I get a black screen every 10 minutes as openbsd,command `xset s off` doesn't work. Which comamnd should I use?

@"unicorn"#p11658 Sorry for the annoyance but, [this thread](https://www.unitedbsd.com/d/732-how-to-use-dhclient) is becoming a mess. Could you please post **one question per thread**? Fixed this one for you.

Sorry,can you edit the title?that command doesn't work on netbsd.

> @"unicorn"#p11658 `xset s off` doesn't work. Do `xset -dpms s off` I use this script everywhere: ##### blank.sh ```sh #!/bin/sh me=${0##*/} T=300 # 5 mins. case $1 in off) xset -dpms s off ;; on) xset +dpms s $T 30 s blank s expose ;; *) >&2 echo "Usage: $me on|off" exit 1 ;; esac ```

@"rvp"#p11665 Nice. Mine is less refined: [code] #!/bin/sh if (xset q|grep --quiet "DPMS is Enabled");then xset s off -dpms else xset s on +dpms [/code]

@"JuvenalUrbino"#p11669 Ah toggles. Don't like toggles: a pain to figure out the current state (esp. when you're scrambling to make a presentation). BTW, does `xset s on` after a `xset s off` really put back the old settings? It just goes back to the defaults (10 mins.) on my X server.

@"rvp"#p11665 A little breakdown of this snippet for the less seasoned like me 😜 : ``` me=${0##*/} ``` `$0` contains path to the file of the currently running script. `${0##*/}` leaves only script filename stripping the directories and is effectively the same as `me="$(basename "$0")"` ``` $ basename ~/bin/screensaver screensaver ``` >! `##` (look up `${name##pattern}` in `man ksh`) - delete longest match (greedily) of what is on the right from variable on the left >! `*/` - shell pattern [1](https://www.grymoire.com/Unix/Sh.html#toc-uh-4) [2](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/157069/shell-pattern-matching-vs-regular-expressions-occurence), where`*` is anything and `/` is literal slash

@"rvp"#p11665 ``` xset +dpms s $T 30 s blank s expose ``` with `s noexpose` on my machine the scrensaver sometimes works fine, sometimes doesn't start, and sometimes it kinda tries to and flickers. `s blank` displays nothing; `s noblank` displays an (ugly IMHO) pattern, and there seems to be no option to customize it. with `s noblank` on my machine the graphics crashes after the period specified in 2nd numeric value (`30` in the snippet) (i.e. upon switching the pattern) and I get thrown to display manager. with `s blank` you need not 2 numeric values as the 2nd has no effect with `blank`. This is effectively the same: ``` xset +dpms s $T s blank s expose ```

http://man.openbsd.org/xset#s ```ksh xset s activate ``` promises to force-launch the screensaver, even if you have switched it off. On my machine, it either doesn't launch it at all, or the screensaver works for only a second. ```ksh xset s reset ``` shuts down currently running instance of the screensaver without changing your config. Like for exiting screensaver programmatically. The following snippet will fireup the screensaver in 1 second and after another second stop it. It will also revert your screensaver settings back to the state before you have launched this snippet (at least I hope so 🤞, please report if 🐛). Caveat: it doesn't handle DPMS-related timeouts in `xorg.conf` and those passed as parameters to `X` as described in the [following post](https://www.unitedbsd.com/d/809-screensaver-on-openbsd/13) ```ksh #! /bin/ksh # read and store configuration if [ "$(xset q | awk '/DPMS is/ {print $3}')" = 'Disabled' ]; then TEST_XSET_RESET_DPMS='-dpms'; else TEST_XSET_RESET_DPMS='+dpms'; fi if [ "$(xset q | awk '/prefer blanking:/ {print $3}')" = 'no' ]; then TEST_XSET_RESET_BLANK='noblank'; else TEST_XSET_RESET_BLANK='blank'; fi if [ "$(xset q | awk '/allow exposures:/ {print $6}')" = 'no' ]; then TEST_XSET_RESET_EXPOSE='noexpose'; else TEST_XSET_RESET_EXPOSE='expose'; fi TEST_XSET_RESET_TIMEOUT="$(xset q | awk '/timeout:/ {print $2}')" xset q > /tmp/TEST_XSET_RESET_BEFORE # the fun xset +dpms s 1 s blank s expose sleep 2 xset s reset # revert configuration xset "$TEST_XSET_RESET_DPMS" s "$TEST_XSET_RESET_TIMEOUT" s "$TEST_XSET_RESET_BLANK" s "$TEST_XSET_RESET_EXPOSE" unset TEST_XSET_RESET_DPMS TEST_XSET_RESET_TIMEOUT TEST_XSET_RESET_BLANK TEST_XSET_RESET_EXPOSE # check the configuration has actually been reverted xset q > /tmp/TEST_XSET_RESET_AFTER if sdiff -sa /tmp/TEST_XSET_RESET_{BEFORE,AFTER}; then rm /tmp/TEST_XSET_RESET_{BEFORE,AFTER}; else >&2 echo 'The script blundered. Sorry. Revert your xset configuration manually'; fi ```

