Arch Linux

onslow77

Member

Registered: 2014-09-21

Posts: 283

[SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Hello,

I have a problem to get my monitor to go to sleep at a time I have decided. I have a configuration file: "20-monitor.conf" in:

 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-monitor.conf 

That contain the following:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "LVDS0"
    Option "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "ServerLayout0"
    Option "StandbyTime" "60"
    Option "SuspendTime" "75"
    Option "OffTime" "90"
EndSection

The settings above is from the example configuration in: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Di … _Signaling and also similar to what Misfit138 suggested here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=33497 that seemed to work for people.

My configuration has no affect thou, and the screen still goes to sleep before the time I have set, and I do not know where to start to check what could be bypassing or overwriting my settings.

Regards
Martin

Last edited by onslow77 (2015-02-04 20:14:37)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Which desktop environment/window manager are you using?

The file is probably over-ridden by your DE.

Also, a quick check of man xorg.conf throws up this for all three of your options:

This is only suitable for VESA DPMS compatible monitors, and may not be supported by all video drivers.

---

Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

mich41

Member

Registered: 2012-06-22

Posts: 796

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

It's either xscreensaver or some DE-specific daemon. In xfce, check "power manager settings" and "screen saver settings" - both of them can put the monitor to sleep.

EDIT: The X server can also issue DPMS comands autonomously, but it doesn't do so by default unless you edit xorg.conf or you (or something else) runs "xset dpms whatever". So review your DE configuration.

Last edited by mich41 (2015-02-02 18:17:19)

onslow77

Member

Registered: 2014-09-21

Posts: 283

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Hello,

Thank you "mich41 and Head_on_a_Stick", now I know where to start looking. I have i3 as a wm, so I will start go thru that.

Regards
Martin

Last edited by onslow77 (2015-02-02 19:00:03)

onslow77

Member

Registered: 2014-09-21

Posts: 283

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Hello,

I have now removed the below configuration file:

 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-monitor.conf 

And then added this in my i3 conf file:

 exec --no-startup-id xset dpms 3600 

But I still can not control the timing when the screen goes into power savings. I do not have Xscreensaver installed, nor have I edit any file as far as I know, that is relevant to this  - apart from what I have showed you. What more can be causing my screen to behave like this?

Regards
Martin

mich41

Member

Registered: 2012-06-22

Posts: 796

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Did you verify with "xset q" that screensaving and DPMS settings are correct? Are you sure you don't launch any power management daemons that could touch it?

One other thing I can think of is console blanking in the kernel. I believe it's disabled on X vts but you can try adding 'consoleblank=0' to the kernel command line.

Maybe it's worth checking what's the current timeout (for kernel console blanking it would be 10 minutes, btw) and whether "xset dpms" can at least make it shorter?

EDIT:
Actually, it seems I was wrong about xfce4-power-manager - it isn't independent from X dpms timers, but only adjusts them.

Last edited by mich41 (2015-02-03 09:15:28)

onslow77

Member

Registered: 2014-09-21

Posts: 283

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Did you verify with "xset q" that screensaving and DPMS settings are correct? Are you sure you don't launch any power management daemons that could touch it?

One other thing I can think of is console blanking in the kernel. I believe it's disabled on X vts but you can try adding 'consoleblank=0' to the kernel command line.

Maybe it's worth checking what's the current timeout (for kernel console blanking it would be 10 minutes, btw) and whether "xset dpms" can at least make it shorter?

EDIT:
Actually, it seems I was wrong about xfce4-power-manager - it isn't independent from X dpms timers, but only adjusts them.

Hello,

thx mich41, I will have a look at your suggestions in a few hours when I get home from work.

Regards
Martin

onslow77

Member

Registered: 2014-09-21

Posts: 283

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Hello,

I think I have got it right now, atleast looks that way from the ouput off "xset q". I read up on powermanagement for screens in X and realized that there is both "Screen Saver and DPMS settings". In my case it was the Screen saver settings that I had not sat a time for (it was default 10 min). I will wait a bit to see if the screen turn off when i whant it to, then I resolve this thread (I hope.. )

Anyway, what I did was:

Tested that my monitor supported dpms - it powered off as it should when I ran:

 sleep 1; xset dpms force off 

in .xinitrc I turned of the Screen saver but left dpms untouched

 xset s off 

in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ I have a configuration file "20-monitor.conf"

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "LVDS0"
    Option "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "ServerLayout0"
    Option "StandbyTime" "45"
    Option "SuspendTime" "55"
    Option "OffTime" "60"
EndSection

Relevant output from "xset q"

xset q
...
Screen Saver:
  prefer blanking:  yes    allow exposures:  yes
  timeout:  0    cycle:  600
...
DPMS (Energy Star):
  Standby: 2700    Suspend: 3300    Off: 3600
  DPMS is Enabled
  Monitor is On

Regards
Martin

Last edited by onslow77 (2015-02-03 21:16:17)

onslow77

Member

Registered: 2014-09-21

Posts: 283

Re: [SOLVED] DPMS monitor configuration is bypassed or overwritten

Hello,

working fine now, thx again for your help guys.

Regards
Martin