Why doesn't my screen lock in XFCE?

arch-linux xfce screen-lock

79,421

Solution 1

Do I need to install a screensaver package or something?

Yes, according to the wiki, you need to choose and install a locker. xflock4 will then activate it.

Solution 2

First install light-locker.

$ xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -p /general/LockCommand -s "light-locker-command -l"

or if you don't have the variable yet:

$ xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -p /general/LockCommand -s "light-locker-command -l" --create -t string

Old stuff:

Looks like xflock4 does support external config now. What I did is:

$ xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -p /general/LockCommand -s "dm-tool lock"

Now that command is used for locking. I guess gnome-screen-saver broke on upgrade.

This is for XFCE. If you don't have that property already, you add it by:

$ xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -p /general/LockCommand -s "dm-tool lock" --create -t string

VERY IMPORTANT: you need a screensaver running to securely lock your screen. light-locker is one choice. At the end make sure switching consoles with ctrl+alt+F1 or some other F# does not let you circumvent the lock screen. See:

Solution 3

Edit /usr/bin/xflock4 and append light-locker-command -l or dm-tool lock to the list.

for lock_cmd in \
"xscreensaver-command -lock" \
"gnome-screensaver-command --lock" \
"light-locker-command -l"\
"dm-tool lock"

Solution 4

Case_of's answer was close for me, but dm-tool was already listed in my /usr/local/bin/xflock4. But it tried xscreensaver-command and gnome-screensaver-command first. I moved those to the second for loop, and moved dm-tool up as the only option at first (removing the first for loop):

dm-tool lock >/dev/null 4>&1 && exit

# else run another access locking utility, if installed
for lock_cmd in \
  "xscreensaver-command -lock" \
  "gnome-screensaver-command --lock"
  "xlock -mode blank" \
  "slock"
  do
    set -- $lock_cmd
    if command -v -- $1 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
        $lock_cmd >/dev/null 2>&1 &
    # turn off display backlight:
    xset dpms force off
        exit
    fi
done

I also mapped it to Win+L, to be like Windows.

Solution 5

/usr/bin/xscreensaver was not running. Fixed by opening xfce4-settings-manager, opening screen saver section, it asked to run xscreensaver daemon, clicked yes and the locking works now.

View more solutions

79,421

cjm

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

cjm almost 2 years

I'm trying out XFCE on Arch Linux, and for some reason the Lock Screen option in the session menu doesn't do anything. Neither does running xflock4 at the command line (it exits 0 with no output).

xfce4-session is running.

Do I need to install a screensaver package or something?
cjm over 10 years

Actually, gnome-screensaver is installed, and it was working under Gnome. Do I need to activate it somehow?
cjm over 10 years

Ok, the problem seems to be that gnome-screensaver-command exists, but gnome-screensaver is not running. xflock4 runs gnome-screensaver-command --lock, which does nothing but exits 0, so xflock4 thinks it's done.
cjm over 10 years

I prefer i3lock as a simple screen locker, which isn't directly supported by xflock4, so I wrote a simple wrapper script as /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command that invokes i3lock. Since xflock4 tries xscreensaver-command before gnome-screensaver-command, that fixes the problem.
jasonwryan over 10 years

slock is even simpler and now comes with a feature: colour!
Mark K Cowan about 9 years

@jasonwryan: Ugh, just a gimmicky trend. Colour display is no more useful than having over 640k of RAM...
Kev almost 6 years

This also works for Linux Mint 19, if anyone is looking for that.
nachopro about 5 years

Thanks! I'm a migrating from XFCE4 to BSPWM, now i3lock works great!
Fred over 4 years

i was trying to use slock, built from source. slock is used as a fallback locker by default, but if you build from source you need to add /usr/local/bin to the path up top.
simonzack over 4 years

Need to run xfce4-screensaver & after installing it too. I was wondering why it didn't work after install.