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fry19
Binge Watcher

Screensaver getting a home screen icon leading to confused users

I created this screensaver (now available publicly B.P.O.D.). When installing it from the web, some users have reported that it creates an icon on the Home Screen. I have also experienced this behavior! When you navigate to Settings/Screensaver and select the screensaver, then the icon on the home screen then goes away.

I am not expecting this behavior since my channel is a pure screensaver:

 

The manifest looks like this:

screensaver_title=B.P.O.D.
major_version=1
minor_version=0
build_version=00009
rsg_version=1.2

mm_icon_focus_hd=pkg:/images/icon_hd.png
mm_icon_focus_sd=pkg:/images/icon_sd.png

ui_resolutions=fhd

The Main file looks like this:

 

sub showScene(sceneName as String)
  print "showScene: "; sceneName
  screen = CreateObject("roSGScreen")
	port = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
	screen.setMessagePort(m.port)

	scene = screen.createScene(sceneName)
	screen.show()

	while(true)
	  msg = wait(0, port)
          if (msg <> invalid)
  		msgType = type(msg)
  		if msgType = "roSGScreenEvent"
  			if msg.isScreenClosed() then return
  		end if
          end if
	end while
end sub

sub RunScreenSaver(params As Object)
  print "::RunScreenSaver()"
  showScene("MainScene")
end sub

sub RunScreenSaverSettings(params As Object)
  print "::RunScreenSaverSettings()"
  showScene("SettingsScene")
end sub

According to the documentation, this is what is needed to create a pure screensaver (not a regular channel).

 

Because the Roku adds an icon on the home screen, when you select it, it fails because there is no method to start the channel. Note that I do not want it to be a channel. I don't want an icon on the home screen. Yet the Roku adds one (which it later removes)...

 

Is this a bug with the Roku? Am I doing something wrong?

 

Thanks

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4 REPLIES 4
Matt_Moores
Channel Surfer

Re: Screensaver getting a home screen icon leading to confused users

manifest hidden=1

hiddenintegerThe hidden property tells the Roku OS to not display the app on the home screen. Hidden apps can still be launched over the network via the External Control API.
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renojim
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Screensaver getting a home screen icon leading to confused users

I wonder if that's intentional behavior to help people find a newly added screensaver.  If you select the screensaver from the main screen does it take you to the screensaver settings?  Although it's not mentioned in the documentation, my ancient screensaver had screensaver_private=0 in its manifest.

-JT

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee.
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Matt_Moores
Channel Surfer

Re: Screensaver getting a home screen icon leading to confused users

You could make the main function of you channel the settings for the Screensaver...  rather than RunScreenSaverSettings()

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squirreltown
Roku Guru

Re: Screensaver getting a home screen icon leading to confused users

I haven't made a screensaver in awhile but I've seen this for sure. None of the manifest settings mentioned here stopped it from showing up when first installed and the Roku re-booted.Clicking on it did nothing. However, at some point it stopped happening, definitely after going to the screensaver page and selecting it.  I just remember never actually solving it myself with code.

I vote bug.

Kinetics Screensavers
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