Arch Linux

keepitsimpleengineer

Member

From: San Joaquin Valley, CA

Registered: 2012-06-25

Posts: 380

[SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

I finally got the i686 install completed, with some nice help from this forum.

I went with xfce4, lxdm and compiz/emerald.

Now my question is:  the screen goes dark after a spell, even when not running the X desktop.  Since this system is just for support, not the main working system, it is quite annoying.

How does one modify this behavior?

Thanks...

Last edited by keepitsimpleengineer (2012-08-04 01:37:53)

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Al Einstein: "Man soll die Dinge so einfach machen wie möglich ~ aber nicht einfacher." (Things should be as simple as possible ~ but not too simple.) ~ Al (Einstein) war ein Cousin von Albert, "Al" ist die Abkürzung für Aloysius

Texas

Member

From: Dallas, Texas

Registered: 2010-09-10

Posts: 131

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Is it a laptop?  If so, may be hardware dimming.

keepitsimpleengineer

Member

From: San Joaquin Valley, CA

Registered: 2012-06-25

Posts: 380

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

No, it's a desktop (workstation).  The same thing happens on my 64bit workstation, but it's not so bothersome because when using it I am constantly engaged with it.

It wouldn't be so bad except that is takes several seconds to light back up.

Last edited by keepitsimpleengineer (2012-08-02 17:18:50)

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Al Einstein: "Man soll die Dinge so einfach machen wie möglich ~ aber nicht einfacher." (Things should be as simple as possible ~ but not too simple.) ~ Al (Einstein) war ein Cousin von Albert, "Al" ist die Abkürzung für Aloysius

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Laptop or not, the default setting is to blank the screen after 10 minutes. To change that:

setterm -blank 0

keepitsimpleengineer

Member

From: San Joaquin Valley, CA

Registered: 2012-06-25

Posts: 380

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Laptop or not, the default setting is to blank the screen after 10 minutes. To change that:

setterm -blank 0

Thanks.

Reading "man setterm" while waiting to see if it worked.
⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Oops, didn't work, now trying

setterm -powerdown

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Oops₂  now trying

setterm -powerdown 0

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Success!  using

setterm -powerdown 0

Thanks for pointing me to the right place!
⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Yikes - the mouse must have gotten bumped or such,

setterm -powerdown 0

doesn't work.

Last edited by keepitsimpleengineer (2012-08-02 20:46:30)

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Al Einstein: "Man soll die Dinge so einfach machen wie möglich ~ aber nicht einfacher." (Things should be as simple as possible ~ but not too simple.) ~ Al (Einstein) war ein Cousin von Albert, "Al" ist die Abkürzung für Aloysius

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Have you tried powersave off?

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Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

palomaamatias

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2012-07-23

Posts: 20

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

I am also trying to disable my screen from going to sleep (but only in X11) and I have added the two following lines to my ~/.xinitrc file (before the line that launches my X-session):

setterm -blank 0 -powersave off -powerdown 0
xset s off

The annoying thing is that the screen still falls asleep.
I have also checked my screens display settings and made sure that sleep is turned off.

Any ideas on how to solve this? Thanks...

Last edited by palomaamatias (2012-08-03 10:45:38)

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

setterm has no effect on X. In X, you do:

xset -dpms
xset s off

I'm quite sure this is in the wiki somewhere already

DSpider

Member

From: Romania

Registered: 2009-08-23

Posts: 2,273

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg#DPMS
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/DPMS#Examples

Last edited by DSpider (2012-08-03 10:54:56)

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"How to Succeed with Linux"

I have made a personal commitment not to reply in topics that start with a lowercase letter. Proper grammar and punctuation is a sign of respect, and if you do not show any, you will NOT receive any help (at least not from me).

palomaamatias

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2012-07-23

Posts: 20

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Okay, I'm sorry guys. Next time I'll definitely read each wiki entry regarding the subject!

Last edited by palomaamatias (2012-08-03 11:16:58)

keepitsimpleengineer

Member

From: San Joaquin Valley, CA

Registered: 2012-06-25

Posts: 380

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Have you tried powersave off?

Alas, this gets:

~$ setterm -powersave off
setterm: cannot (un)set powersave mode: Invalid argument

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Al Einstein: "Man soll die Dinge so einfach machen wie möglich ~ aber nicht einfacher." (Things should be as simple as possible ~ but not too simple.) ~ Al (Einstein) war ein Cousin von Albert, "Al" ist die Abkürzung für Aloysius

keepitsimpleengineer

Member

From: San Joaquin Valley, CA

Registered: 2012-06-25

Posts: 380

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg#DPMS
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/DPMS#Examples

Hey thanks very much for pointing out the source for solving the problem.  I was mislead thinking it was not the X system, I see now that the X system can direct the DPMS.

This is what worked:

From the X virtual teminal run the following commands as user…

xset q
xset  -dpms; xset s off
xset q

xset q reports the status, DPMS at the bottom.

Last edited by keepitsimpleengineer (2012-08-03 18:06:50)

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Al Einstein: "Man soll die Dinge so einfach machen wie möglich ~ aber nicht einfacher." (Things should be as simple as possible ~ but not too simple.) ~ Al (Einstein) war ein Cousin von Albert, "Al" ist die Abkürzung für Aloysius

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Wait, you were trying the setterm stuff while in X? No wonder it didn't work. You said at the beginning you're not in X, that's why I advised using setterm.

keepitsimpleengineer

Member

From: San Joaquin Valley, CA

Registered: 2012-06-25

Posts: 380

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Wait, you were trying the setterm stuff while in X? No wonder it didn't work. You said at the beginning you're not in X, that's why I advised using setterm.

Sorry for my unclarity..

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Al Einstein: "Man soll die Dinge so einfach machen wie möglich ~ aber nicht einfacher." (Things should be as simple as possible ~ but not too simple.) ~ Al (Einstein) war ein Cousin von Albert, "Al" ist die Abkürzung für Aloysius

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: [SOLVED]Annoyance after install media 2012.07.15, screen/power save

Sorry for my unclarity..

No problem. This thread now contains solutions for both console and X, so it'll be useful to others.