Lock screen/session

rick71 · 2026-01-31 21:00:10

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.

eriefisher · 2026-01-31 22:24:41

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

rick71 · 2026-01-31 23:52:27

eriefisher wrote:

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 · 2026-01-31 23:57:28

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

rick71 · 2026-02-01 03:12:23

eriefisher wrote:

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

fails install because of dependencies.

eriefisher · 2026-02-01 11:42:54

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

rick71 · 2026-02-01 16:29:10

eriefisher wrote:

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 · 2026-02-16 14:51:14

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

eriefisher · 2026-02-16 19:04:35

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.

rick71 · 2026-02-16 21:10:14

rick71 wrote:

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

eriefisher wrote:

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 · 2026-02-17 11:31:53

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

rick71 · 2026-02-18 03:57:42

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 · 2026-02-18 10:32:33

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

rick71 · 2026-02-18 23:54:05

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 · 2026-02-19 00:07:25

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?

ToZ · 2026-02-19 00:25:07

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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#1 2026-01-31 21:00:10

Lock screen/session

#2 2026-01-31 22:24:41

Re: Lock screen/session

#3 2026-01-31 23:52:27

Re: Lock screen/session

#4 2026-01-31 23:57:28

Re: Lock screen/session

#5 2026-02-01 03:12:23

Re: Lock screen/session

#6 2026-02-01 11:42:54

Re: Lock screen/session

#7 2026-02-01 16:29:10

Re: Lock screen/session

#8 2026-02-16 14:51:14

Re: Lock screen/session

#9 2026-02-16 19:04:35

Re: Lock screen/session

#10 2026-02-16 21:10:14

Re: Lock screen/session

#11 2026-02-17 11:31:53

Re: Lock screen/session

#12 2026-02-18 03:57:42

Re: Lock screen/session

#13 2026-02-18 10:32:33

Re: Lock screen/session

#14 2026-02-18 23:54:05

Re: Lock screen/session

#15 2026-02-19 00:07:25

Re: Lock screen/session

#16 2026-02-19 00:25:07

Re: Lock screen/session

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