[kde-linux] Sleeping Display

[Leslie Rhorer]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: JD [mailto:jd1008 at gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2009 9:08 PM
> To: For people using KDE on Linux with related questions/problems
> Subject: Re: [kde-linux] Sleeping Display
> 
> 
> 
> On 08/30/2009 06:55 PM, Leslie Rhorer wrote:
> > List members,
> >
> > 	I have a system which is set to hibernate the console display after
> > a time. I need to be able to wake the display back up without anyone
> hitting
> > a key or moving the mouse. Is there a way to programmatically wake up
> the
> > desktop from a shell script?  It only needs to work for one user (the
> > default automatic login on the console), and only when that user is
> logged
> > on to the console.  Otherwise, it doesn't matter.
> >
> > 	Actually, I'm not sure why the display hibernates at all.  It's
> > rather puzzling as the screen saver is disabled (or at least I think it
> is -
> > I don't see a setting which specifically disables it, and I haven't
> selected
> > one in the screensaver settings window), and I have power management
> shut
> > off.  I don't mind the fact the screen blanks, however, as long as I can
> > control it and cause the screen to come to life without pressing a key.
> In
> > fact, I prefer the screen to blank after a period of inactivity, but I
> need
> > to wake the screen when certain events occur.
> >
> > 	I'm running KDE 3.5.10 under Debian "Lenny" Linux on kernel
> > 2.6.26-2-686 on a Dell GX-270 compact desktop.
> >
> >
> 
>  From the shell, run
> gnome-screensaver-preferences

	Why would the Gnome screensaver be active when I'm running KDE?  The
following output when I run the preferences command makes me think it isn't,
as well:

lrhorer at AlarmClock:~$ gnome-screensaver-preferences
** (gnome-screensaver-preferences:3057): DEBUG: Found best visual for GL:
0x25

** (gnome-power-preferences:3062): WARNING **: DBUS error: Could not get
owner of name 'org.gnome.ScreenSaver': no such name
** (gnome-power-preferences:3062): DEBUG: proxy is NULL, maybe the daemon
responsible for org.gnome.ScreenSaver is not running?
lrhorer at AlarmClock:~$

	Finally, the fact I set the screen saver for 2 minutes and the power
management for 6 minutes in the Gnome screensaver configuration, but nothing
happens after 2 or 6 minutes pretty much confirms it.

> or from  the menu  system -> preferences -> Screensaver

	There is no such thing under KDE, or at least not this version (or
any other I have used).  In KDE, the screensaver is in the Control Center
under Appearance & Themes => Screensaver.  There is no utility to
specifically disable the screensaver, but there is a checkbox labeled "Start
Automatically" which is not checked.  As I said, however, I actually prefer
that the system is blanking the screen, and I don't particularly care what
process is doing it.

 
> There you can enable or disable the screen saver, and you can also do
> other
> settings like what should happen if you close the lid, and various
> other power settings.

	Aside from the fact this is KDE, not Gnome, there is no lid.  I
explicitly said in my e-mail this is a Dell GX-270 desktop system, not a
laptop.

> As far as makeing the screen saver wake up without user intervention,
> I don't know ....    If your keyboard can send back some key code upon
> receipt of some escape sequence, then it might be possible to wake up
> the screen saver. Ditto with the mouse.

	I suppose I could try sending characters to the mouse or keyboard
interface to see what happens.

> I wonder if output to the screen could alert the screen saver to expose
> the screen again???

	It might, but it would require an active session on the desktop, and
there isn't one.  It's possible sending characters to stdout of a minimized
window might work.  I'll have to try it.