] gs-listener-dbus.c:412 (15:56:45): Checking for activation
[listener_check_activation] gs-listener-dbus.c:427 (15:56:45): Trying to activate
[gs_grab_grab_root] gs-grab-x11.c:481 (15:56:45): Grabbing the root window
[gs_grab_get_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:166 (15:56:45): Grabbing keyboard widget=52
[gs_grab_get_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:193 (15:56:45): Grabbing mouse widget=52
[gs_manager_create_window] gs-manager.c:1375 (15:56:45): Creating 1 windows for screen 0
[gs_manager_activate] gs-manager.c:1495 (15:56:45): fading out
[fade_done_cb] gs-manager.c:1456 (15:56:45): fade completed, showing windows
[get_best_visual_for_screen] gs-window-x11.c:500 (15:56:45): Found best GL visual for screen 0: 0x2c
[window_map_cb] gs-manager.c:1214 (15:56:45): Handling window map event
[gs_window_clear] gs-window-x11.c:276 (15:56:45): Clearing window
[clear_all_children] gs-window-x11.c:251 (15:56:45): Clearing all child windows
[window_show_cb] gs-manager.c:1263 (15:56:45): Handling window show
[gs_job_set_command] gs-job.c:193 (15:56:45): Setting command for job: 'NULL'
[gs_watcher_set_active] gs-watcher-x11.c:731 (15:56:45): turning watcher: OFF
[_gs_watcher_set_active_internal] gs-watcher-x11.c:714 (15:56:45): Stopping idle watcher
[gs_listener_send_signal_active_changed] gs-listener-dbus.c:260 (15:56:45): Sending the ActiveChanged(TRUE) signal on the session bus
[gs_listener_update_console_kit_idle] gs-listener-dbus.c:296 (15:56:45): Updating ConsoleKit idle status: 1
[_gs_watcher_set_session_idle] gs-watcher-x11.c:524 (15:56:45): Changing idle state: 1
[gs_window_raise] gs-window-x11.c:627 (15:56:45): Raising screensaver window
[gs_window_raise] gs-window-x11.c:627 (15:56:45): Raising screensaver window
[gs_window_raise] gs-window-x11.c:627 (15:56:45): Raising screensaver window
[gs_window_xevent] gs-window-x11.c:679 (15:56:45): not raising our windows
[window_map_event_cb] gs-manager.c:1201 (15:56:45): Handling window map_event event
[manager_maybe_grab_window] gs-manager.c:1155 (15:56:45): Moving grab to 0x80d4060
[xorg_lock_smasher_set_active] gs-grab-x11.c:126 (15:56:45): Disabling the x.org grab smasher
Xlib: extension "XFree86-Misc" missing on display ":1.0".
[xorg_lock_smasher_set_active] gs-grab-x11.c:146 (15:56:45): XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState(off) returned MiscExtGrabStateSuccess

[gs_grab_move_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:331 (15:56:45): Moving keyboard grab from 52 to A00023
[gs_grab_move_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:338 (15:56:45): *** doing X server grab
[gs_grab_release_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:219 (15:56:45): Ungrabbing keyboard
[gs_grab_get_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:166 (15:56:45): Grabbing keyboard widget=A00023
[gs_grab_move_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:360 (15:56:45): *** releasing X server grab
[gs_grab_move_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:276 (15:56:45): Moving pointer grab from 52 to A00023
[gs_grab_move_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:283 (15:56:45): *** doing X server grab
[gs_grab_release_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:237 (15:56:45): Ungrabbing pointer
[gs_grab_get_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:193 (15:56:45): Grabbing mouse widget=A00023
[gs_grab_move_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:306 (15:56:46): *** releasing X server grab
[manager_maybe_start_job_for_window] gs-manager.c:206 (15:56:46): Starting job for window
[gs_job_start] gs-job.c:431 (15:56:46): starting job
[gs_job_start] gs-job.c:446 (15:56:46): No command set for job.
[gs_window_xevent] gs-window-x11.c:679 (15:56:46): not raising our windows
[window_map_event_cb] gs-manager.c:1201 (15:56:46): Handling window map_event event
[manager_maybe_grab_window] gs-manager.c:1155 (15:56:46): Moving grab to 0x80d4060
[xorg_lock_smasher_set_active] gs-grab-x11.c:126 (15:56:46): Disabling the x.org grab smasher
Xlib: extension "XFree86-Misc" missing on display ":1.0".
[xorg_lock_smasher_set_active] gs-grab-x11.c:146 (15:56:46): XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState(off) returned MiscExtGrabStateSuccess

