[SOLVED-ish] Can't get rid of Monitor powersaver

[kenboldt]

At least I think it is a powersaver issue. 

I did try to search for a solution before posting, but from what I could find, it looked like most people were trying to figure out how to get their screen to turn off.  I want the opposite, I want my screen to stay on.

My desktop computer is set up in the living room and we like to have the screensaver show our photos.  It acts as a digital photo frame when not in use essentially.  However, in KDE, no matter what settings I choose in the power management section of the KDE Settings, or anywhere else I can find, after the screensaver is on for 20 min or so, the screen goes into powersave mode and blanks and the power button changes from green to orange on the monitor.  The same happens if I use gnome.  It doesn't happen though when using LXDE with xscreensaver.  It is my understanding that KDE uses it's own screensaver, not xscreensaver, and when I am in gnome, I use gnome-screensaver.

A move of the mouse, or a press of a key revives the computer, and the monitor, just as though it was coming out of screensaver, so it isn't hibernating or anything like that.  It is simply putting the monitor into standby, the same as it would be if the computer was powered down but the monitor was not turned off, i.e. the power button light turns orange and it blanks out.

It is a fully updated version of PCLinuxOS 2010.

I'm not sure what other information might be needed, so if you have questions that might help pinpoint the answer, please ask.

I have been through the KDE settings manager with a fine toothed comb and have set everything I can possibly set to avoid powersaving in any capacity, but the problem persists.

Thanks in advance for any help.

EDIT: I have posted a Summary Post on the 3rd page of this thread.  The issue is resolved, not ideally though, and I would be appreciative of any insight as to why the solution worked.

[AS]

just to focus something a little more specific ...

In Hardware -> Power Management -> Capabilities: is DPMS marked as available ?
In Hardware -> Power Management -> Edit Profile -> [your used profile] -> Enable Display Power Management Off ?
In Hardware -> Power Management -> General settings -> Let PowerDevil  Manage power saving enabled ?

AS

[menotu]

in

Configure Your Desktop >> Hardware >> Power Management  Edit Profiles > Screen

have you tried either disabling the "Enable Display Power Management" altogether?

or, if its kept enabled, untick the "Power Off After"

It may worth either restarting your desktop or doing a full reboot if you do change any of these options.

[Ray2047]

Had that problem to. None of the usual fixes worked. Not sure if my post is still on the board but this is the answer that worked for me.

Open KWrite and type

xset -dpms  (or whatever else you want it to do, there are lots of options for this command)

Save the file as  anything_you_want.sh

Go to the file in Dolphin and right click it. Under "Permissions", check the "Is executable" box.

Now start "Configure your desktop" and select "Advanced User Settings / Autostart".

Click on "Add Script" and add your "anything_you_want.sh" script. Say "OK" in the next screen and your script should run at boot time.

Sorry I disn't save the name of who wrote that.

[kenboldt]

just to focus something a little more specific ...

In Hardware -> Power Management -> Capabilities: is DPMS marked as available ?
In Hardware -> Power Management -> Edit Profile -> [your used profile] -> Enable Display Power Management Off ?
In Hardware -> Power Management -> General settings -> Let PowerDevil  Manage power saving enabled ?

AS

In Hardware -> Power Management -> Capabilities: is DPMS marked as available ? Checked as available
In Hardware -> Power Management -> Edit Profile -> [your used profile] -> Enable Display Power Management Off ? It is unchecked
In Hardware -> Power Management -> General settings -> Let PowerDevil  Manage power saving enabled ? It is unchecked

[AS]

Could you check your monitor settings ?  (some LCD have sleep timer and/or other power management related settings)

AS

[kenboldt]

In the process of Ray2047's suggestion, I noticed the "noblank.sh" script in my /home/ken/.kde4/Autostart/ folder.

It contained:

#!/bin/sh
xset s off
xset -dpms

I did some digging in the forums and from what I can gather, it was put in by Tex to get powerdevil to cooperate or something, but was mainly for the purposes of getting the screensaver to turn off.  So I got rid of that script and now things seem to work as expected based on my settings in Power Management.

