Re: [gpm] dpms timeouts

[Richard Hughes <hughsient gmail com>]

On Sun, 2006-10-29 at 17:46 -0500, intech wrote:

Sorry for the delay, been busy.

> > Also, this stuff is pretty well covered in the yelp text, just click
> > "Help" on the icon and read the sections on screen locking and the
> > relationship with gnome-screensaver.
> I'm also finding this confusing. I disabled my screensaver and then
> when I go to power management, its still using the screensaver
> activation time+1 minute as the minimum time, even though the
> screensaver is disabled! This seems pretty confusing to me and I'm
> sure others as well, and no other OS does it this way either, probably
> because it is confusing.

Perhaps.

> >
> > You've got the remember - what's the point blanking the screen and then
> > running the screensaver? If the help file is not clear, feel free to
> > file bugs or ask further questions here. Many thanks.
> Currently, its not possible to lock the screen a few minutes after the
> screen goes off, which is a useful feature.

Is it? Can you provide a use case please.

> Another thing, a little unrelated: Why is the maximum time limited to
> 1 hour? That is very little time, even the screensaver has 2 hours as
> the maximum! I personally would like my computer to go to sleep after
> about 3 hours as that probably means I'm sleeping if I haven't touched
> my computer for 3 hours, and I don't want my computer sleeping if I am
> awake (no pun intended).

Why would you want your computer to be on for 3 hours of unattended
non-use? Why not suspend after an hour, when it only takes a few seconds
to resume?

> Comparing the current scenario to what exists in other popular
> operating systems:
> Mac OS X uses a slider with a 3 hour maximum before the Never option,
> and always starting from 1 minute.
> Windows XP uses a dropdown menu with a 1 minute minimum and
> incrementing by 5 minutes up to 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and then every
> hour up to 5 hours.

Sure, I can appreciate the comparison.

> I don't think its necessary to go up to 5 hours, but 3 hours should be
> a minimum. We should compromise:
> The slider should allow you to select to the minute between 1 minute
> and 3 hours, then have a single ticket for 4 hours for those who need
> a longer option, and then the final tick being "never". I think that
> would provide a good balance.
> 
> Windows XP doesn't deal with the screensaver activating after the
> screen is off, and Mac OS X displays a warning and a button to get to
> screensaver settings if you set the number of minutes below the
> screensaver activation minutes.

Neither of these are good options I think.

> The other option that wouldn't clutter the UI but could also help
> prevent confusion about when the lock screen is activated (although
> removing the ability to lock the screen after the screen goes off) is
> to have the screensaver activate and the session marked as idle
> whenever the screen goes off.
> 
> I'm hesitant to say that it should actually adjust the screensaver
> time though as someone max push it all the way to 1 minute and then
> push it back up, then the screensaver setting probably wouldn't
> automatically follow it back up and it would lead to the screensaver
> being set to activate too fast. For this reason, I think displaying
> the warning probably is the best option.

Hmm, there must be a way we can do this in an easy to use way. I don't
particularly like the mac way of doing things.

Richard.