screen locked immediately when xfce4-screensaver or power manager detects idle

[qu...@posteo.net]

Hi,

on Qubes 4.3 (inline-upgraded from 4.2), I tried to decouple the
screensaver from screen locking, so I can intervene (mouse move, or
hitting Ctrl) before the screen actually gets locked. But I don't get it
to work that way.

In "Screensaver Preferences" / "Screensaver"
- Activate screensaver when computer is idle: on
- Regard the computer as idle after: 5 minutes

In "Screensaver Preferences" / "Lock Screen":
- Enable Lock Screen: on
- LockScreen With Screensaver: on
- Lock the screen after the screensaver is active for: 15 minutes

But no matter if xfce4-screesaver activates the screensaver, or if power
manager activates "blank screen", the screen always gets locked
immediately.

I also tried disabling "Display power management" in Power management
for both "On battery" and "Plugged in", doesn't help.

I have an Arch Linux installation on a different machine where this
works as expected using xfce4-screensaver.. It also worked before on
Qubes 4.2 and xscreensaver..

Is this by design? Any ideas what else I can try?

Matthias

[qubist]

I have noticed similar in 4.3.0.

Unlike 4.2.4, "blank screen" screensaver results in instant power off
and impossibility to power on without blindly typing the password to
unlock first.

My solution was to:

- stop using "blank screen" screensaver
- use "Floating Xfce" instead (activated after 5 min)
- let the "Power management" do the rest (after 15 min)

[qu...@posteo.net]

Hi,

thanks for your input. Now I seem to have it working, but this is all
very strange. Not sure if it will still work tomorrow or next week :-)

After any change of screensaver theme, screensaver would immediately
screenlock. After changing "blank screen" interval in Power Manager,
screensaver will not immediately screenlock anymore. Probably power
manager just needs a nudge and any modification would do.

Weirdness still applies: setting "blank after" in Power Manager to
"Never" appears to completely inhibit the screensaver. After setting
"blank after" to something high like 30min, screensaver would again
immediately screenlock.

Non-determinism also applies: I had it working at one point even with
"blank screen" screensaver theme, but after some further experiments
that stopped working (immediate screenlock again) and I could not get it
back to work.

I currently use the "slideshow" screensaver theme. This gives a nice
empty screen (lack of images to show?). Floating xfce mice are fun :-)
but a bit distracting, Now I don't have immediate screen locks anymore.

An observation: I can apparently get it to not immediately screenlock as
long as "idle after" (screensaver) < "blank after" (power manager) <
"lock screen" (screensaver)
Still needs the power manager nudge, though. If "blank after" is set to
"Never" or higher than "lock screen", I get immediate screenlock,
Otherwise screenlock is not immediate, but kicks in after "blank after"
(power manager), overriding "lock screen" (screensaver).

This is with xfce4-screensaver-4.18.4-4.fc41 in dom0

On Arch (xfce4-screensaver 4.20.1-1), Power Manager does not even have a
"blank screen" option, just "Put to sleep after" and "Switch off after".
I think that is an improvement, as "blank screen" in power manager is in
conflict with using screensaver.

Regards
Matthias