# xautolock-inhibit

Makes screen locking with `xautolock` respect the "don't lock the screen" requests that apps send, on X11 sessions without a desktop environment (for example a plain window manager like xmonad).

Browsers, Steam, gamemode and other apps ask the desktop not to lock or blank the screen while a video or game is running, through the D-Bus service `org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver`. Without a desktop environment nothing provides that service, so the requests are dropped and the screen locks in the middle of a video. xautolock-inhibit provides it:

- While at least one request is active, it runs `xautolock -disable` and pauses X screen blanking and DPMS.
- When the last request is released, it waits a few seconds, then runs `xautolock -enable` and resumes blanking.

xautolock stays your locker; xautolock-inhibit only switches it off and on.

## How it works

- Owns `org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver` on the session bus at both `/org/freedesktop/ScreenSaver` and `/ScreenSaver` (apps differ on the path), and implements `Inhibit` and `UnInhibit`.
- Tracks requests per D-Bus client. If a client disconnects without releasing them (for example a browser crash), its requests are released.
- Runs `xautolock` only when the number of active requests goes from 0 to 1 or back to 0. Re-enabling waits a few seconds (`--release-delay`), because browsers send short bursts of requests when a video starts.
- Pauses X blanking with `XScreenSaverSuspend`, the same mechanism mpv uses, instead of changing `xset` settings. The X server ends the pause by itself if the daemon exits or crashes.
- Requests whose reason is on an ignore list (default: `Playing audio`) are accepted and logged, but don't block locking. Firefox-based browsers send one for audio playback, which would otherwise keep the screen unlocked while music plays with nobody at the computer.
- On exit (including SIGTERM), it re-enables xautolock. The systemd unit also runs `xautolock -enable` when it stops, as a fallback.
- If another program (a desktop environment) already owns `org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver`, it exits with status 2 instead of taking over.

## Requirements

- `xautolock`, already running in the session
- `python`, `python-gobject`
- `libx11`, `libxss`

## Installation

Build and install the package with the included PKGBUILD:

```
makepkg -si
```

Then start it from your window manager's startup, after `xautolock`. For xmonad:

```haskell
spawnOnce "xautolock -time 10 -locker slock -detectsleep"
spawnOnce "systemctl --user start xautolock-inhibit"
```

The unit has no `[Install]` section on purpose. Enabling it at login would also start it in a desktop environment, or before X is up; starting it from the window manager limits it to that session. The user service manager needs `DISPLAY` (and `XAUTHORITY`) in its environment, which `/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/50-systemd-user.sh` sets up for `startx` sessions.

## Usage

```
xautolock-inhibit [-i REASON] [--count-all] [-d SECONDS]
```

- `-i`, `--ignore-reason REASON`: request reason that doesn't block locking. Can be repeated; replaces the default (`Playing audio`).
- `--count-all`: every request blocks locking; no reasons are ignored.
- `-d`, `--release-delay SECONDS`: wait this long after the last release before re-enabling xautolock (default 5).

To change the options used by the service:

```
systemctl --user edit xautolock-inhibit.service
```

```ini
[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/bin/xautolock-inhibit --count-all
```

Every request, release and xautolock call is logged to the journal:

```
journalctl --user -u xautolock-inhibit
```

## App notes

- **Sandboxed apps** may be blocked from reaching the service. For a firejail profile that filters D-Bus (`dbus-user filter`, as the Firefox-based profiles do), allow it in the app's `.local` file, e.g. `zen-browser.local`:

  ```
  dbus-user.talk org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver
  ```

- **Games**: Steam's overlay and gamemode (`inhibit_screensaver=1`) send requests on their own.
- **scrcpy** only sends a request when started with `--disable-screensaver`.
- **mpv** talks to the X server directly and doesn't need this daemon.

## Limitations

- Restarting the daemon loses the requests it holds; apps don't send them again. Avoid restarting it while a video or game is running.
- `SimulateUserActivity` is accepted but does nothing. Calls are logged once when a client starts sending them and once, with a count, after 5 minutes without any.
- `GetActive` always returns `false`.

## License

GPL-3.0-or-later. See [LICENSE](LICENSE).