Allow media controls to function when the screen is locked.

[Hidde Brugmans]

I recently set up my system to lock itself after 10 minutes of inactivity.
I only just noticed that I can't adjust the audio volume with the media keys on
my keyboard when the system is locked due to xscreensaver catching the keypress
and popping up the password dialogue.

IMHO the media keys (at least) should be allowed to bypass this restriction.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

The purpose of the screen lock feature is to prevent someone with access to the
keyboard or display from obtaining information from your session or making
changes to it. As such, I don't think it would be appropriate to allow keyboard
shortcuts to function when the screen is locked

[Guillermo Gutiérrez (capitanterrex)]

(In reply to comment #1)

and a checkbox somewhere for allow or disallow "volume control key" works when
screen is locked?

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

That'd be good enough

[Phil Bull (philbull)]

Forwarding keypresses seems too insecure. Would it be more secure to build
playback controls into xscreensaver itself? It's not a multimedia program at
all, but I'd say a lot of people would find this feature useful. Something to
ask the developer.

It's already filed on GNOME Bugzilla:

http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=300154

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Changed status to wishlist. This bug is filed on Gnome-bugs # 300154 as a possible feature enhancement.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

doesn't affect gnome-screensaver in edgy, volume is changed just fine at least on my Thinkpad T23.

[Daniel Holbach (dholbach)]

Unsubscribing desktop-bugs.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

Volume control works for me while locked using HP nw8440 laptop. Sooo is this still an issue?

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

@Adam Nieding

Are you using gnomescreensaver or xscreensaver. Can you test if the volume control works in both screensavers while locked?

Thanks for your help with this bug report.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I'm using the Ubuntu default. Don't know how to change it.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Thank you. That will be gnome-screensaver, and the fix has been released. I'll try to test xscreensaver and verify the status.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

My multi-function keyboard died and got replaced with a plain 104-key type.

[Pedro Zorzenon Neto (pzn)]

In my notebook (thinkpad R61i) the keys that work during screen lock:
 - bright up, bright down
 - suspend
 - play
 - stop
 - music forward
 - music back

The keys that do not work:
 - volume up
 - volume down
 - mute

Is there any way to configure it to bypass this keys too?

Ubuntu is hardy 32bits, up-to-date (2008-10-19)

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Confirmed as wishlist per gnome-bugs # 300154