How is monitor power saving controlled?

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View this article only Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.hardware, comp.os.linux.misc Date: 2002-05-25 07:08:37 PST

Leonard Evens wrote: > On two computers running RH7.1, my monitor has been going into power > saving mode after some period of time. I use the gnome desktop for both > with the sawfish window manager. In one I have specified that the > toolbox screensaver section that power saving should be used and I've > chosen no screensaver. It used to go off, but suddenly it stopped doing > so. In the other computer, I have not clicked the power saving button > in my desktop toolbox, but the power saving feature is invoked anyway. > I presume something else is controlling it. > > What controls this feature? > >

man "xset" is what you are looking for and is done like this.

To enable the monitor's Energy Star features.

xset  +dpms

To disable the monitor's Energy Star features.

xset  -dpms

To have it go into standby mode in 5 minutes and into suspend mode in 10 minutes and does not turn the monitor off.

xset  dpms  300  600  0

How is monitor power saving controlled?

 > What controls this feature?
 >
 >
An alternative to using xset that David described is to adjust the settings
in your X config file.  This is usually /etc/X11/XF86Config for version 3
and /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 for version 4.

Find or add the following:

Section "ServerFlags"
       Option "blanktime" "10"
       Option "standby time" 10"
       Option "suspend time" "10"
       Option "off time" "10"
EndSection

(If the section exists, you only need to add the option lines. Otherwise, you need to add the entire section, usually near the top of the file.)

Then you adjust the numbers to something suitable for your needs and restart the X server. It works for me using RHL 7.1 and Xfree version 4.