getting xscreensaver to run.

[George Hartzell]

I rebuilt my desktop machine over the holidays (Mac Pro, running
RELENG_8 with MBR based ZFS mirrored drives, etc...) using the current
version of ports.

I chose to install xscreensaver instead of the gnome screen saver
(which is how I usually do things), but I can't seem to get it to
start.  This is how I used to run and I don't know what I've done
differently.

I launch gnome using startx, with an .xinitrc that exec's
gnome-session.

If I go to System->Preferences->Screensaver it warns me that the
screensaver isn't running and gives me the chance to start it.  If I
start it then it works as expected.  But after logging out and then
restarting an gnome session I find that it is again not running.

I've tried starting it via the Preferences route, then running

  gnome-save-session --gui

but it still doesn't get started when I create a session.

If I capture the output from startx I find some messages from
xscreensaver about

  initial effective uid/gid was root/hartzell (0/1001)
  running as hartzell/hartzell (1001/1001)
  
  Can't open display: :0.0
  initial effective uid/gid was root/hartzell (0/1001)
  running as hartzell/hartzell (1001/1001)

  This is probably because you're logging in as root.  You
  shouldn't log in as root: you should log in as a normal user,
  and then `su' as needed.  If you insist on logging in as root, you
  will have to turn off X's security features before xscreensaver will
  work.

  Please read the manual and FAQ for more information:

  http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/faq.html
  http://www.jwz.org/xscreensaver/man.html

I'm running as myself, but /usr/local/bin/Xorg is setuid and owned by
root.

What's the correct way to get xscreensaver to run automagically under
gnome?

Thanks,

g.