3.2. Locking Your Screen

This section provides information on how to lock your screen, and how to configure your screensaver.

3.2.1. To Lock Your Screen

Lock icon.

To lock the screen, perform one of the following actions:

  • Choose Actions->Lock Screen.

  • If the Lock button is present on a panel, click on the Lock button.

    To add the Lock button to a panel, right-click on the panel. Choose Add to Panel->Button->Lock.

When you lock your screen, the screensaver starts. To unlock the screen, move your mouse to display the locked screen dialog. Enter your username and password in the locked screen dialog, then press Return.

Note

To lock your screen correctly, you must have a screensaver enabled.

3.2.2. To Configure Your Screensaver

A screensaver is an application that you can use to replace the image on your screen when the screen is not in use. You can use screensavers in the following ways:

  • Activate after a specified period of idle time.

  • Activate when you lock your screen.

  • Manage power used by your monitor when your system is idle.

To configure your screensaver application, perform the following steps:

  1. Right-click on the Lock button, then choose Properties from the popup menu. An XScreenSaver dialog is displayed.

    If the Lock button is not present on a panel, you can add the button to a panel. To add the Lock button to a panel, right-click on the panel. Choose Add to Panel->Lock button.

  2. To configure your screensaver application, use the elements in the Display Modes tab. The following table describes the dialog elements on the Display Modes tabbed section:

    Setting

    Function

    Mode

    Use the drop-down list to specify the behavior of the screensaver application. Select from the following options:

    • Disable Screen Saver: Select this option if you do not want to use the screensaver application.

    • Blank Screen Only: Select this option if you want your screen to become blank when your screen locks.

    • Only One Screen Saver: Select this option if you want to display a single screensaver display from the display list when your screen locks.

    • Random Screen Saver: Select this option if you want to display a random selection of screensaver displays from the screensaver display list when your screen locks.

    Display list

    Select the screensaver display that you require from the list.

    Blank After

    Specify how long to wait after the last use of the mouse or keyboard, to activate the screensaver.

    Cycle After

    Specify how long to show a particular screensaver display before the next display.

    Lock Screen After

    Select this option if you want the screen to lock after the screensaver is activated. Use the spin box to specify the delay between the activation of the screensaver and when the screen locks.

    Preview

    Click on this button to preview the screensaver display that is selected in the screensaver display list. To stop the preview, press any key or click a mouse button.

    Settings

    Click on this button to display the options for the screensaver display that is selected in the screensaver display list.

  3. To configure advanced options, click on the Advanced tab. The following table describes the dialog elements on the Advanced tabbed section:

    Setting

    Function

    Grab Desktop Images

    Some screensavers can take a screenshot of your desktop, then manipulate the screenshot to create your screensaver display. Select this option to enable screensavers to take a screenshot of your desktop.

    Grab Video Frames

    Some screensavers can capture a frame of video, then manipulate the captured image to create your screensaver display. If your system has a video capture card, select this option to enable screensavers to capture a frame of video.

    Choose Random Image

    Select this option to enable screensavers to use images from a directory that you select. Type the path for the directory in the field. Alternatively, click Browse to display a dialog from which you can select a directory.

    Verbose Dialognostics

    Select this option if you want to display screensaver diagnostic information.

    Display Subprocess Errors

    Select this option if you want to display errors related to screensaver subprocesses on screen.

    Display Splash Screen at Startup

    Select this option to if you want Xscreensaver to display a splash dialog when Xscreensaver starts.

    Power Management Enabled

    Select this option to enable power management of your monitor. Power management can reduce energy consumption by your monitor when you are not using the monitor.

    Standby After

    Specify how long to wait to put the monitor in standby mode. When the monitor is in standby mode, the screen is black.

    Suspend After

    Specify how long to wait to put the monitor in power-saving mode.

    Off After

    Specify how long to wait to switch off monitor.

    Install Colormap

    Select this option to install a private colormap when the screensaver is active. Use of a private colormap might improve the quality of the color in particular screensaver displays.

    Fade to Black When Blanking

    Select this option if you want your display to fade to black when the screensaver activates.

    Fade from Black When Unblanking

    Select this option if you want your display to fade from black to the screen contents when the screensaver stops.

    Fade Duration

    Specify how long to take to fade to black when the screensaver activates.

  4. Click on the Close Window window frame button to close the XScreenSaver dialog.