[gs_grab_move_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:324 (15:56:46): Window A00023 is already grabbed, skipping
[gs_grab_move_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:264 (15:56:46): Window A00023 is already grabbed, skipping
[manager_maybe_start_job_for_window] gs-manager.c:206 (15:56:46): Starting job for window
[gs_job_start] gs-job.c:431 (15:56:46): starting job
[gs_job_start] gs-job.c:446 (15:56:46): No command set for job.
[gs_window_xevent] gs-window-x11.c:698 (15:56:46): not raising our windows
[gs_window_xevent] gs-window-x11.c:698 (15:56:46): not raising our windows
[unfade_idle] gs-manager.c:1182 (15:56:46): resetting fade
[gs_fade_reset] gs-fade.c:639 (15:56:46): Resetting fade
[window_obscured_cb] gs-manager.c:1287 (15:56:47): Handling window obscured: obscured
[gs_job_stop] gs-job.c:479 (15:56:47): stopping job
[gs_job_stop] gs-job.c:482 (15:56:47): Could not stop job: pid not defined
[window_obscured_cb] gs-manager.c:1287 (15:56:47): Handling window obscured: unobscured
[manager_maybe_start_job_for_window] gs-manager.c:206 (15:56:47): Starting job for window
[gs_job_start] gs-job.c:431 (15:56:47): starting job
[gs_job_start] gs-job.c:446 (15:56:47): No command set for job.
[find_window_at_pointer] gs-manager.c:1131 (15:56:47): Requesting unlock for screen 0
[gs_window_request_unlock] gs-window-x11.c:1473 (15:56:47): Requesting unlock
[gs_fade_reset] gs-fade.c:639 (15:56:47): Resetting fade
[gs_grab_release] gs-grab-x11.c:388 (15:56:47): Releasing all grabs
[gs_grab_release_mouse] gs-grab-x11.c:237 (15:56:47): Ungrabbing pointer
[gs_grab_release_keyboard] gs-grab-x11.c:219 (15:56:47): Ungrabbing keyboard
[xorg_lock_smasher_set_active] gs-grab-x11.c:124 (15:56:47): Enabling the x.org grab smasher
Xlib: extension "XFree86-Misc" missing on display ":1.0".
[xorg_lock_smasher_set_active] gs-grab-x11.c:146 (15:56:47): XF86MiscSetGrabKeysState(on) returned MiscExtGrabStateSuccess

[gs_job_stop] gs-job.c:479 (15:56:47): stopping job
[gs_job_stop] gs-job.c:482 (15:56:47): Could not stop job: pid not defined
[window_unmap_cb] gs-manager.c:1221 (15:56:47): window unmapped!
[gs_window_dialog_finish] gs-window-x11.c:1249 (15:56:47): Dialog finished
[keyboard_command_finish] gs-window-x11.c:1125 (15:56:47): Keyboard finished
[gs_watcher_set_active] gs-watcher-x11.c:731 (15:56:47): turning watcher: ON
[_gs_watcher_set_active_internal] gs-watcher-x11.c:718 (15:56:48): Starting idle watcher
[gs_listener_update_console_kit_idle] gs-listener-dbus.c:296 (15:56:48): Updating ConsoleKit idle status: 0
[gs_listener_send_signal_active_changed] gs-listener-dbus.c:260 (15:56:48): Sending the ActiveChanged(FALSE) signal on the session bus

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I found this interesting. Screensaver was working, but now isnot. The lines that caught my attention were
[gs_job_start] gs-job.c:446 (15:56:47): No command set for job.
[gs_job_stop] gs-job.c:482 (15:56:47): Could not stop job: pid not defined
[window_unmap_cb] gs-manager.c:1221 (15:56:47): window unmapped!

Any thought's would be appreciated. I can do anything you want to try to get this to work, like maybe reinstalling gnome-screensaver maybe?