> @"uxer"#p11714 with `s noexpose` on my machine the scrensaver sometimes works fine, sometimes doesn't start, and sometimes it kinda tries to and flickers. Right, which is why I always set `expose`. (Just force the clients to redraw the screen. BTW, I see none of your issues with `startx` on 6.9.) > @"uxer"#p11714 `s noblank` displays an (ugly IMHO) pattern, and there seems to be no option to customize it. You can run the [standard screensaver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_Dark_(software)) instead: ```sh beforelight & ``` though I vaguely recall that on some systems in the past the standard grey weave (if `noblank`) also featured a (moving) [X logo](https://man.openbsd.org/amd64/xlogo) (as per the second parameter in `s T1 T2`); but, I may be mis-remembering... > @"uxer"#p11715 It also will revert your screensaver settings to their previous state You can set the default DPMS-related timeouts in `xorg.conf`: Options `StandbyTime`, `SuspendTime`, `OffTime`. There is also a `BlankTime` to set screen-saver activation time. But, there's no `CycleTime` option to set the pattern-change time (which _is_ used by some screen-lockers). The only way to set a default for this cycle-time is by passing a `-p N` parameter to the X server: ```sh $ cat ~/.xserverrc #!/bin/sh exec /usr/X11R6/bin/X "$@" -p 30 -s 300 $ chmod u+x ~/.xserverrc ```

Screensaver on OpenBSD

uxer

rvp uxer On my machine, it either doesn't launch it at all, or the screensaver works for only a second.

Put a short sleep before you activate: sleep 2; xset s activate (You should be able to see why that's needed.)

Yep, sleep 0.1; xset s activate works! 👍

rvp (You should be able to see why that's needed.)

Er, the very issuing of xset s activate command counts as an activity and interrupts the screensaver?

rvp

uxer Tiling WMs do these kind of things, you know. Esp. not surprising with a "demo" program like beforelight. Works fine with my WM: evilwm

uxer Er, the very issuing of xset s activate command counts as an activity and interrupts the screensaver?

Precisely.

uxer You reminded me of:

Well, I don't write C++ code, so I'm clearly not a Seasoned Professional. (In any case, always go light on the seasoning: good ol' salt & pepper are all usually that's needed.)

uxer

pin slock

Respectable, but slock is too plain for my taste, i3lock has a touch of fanciness to it 💐🌈🎨💎🎀

uxer 😆 I don't usually look at the screen when it's locked, the simpler the better 😉

uxer

rvp It should work the same as yours. I've just rewritten it to:

only use features found in a POSIX sh

eliminate most external commands, and

also the temp. file

Kudos! 👏
You reminded me of:
programmer-hello-world joke

uxer

Besides xset s activate/xset s reset there also is xdg-screensaver from xdg-utils package, which is rather likely installed on a desktop as a dependency: pkg_info -R xdg-utils
You can blink you monitor with this:
sleep 0.1; xdg-screensaver activate; sleep 1; xdg-screensaver reset

xdg-screensaver being a sh script is easily examinable and can teach you how your desktop environment or screensaver screensaves: less (which xdg-screensaver)

uxer

rvp

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Display_Power_Management_Signaling

xset dpms 0 0 0 which sets all the DPMS timeouts to zero, could be a better way to "disable" DPMS, since the effect of -dpms would be reverted when, for example, turning off the screen with xset dpms force off

uxer

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Display_Power_Management_Signaling

Note that DPMS was developed for CRT monitors, and on LCD displays, there is normally no difference between the standby, suspend and off modes.

uxer

uxer With xset s blank, does the screensaver actually switch the monitor(s) off so does it help battery life or is it just a visual?

If you trust what software reports about hardware, then xset screensaver is not a proper off. To switch monitor(s) off you need to resort to DPMS:
xset dpms force off
xset dpms force on; xset s off dpms 0 0 0 -dpms

Try it yourself:

#! /bin/sh

echo 'This script will not restore your xset settings, leaving screensaver and DPMS off.'
echo 'Press Enter to proceed or ^C to abort...'
read DUMMY

echo "First, let's try without DPMS and with screensaver only."
sleep 6

# here enable DPMS for reporting purpose only
# without it, this will not work:
# xset q | grep 'Monitor is'
xset +dpms
echo -n '                                              You clearly see that '
                                                               xset q | grep 'Monitor is'
sleep 4
echo -n 'OFF! '
sleep 2
xset s activate
sleep 1.5
echo -n 'It may have looked as if it was off, but actually it reported:'
                                                               xset q | grep 'Monitor is'
sleep 1.5
xset s reset
xset s off
sleep 10

echo -n "Now, let's try with DPMS."
sleep 5
echo ' OFF!'
sleep 1.5

xset dpms force off
sleep 2

echo -n '                       It looked like off and actually it reported:'
                                                               xset q | grep 'Monitor is'
sleep 1.5

xset dpms force on # not obligatory on my machine - when you `xset -dpms`, it switches on
xset s off dpms 0 0 0 -dpms

sleep 6

echo "Conclusion (unless DPMS is not misreporting):
in order to actually switch the monitor off and help battery life,
  you don't want to use:
xset s activate
xset s reset
  You want to use:
xset dpms force off
xset dpms force on; xset -dpms
  or even:
xset dpms force on; xset s off dpms 0 0 0 -dpms
    Please note that order matters:
    xset -dpms dpms 0 0 0
    would disable and immediately reenable DPMS"

rvp

uxer If you trust what software reports about hardware [...]

In this case, I have my doubts because the backlight is clearly turned off.

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