Xfce Forum

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Debian 12 updated
XFCE4 4.18

What software do I need to lock my screen/session after a given amount of time? I have tried light-locker and xscreensaver, with both installed and only one at a time. I can get my monitor to blank, but that is it.

In power management system is set to hibernate for sleep mode at 15 minutes and to lock when system goes to sleep. Display is set to blank after 2 minutes sleep after 5 minutes and switch off after 10 minutes.

Any and all help appreciated.

Last edited by rick71 (2026-03-12 01:43:32)

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 943

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Install xfce4-screensaver. It has the lock screen feature built into it.

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Install xfce4-screensaver. It has the lock screen feature built into it.

xfce4-screesaver is not in the Debian 12 repository, or at least I can't find it.

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 943

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

https://packages.debian.org/trixie/xfce4-screensaver

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

https://packages.debian.org/trixie/xfce4-screensaver

fails install because of dependencies.

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 943

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Another option, especially if you already use Lightdm is dm-tool. It can be set up with a hot key of scripted.

dm-tool lock

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Another option, especially if you already use Lightdm is dm-tool. It can be set up with a hot key of scripted.

dm-tool lock

Thanks. I'll probably try to upgrade to Trixie.

Added later 7 h 52 min 50 s:
I tried compiling but ran into dependency issues.

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

I have updated to Trixie and installed xfce4-screensaver.
I can't seem to get the screen to blank or lock.

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 943

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Do you still have light-locker installed? If so, remove it. Log out and back in then goto Settings Manager>>xfce Screensaver>>Lock screen tab>>enable lock screen.

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

I have updated to Trixie and installed xfce4-screensaver.
I can't seem to get the screen to blank or lock.

Do you still have light-locker installed? If so, remove it. Log out and back in then goto Settings Manager>>xfce Screensaver>>Lock screen tab>>enable lock screen.

Light-locker is not installed.
Enable Lock Screen - On
Lock screen after screensaver is active for 2 minutes
Lock screen with system sleep - On

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 943

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Check in the Power Manager settings. There is an option to lock the screen when the system sleeps.

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

Lock screen when system goes to sleep is checked.
I have duplicated the settings from my laptop for battery and plugged in. The laptop does not have the xfce4-screensaer and it will blank and lock screen. The desktop will not.
The desktop, with lock screen enabled in xfce4-screensaver enable, will lock screen when selected from the action buttons.

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 943

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

When you say "action button", do you mean from the Whiskermenu? What are the commands for locking in the whiskermenu?

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

I have no idea what a whiskermenu is. The action button plugin shows in a toolbar/menubar. Mine is at the top of the screen. Click on the username and a menu drops. Click on lock screen and it locks.

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 943

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

This sounds like Whisker Menu. Can you post a screen shot to be sure.

If it is, you can right click on the icon and select properties then commands. Lock screen should be checked and there will be a command on the right. What is it?

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,550

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

The Action Button plugin is the older plugin that is default on upstream installs. It directly issues a dbus command to initiate a suspend. @rick71, it sounds like something might be blocking the other timeout method. As a sanity check, can you post back the output of the following commands:

xfconf-query -c xfce4-power-manager -lv
xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -lv | grep Lock
xfconf-query -c xfce4-screensaver -lv
ps -ef | grep -E 'saver|locker'
xfce4-power-manager --dump

Something else you can try is to run the power manager in debug mode:

xfce4-power-manager --quit
xfce4-power-manager --debug

...wait for the timeout to happen and see what is displayed in the terminal window. Feel free to post back the output you get.

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rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

The Action Button plugin is the older plugin that is default on upstream installs. It directly issues a dbus command to initiate a suspend. @rick71, it sounds like something might be blocking the other timeout method. As a sanity check, can you post back the output of the following commands:

xfconf-query -c xfce4-power-manager -lv
xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -lv | grep Lock
xfconf-query -c xfce4-screensaver -lv
ps -ef | grep -E 'saver|locker'
xfce4-power-manager --dump

Something else you can try is to run the power manager in debug mode:

xfce4-power-manager --quit
xfce4-power-manager --debug

...wait for the timeout to happen and see what is displayed in the terminal window. Feel free to post back the output you get.

Sorry this tool so long.

xfconf-query -c xfce4-power-manager -lv
/xfce4-power-manager/blank-on-ac                    5
/xfce4-power-manager/blank-on-battery               2
/xfce4-power-manager/dpms-enabled                   true
/xfce4-power-manager/dpms-on-ac-off                 8
/xfce4-power-manager/dpms-on-ac-sleep               5
/xfce4-power-manager/dpms-on-battery-off            10
/xfce4-power-manager/dpms-on-battery-sleep          5
/xfce4-power-manager/general-notification           true
/xfce4-power-manager/inactivity-on-ac               0
/xfce4-power-manager/inactivity-on-battery          10
/xfce4-power-manager/inactivity-sleep-mode-on-ac    1
/xfce4-power-manager/lock-screen-suspend-hibernate  true
/xfce4-power-manager/logind-handle-lid-switch       false
/xfce4-power-manager/power-button-action            3
/xfce4-power-manager/presentation-mode              true
/xfce4-power-manager/show-panel-label               1
/xfce4-power-manager/show-presentation-indicator    false
/xfce4-power-manager/show-tray-icon                 false

xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -lv | grep Lock
/general/LockCommand                         
/shutdown/LockScreen                         true

xfconf-query -c xfce4-screensaver -lv
/lock/enabled                   true
/lock/saver-activation/delay    2
/lock/saver-activation/enabled  true
/lock/sleep-activation          true
/saver/enabled                  true
/saver/idle-activation/enabled  true
/saver/mode   

ps -ef | grep -E 'saver|locker'
rick        4631    4380  0 14:43 ?        00:00:03 xfce4-screensaver
rick       76470   76311  0 21:31 pts/0    00:00:00 grep -E saver|locker

 xfce4-power-manager --dump
---------------------------------------------------
       Xfce power manager version 4.20.0
With policykit support
---------------------------------------------------
Can suspend: True
Can hibernate: True
Can hybrid sleep: True
Authorized to suspend: True
Authorized to hibernate: True
Authorized to hybrid sleep: True
Authorized to shutdown: True
Has battery: True
Has brightness panel: False
Has power button: True
Has hibernate button: True
Has sleep button: True
Has battery button: True
Has LID: False

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 12,550

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

/xfce4-power-manager/presentation-mode              true

You have presentation mode enabled. It blocks power manager suspend/hibernates. Try disabling it by either:

1. Left-click the power manager plugin and uncheck the presentation mode box

2. Run the following command:

   xfconf-query -c xfce4-power-manager -p /xfce4-power-manager/presentation-mode -s false

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Mark solved threads as [SOLVED] to make it easier for others to find solutions.
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rick71

Member

Registered: 2014-03-04

Posts: 37

Re: Lock screen/session - SOLVED

/xfce4-power-manager/presentation-mode              true

You have presentation mode enabled. It blocks power manager suspend/hibernates. Try disabling it by either:

1. Left-click the power manager plugin and uncheck the presentation mode box

2. Run the following command:

   xfconf-query -c xfce4-power-manager -p /xfce4-power-manager/presentation-mode -s false

Thanks. I had to research presentation mode. It seems you can only access the switch from the panel power management plugin, or use a script to disable it.

This morning I deleted different XFCE4 settings in ./config, progressively messing things up until I just deleted the whole settings folder and reconfigured. Blank and lock has been working since then. I checked presentation mode status after I read your post. It is off after the settings deletions.

Thanks so much for your help.