Xfce Forum

error_401

Member

From: Dublin

Registered: 2007-04-13

Posts: 14

Turn off Screensaver on Xubuntu

Hi,

I've got Xubuntu running on a Dell subnotebook. Right now, the battery lasts for about 1hr and 40min. However, I want to really use the thing on the go and only on the go, so I'm looking to squeeze the maximum possible time out of my battery. For once, I know the display usually takes up a good deal of energy, so I'd like to turn the "screensaver" off and instead set it to turn the display off altogether after 5min or so.
Any ideas how I would do that? There's nothing in "Applications>Settings" and when I right-click anywhere on the Desktop itself, nothing happens - oh, yes, I get the "Applications" menu again because I've configured it so.
Thanks a lot!
Regards,

error_401

P.S.: I'd also be grateful for any other ideas! I've read several similar threads, but it seems to depend to a great extent on the hardware one has and mine is outdated, technically speaking.

Jellybean

Member

Registered: 2007-02-17

Posts: 43

Re: Turn off Screensaver on Xubuntu

Uninstall xscreensaver.

error_401

Member

From: Dublin

Registered: 2007-04-13

Posts: 14

Re: Turn off Screensaver on Xubuntu

Hi jellybean,

great tip! Only I don't know how to do it - I looked it up in my "Linux phrasebook" and tried "dpkg -r xscreensaver", but that wouldn't work because "xubuntu-desktop depends on xscreensaver". Didn't work in a Gnome session, either...
Thanks a lot!
Regards,

error_401

Okay, that's fixed. I did the rather obvious, first removing xubuntu-desktop and then xscreensaver. I was thinking about putting KDE on anyway because KDE is what I have installed on my Desktop machine and I'm familiar with it.

Jellybean

Member

Registered: 2007-02-17

Posts: 43

Re: Turn off Screensaver on Xubuntu

xubuntu-desktop is only a meta-package. Removing it does no harm.

error_401

Member

From: Dublin

Registered: 2007-04-13

Posts: 14

Re: Turn off Screensaver on Xubuntu

Hi jellybean,

yeah, I found that out. Didn't think I would still be able to log on to Xfce after removing it, but I am.
Do you know how/where I can now alter the settings as to the timespan after which the screen is blanked or switched off? It seems it happens after a while, but I don't know how long it takes.
Thanks!
Regards,

error_401

Jellybean

Member

Registered: 2007-02-17

Posts: 43

Re: Turn off Screensaver on Xubuntu

http://www.shallowsky.com/linux/x-screen-blanking.html

error_401

Member

From: Dublin

Registered: 2007-04-13

Posts: 14

Re: Turn off Screensaver on Xubuntu

Thanks jellybean!
I'm trying that out now.
Regards,

error_401

Seems to work fine! When I got to the point where (in that set of instructions) you're prompted to try "sleep 1; xset dpms force off", it did turn off and at least I couldn't see any backlight. Well, to be entirely sure about that, I'd probably have to try it at night when it's dark, not at 5pm...
Well, maybe I'll keep Xfce on the notebook after all.

O_O At the next startup after those alterations, the X-server couldn't start anymore. Only after I took the changes back and deleted those lines in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf did it work again.