From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jan 23 13:11:47 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6830616A406 for ; Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:11:47 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from smithi@nimnet.asn.au) Received: from gaia.nimnet.asn.au (nimbin.lnk.telstra.net [139.130.45.143]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9417E13C448 for ; Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:11:45 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from smithi@nimnet.asn.au) Received: from localhost (smithi@localhost) by gaia.nimnet.asn.au (8.8.8/8.8.8R1.4) with SMTP id AAA17564; Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:11:32 +1100 (EST) (envelope-from smithi@nimnet.asn.au) Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:11:32 +1100 (EST) From: Ian Smith To: Zhang Weiwu In-Reply-To: <20070123110959.0303A16A479@hub.freebsd.org> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: laptop screen always shutdown if no keyboard interaction for several minutes X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:11:47 -0000 Re: freebsd-questions Digest, Vol 162, Issue 5 > Message: 3 > Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:47:02 +0800 > From: Zhang Weiwu > Hello. I tried various ways to stop the laptop screen from being > shutting down, as I use this screen to watch debug message of an > application I am working on, I need monitor always on, no screensaver, > no blank, no dpms etc. What make and model laptop? > I cannot do it. I have tried: > 1. set blanktime to "NO" in /etc/rc.conf > 2. set saver to "NO" in /etc/rc.conf On my Compaq 1500c, saver only affects it while viewing a vty; I use apm_saver which actually does power down my screen. In X (KDE) saver has no effect, and I usually have KDE's power management turned off. > 3. start X server and run a terminal in it, run xset -dpms What window manager? KDE, for instance, can do its own screensaver management, that could override or bypass your manual -dpms setting. > 4. check laptop BIOS setting (there is no setting for automatic > blank time Your BIOS surely has settings for power management, both for battery and mains power? These might include screenblanking even if it's not called that (eg maximum / minimum / no power savings or such)? Apart from manually invoked suspend/resume and battery state reporting, apm relies on (and is oblivious to) the machine's BIOS APM settings for blanking / disk off / suspend timers, or does on my 1500c at least. > I have not tried: > I. remove 'apm' from kernel (I didn't compile ACPI into kernel > because this is an old notebook I am not sure if ACPI works, but > I have compiled apm in kernel, which is not shown in dmesg and > doesn't seem to work, e.g. 'shutdown -p' do not turn off the > power) Usually - given we don't know what sort of old laptop - you can or must specifically enable or disable APM and/or ACPI in BIOS. If apm is not shown in /var/run/dmesg.boot then it isn't being used, or perhaps not detected. checking dmesg after booting verbosely might give at least some clue about that, assuming that APM is enabled in BIOS. Boot to the loader prompt and check that hint.apm.0.disabled=0 and that hint.apm.0.flags="0x20" (a safe default). You could then 'boot -v' to get your verbose dmesg.boot, which you may want to save for reference. > II. install Windows on the same computer to see if Windows can keep > the monitor on. Hopefully it hasn't come to that, yet :) > III. boot the system to FreeDOS and see if monitor keep turned up (to > decide if LCD is turned off by hardware or software) Sounds like an easy non-destructive test from a floppy or CD boot. > Any suggestions? Provide some basic info. Somebody else might know the same machine. Cheers, Ian