Hooray.

Thanks again everyone for the help, it is really appreciated.  I have been using Linux on my home computer now for a number of years but I still consider myself a noob.  I simply haven't had the time to properly educate myself to the inner workings. 

I will mark this as solved but if someone could give me some indication of what xset does, or at least a place where I could read up on it myself I would appreciate it.  I love to learn (when I can find the time). 

Cheers!

[kenboldt]

Well, turns out this is NOT solved.  I thought I had licked the problem, but it seems all I was successful in doing was making the time before the monitor blanked out longer, but it still blanks out.

I am back to looking for help.

[Dragynn]

Well, turns out this is NOT solved.  I thought I had licked the problem, but it seems all I was successful in doing was making the time before the monitor blanked out longer, but it still blanks out.

I am back to looking for help.

Yep, time it, should be 600 second default. Eliminating that script turns xset back on. I use that same script in Zen as I don't want screen blanking to occur at all and don't want additional services (gnome power management etc.) on just to keep it off. You will probably want to re-install that script, make sure it's checked to be executable and set to run on start. Try going into PCC and manage services, turn off any power management and screensaver services and re-boot. Works great in Gnome, as does pretty much everything else

[Ray2047]

Sometimes the script I posted doesn't work for me. Sometimes all it takes is a reset of the session to gets it to work and sometimes it takes two or three reboots.

[DeBaas]

Did you check for BIOS settings power management for display?
With xscreensaver (also from terminal) you can set the delay timing to 720 minutes before the nice pictures show up and 720 minutes before blanking.
Just a guess.

[MtnMan]

If I can add my tuppence as a noob...

In Hardware -> Power Management -> Edit Profile -> [your used profile] -> Enable Display Power Management Off ? It is unchecked

Should be checked.

In Hardware -> Power Management -> General settings -> Let PowerDevil  Manage power saving enabled ? It is unchecked

Should be checked.
Please go to Edit Profiles [your user profile] and under Actions>When system is idle for more than x m - select in the dropdown Do Nothing.
This works for me when I want to keep the screen from going to standby.  The mistakes I usually make are to not pay attention to the profile I am editing and forgetting to click Apply.  But I am a noob.  I think this will all change again with 4.6 from what I read.

[kenboldt]

Yep, time it, should be 600 second default. Eliminating that script turns xset back on. I use that same script in Zen as I don't want screen blanking to occur at all and don't want additional services (gnome power management etc.) on just to keep it off. You will probably want to re-install that script, make sure it's checked to be executable and set to run on start. Try going into PCC and manage services, turn off any power management and screensaver services and re-boot. Works great in Gnome, as does pretty much everything else

I will try again, but it is that setup that started all this.

[kenboldt]

Did you check for BIOS settings power management for display?
With xscreensaver (also from terminal) you can set the delay timing to 720 minutes before the nice pictures show up and 720 minutes before blanking.
Just a guess.

It shouldn't be a BIOS thing since I don't have the issue in LXDE, but thanks for the suggestion.
Also, I am not sure that KDE uses xscreensaver.  Perhaps someone can correct me on this, but I think the KDE screensaver is different from xscreensaver.

[kenboldt]

If I can add my tuppence as a noob...

In Hardware -> Power Management -> Edit Profile -> [your used profile] -> Enable Display Power Management Off ? It is unchecked

Should be checked.

In Hardware -> Power Management -> General settings -> Let PowerDevil  Manage power saving enabled ? It is unchecked

Should be checked.
Please go to Edit Profiles [your user profile] and under Actions>When system is idle for more than x m - select in the dropdown Do Nothing.
This works for me when I want to keep the screen from going to standby.  The mistakes I usually make are to not pay attention to the profile I am editing and forgetting to click Apply.  But I am a noob.  I think this will all change again with 4.6 from what I read.

I appreciate the suggestions, but I have tried every combination I can think of and my screen just keeps blanking after being on screensaver for a while.