screen goes dark although screensaver is switched off

[karl]

although in system settings the "switch off screen" (Bildschirm abschalten, wenn inaktiv für...) is set to "never" the screen will go dark after a while although not going to standby - its just darkened.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: gnome-screensaver 3.6.0-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-16.25-generic 3.5.4
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-16-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Oct 5 12:04:09 2012
GnomeSessionIdleInhibited: No
GnomeSessionInhibitors: None
GsettingsGnomeSession:
 org.gnome.desktop.session idle-delay uint32 180
 org.gnome.desktop.session session-name 'ubuntu'
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
SourcePackage: gnome-screensaver
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2012-09-17 (17 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[emptythevoid (emptythevoid)]

Made some changes using dconf-editor under the power setting. So far, so good. Still a bug - I shouldn't need to do this. If anyone is still interested in this bug, I'll post the changes I made.

[karl (karl-sebastian-liebich)]

Do so, please.

[emptythevoid (emptythevoid)]

I'm not certain which one thing fixed it, but here's what I did:

Open dconf editor from the Dash
Click on the Find, and type Power.
Here's what I've got set:
idle-brightness = 0
idle-dim-time = 0
sleep-display-ac = 0
sleep-display-battery = 0
sleep-inactive-ac-timeout = 0
sleep-inactive-battery-timeout = 0

Try setting those and see if it helps you. Again, not exactly sure which one thing fixes it - haven't taken the time to check. And ultimately, one shouldn't have to do this in the first place.

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

This bug is so annoying, I reported a duplicated of it recently:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/+bug/1070610

I hope this is something that can be fixed easily/quickly. I'm eager for this to be fixed in a upcoming update.

[emptythevoid (emptythevoid)]

Lonnie, if you feel comfortable making the changes, you could try using dconf editor and seeing if the above settings help you. I know that this isn't the proper update-fix you're looking for, but this is all I'm able to do myself.

[Marc Deslauriers (mdeslaur)]

Having the screen dim to save power is a different setting, called "Dim screen to save power". Does that setting not work for you?

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

Checking it or not has no effect for me.

[Jonathan Strander (mblackwell1024)]

I noticed it doesn't matter what you set the "Turn screen off..." setting to, it doesn't seem to adhere to it. It seems to do whatever it jolly well feels like.

[emptythevoid (emptythevoid)]

Here's an interesting thing... I have a computer I use often that *had* 12.04 on it, and I recently upgraded to 12.10 (shortly after the final release). It did *not* experience this problem until tonight.

[Jesse Lee (drhappyangry)]

I tried the dconf settings emptythevoid posted above, but the monitors still blank after about 5 or 10 minutes. The other annoying thing is they never shut off, they just go blank. I've found if I've got a video playing with smplayer or something like that, it follows the time limit set in System Settings. So if it's set to power off the monitors after an hour, it'll at least wait that long. It still blanks it in the middle of playing video, though, even with disable screensaver options checked in the video player, it just waits the appropriate amount of time. I think I tried this with movie player and xine as well.

I've got 2 desktop systems both using the nvidia drivers that exhibit this with either the 300 or 310 drivers. Strangely my netbook that uses the same drivers does not seem to have this issue. The screen powers off fine. I should try changing the screen settings options to match the others and see if it starts behaving the same way.

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

On systems that I've done a fresh install of 12.10 on, I have not noticed this bug.

However, on systems that I've upgraded from 12.04 to 12.10, I do experience this bug.

This bug may not be limited to upgraded installations of 12.10, but I thought I'd note that this has been my own experience.

[karl (karl-sebastian-liebich)]

The settings posted by emptythevoid do not work for me, unfortunately. Like Jesse Lee screen darkens now without switching off at all. There is a little script posted here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/+bug/988949/comments/7 which is a nice workaround for the problem; When watching videos via flash or having electricsheep running it is the only possibility.

[Lonnie Lee Best (launchpad-startport)]

I have machine that I have downgraded to 12.04 specifically due to this bug alone.

[karl (karl-sebastian-liebich)]

interesting: The script linked in my comment #14 only works when the screensaver-setting is set to "never" - or in other words in dconf org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.power sleep-display-ac and sleep-display-battery is set to "0"

[karl (karl-sebastian-liebich)]

?!
Bug vanished. Everything working like normal. Script inked in #14 not working anymore. Don't know what I did, all preferences in dconf concering powermanagement set to default.

Thing is, that in light-dm xserver behaves like described: Blanking screen without switching off. But thats like normal;

[karl (karl-sebastian-liebich)]

no issue anymore in 13.04 - everything working correctly;