xfce, init is deactivating xscreensaver every 20 sec.

[k9dog]

Hi I'm having some trouble that init is deactivating xscreensaver (through xscreensaver-command) every 20 sec. I managed to track down the error and stopping init from interrupting the screensaver by replacing /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command with a script that shows init [3] to be the launching program and the options to be -deactivate.
I checked my configuration and I can't find anything that might cause this behaviour. Even testing a screen saver is broken. Replacing xscreensaver-command with a script made screen saver work again, but might interfere with other operations, so I'd prefer if I could track down the source (have another Gentoo setup where it is not an issue and think it turned up around the time where I changed from nouveau to legacy nvidia v304 driver and 4.9 kernel, but it might not be related as I also updated the system and did various changes).
So what I know is init calls xscreensaver-command -deactivate every 20 seconds.

[eccerr0r]

Well, I doubt init is actually starting it; it's probably some other program disowning the deactivate command, and init ends up being the parent to all disowned child processes.

Now the question is what else are you running - what desktop environment, what other programs that could desire to disable the screensaver.
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Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?

[k9dog]

[eccerr0r]

If you insist init is running it, check your /etc/inittab and make sure it's not running it.
_________________
Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?

[Hu]

As eccerr0r says, post the output of cat -n /etc/inittab. My guess would be that whatever process runs it is forking, then forking again, then the first level child exits (reparenting the seconnd-level child to init), then the second-level child executes /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command.

Also, your wrapper script has a bug. You do not forward to the real program the arguments that were passed to your wrapper.

[k9dog]

@Hu: My wrapper was to dig into what was going on. What I see is -deactivate every 20 sec. I've seen init and no other program calling the xss-cmd. My wrapper could at least look for init and the option to deactivate if I plan expanding it. I am not sure what else I could look for, but I was not planning to leave wrapper there for ever, just until I find the scoundrel program or otherwise remove the cause.

@eccerr0r: I am not saying init is the problem, I think init is just the messenger. I suspect one of the programs init is running somehow is asking system to disable powersave and screensaver. Without wrapper screensaver doesn't work at all (I tried 2 versions of xscreensaver). I'm pretty sure xscreensaver is asked though init, but I think whatever system element triggers the request, does it through init and I'm not sure how to debug init to tell me which element. I haven't modified my init script (etc-update might), but I'll post it if you want.

I also got caffeine installed (layman seeds). I tried uninstalling it and still had the issue. Caffeine can still disable the screensaver even with the wrapper. If I consider my use flags, maybe I'll try pulling out the upower and launching emerge world again. Most power options seem to work badly with my nvidia v304 anyway (hibernate/sleep), so I don't expect to miss it. From what I read it is the old nvidia hardware that was causing these power save problems (not related to xss-cmd, but maybe disabling power save can remove problem). I think it did work with nouveau and I think screensaver did before I turned my system into nvidia driver based, but the nvidia driver is very fast (can run wine games / vlc without a hitch) and the setup put most Windows installations to shame. If this is the issue it might only show with old legacy drivers as required by my system.
To save power my kernel is slowing cpu and putting that to sleep. I got sensors installed to lower fan speed. It is all very console and kernel based, but it might be another place to look. I'd prefer not disabling too much of it as it does save power.

[eccerr0r]

What I'm saying is that it's not likely the problem, nor is it even the messenger - more of the trash can. There's no way to tell who threw it in the trash, other than someone ditched it.

Not only that, EVERY single (user) process is a child of init! (kernel processes are a bit different, I think... but irrelevant for this problem.)

Do you have xfce-power-manager changing power options?
_________________
Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?

[k9dog]

I am not sure why script says calling process was init, but I think that is actually more due to screenblanker being started by init. My script gave the calling parameters, but the launching program might have been a false indicator.
I must say that the upowerd listed did make me think it was causing the problem. While this might not have been 100% the case adding -upower to make.conf, unmerging most power related stuff and re-emerging did help (didn't trigger much rebuild after I had removed power saving programs.
Script isn't needed any more. There is no attempts from system to deactivate screen blanker.
I replaced xscreensaver-command with the original and not having the problem any more (with or without script).
I told screensaver to use a turn off screen and that worked too. So screen goes blank at 2 minutes and turns off after 5.
So there is no longer an issue.
I un-emerged most power saving tools and anything directly related to powerd. xfce-power-manager was unmerged too before I read your last post.
Caffinate works.

[Hu]

[eccerr0r]

xfce-power-manager also has controls to deal with screen blanking; if you had that set to disable blanking, then that could possibly be the problem. I don't know how xfce4 handles controlling screen blanking though its default screensaver is xscreensaver, quite possibly it executes a command to ping the xscreensaver daemon to ensure the screen doesn't go blank.
_________________
Intel Core i7 2700K/Radeon R7 250/24GB DDR3/256GB SSD
What am I supposed watching?

[k9dog]