Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
On Wed, Apr 07, 1999 at 10:49:07PM -0600, Rick Macdonald wrote: I have a program that I want to run only while my PC is unattended. I don't need the screen locked necessarily. xlock does this for me: xlock +nolock -startCmd startsetiathome -mode blank but I have to run it manually. When I log back in, it does kill the running command (startsetiathome) just like I want. I'd like this exact behaviour but somehow I need xlock to always be running, waiting to jump in after the idle period. Any ideas? Do any of the screen savers in gnome/enlightenment/etc have such features? How about the xautolock package? It might more properly be named xidle, since it is simply used to start an arbitrary command after the X input devices have been idle for the period of time you determine. Package: xautolock Status: install ok installed Priority: optional Section: non-free/x11 Installed-Size: 47 Maintainer: Frederic Lepied [EMAIL PROTECTED] Version: pl15-1 Depends: libc6, xlib6g (= 3.3-5) Recommends: xlockmore | xtrlock Description: Start a program if the X window is idle for some time Xautolock monitors console activity under the X window system, and fires up a program of your choice if nothing happens during a user configurable period of time. You can use this to automatically start up a screen locker in case you tend to forget to do so manually before having a coffee break. Urp. That's not free! I just noticed that and I've been using it for years. Looks like we do need xidle. Who wants to write it? Guess I should install vrms and find out what else I'm in trouble with. -- G. Branden Robinson | Debian GNU/Linux |If existence exists, [EMAIL PROTECTED] |why create a creator? cartoon.ecn.purdue.edu/~branden/ | pgpLXfMrM4c1x.pgp Description: PGP signature
Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
On Fri, 9 Apr 1999, Branden Robinson wrote: On Wed, Apr 07, 1999 at 10:49:07PM -0600, Rick Macdonald wrote: I have a program that I want to run only while my PC is unattended. I don't need the screen locked necessarily. How about the xautolock package? Ah, that's what I was asking for! But, I like the /proc/interrupts solution better now. It gives me a Tcl-only capability, and will work even if X isn't running. I may later need a solution for Solaris and other platforms, and xautolock is the only one I have so far. Thanks! Urp. That's not free! I just noticed that and I've been using it for years. It's almost free. There's even a note in the copyright field quoting the author saying it should be ok for debian releases. There must be still some detail that the DFSG doesn't like. ...RickM...
[off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
I have a program that I want to run only while my PC is unattended. I don't need the screen locked necessarily. xlock does this for me: xlock +nolock -startCmd startsetiathome -mode blank but I have to run it manually. When I log back in, it does kill the running command (startsetiathome) just like I want. I'd like this exact behaviour but somehow I need xlock to always be running, waiting to jump in after the idle period. Any ideas? Do any of the screen savers in gnome/enlightenment/etc have such features? If anyone is interested, the program that I'm running is the SETI at Home client. SETI is The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Linux platforms currently dominate the user community, but the Mac and Windows clients aren't released yet. Check it out: http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ Here's a screenshot of a little GUI monitor that I wrote for it: http://www.cuug.ab.ca/~macdonal/tkseti.gif ...RickM...
Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
I have a program that I want to run only while my PC is unattended. I
don't need the screen locked necessarily.
xlock does this for me:
xlock +nolock -startCmd startsetiathome -mode blank
but I have to run it manually. When I log back in, it does kill the
running command (startsetiathome) just like I want.
I'd like this exact behaviour but somehow I need xlock to always be
running, waiting to jump in after the idle period.
I thought about this problem before, and now realised you can check
keyboard and mouse activity looking at /proc/interrupts. You could then
start a script like this in your .xsession file (adapt the variables at
the start to your needs):
runsaver:
#! /bin/sh
# these are the interrupts of your keyboard and mouse,
# check out your /proc/interrupts:
INTERRUPTS=1 4
# this is the interval in seconds between checks of /proc/interrupts
SLEEPTIME=30
# if more than MAXINTERVALS * SLEEPTIME seconds pass without activity,
# the xlock program will run
MAXINTERVALS=10
# command line options for xlock
XLOCKFLAGS=-nolock -mode bat
checkactive () {
TOTALS=
INTERVALS=0
while true; do
OLDTOTALS=$TOTALS
TOTALS=
for x in $INTERRUPTS; do
TOTALS=$TOTALS `grep \$x: /proc/interrupts | \
sed -e 's/^.*: *\([0-9]*\).*/\1/'`
done
if [ $TOTALS = $OLDTOTALS ]; then
INTERVALS=`expr $INTERVALS + 1`
if [ $INTERVALS -ge $MAXINTERVALS ]; then
break
fi
else
INTERVALS=0
fi
sleep $SLEEPTIME
done
}
while true; do
checkactive
xlock $XLOCKFLAGS
done
Note I have only just barely tested this.
If anyone is interested, the program that I'm running is the SETI at Home
client. SETI is The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.
Great, sent my regards to the aliens once you find them :)
HTH,
Eric
--
E.L. Meijer ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Eindhoven Univ. of Technology
Lab. for Catalysis and Inorg. Chem. (SKA)
Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
On Thu, 8 Apr 1999, E.L. Meijer (Eric) wrote: I'd like this exact behaviour but somehow I need xlock to always be running, waiting to jump in after the idle period. I thought about this problem before, and now realised you can check keyboard and mouse activity looking at /proc/interrupts. You could then start a script like this in your .xsession file (adapt the variables at the start to your needs): This is great! Thanks! I don't even need xlock now. I'll just start/stop the SETI program directly. Now, does anybody know if there is an equivalent to the /proc files on other UNIXs, particularly Solaris, to detect mouse and keyboard activity? ...RickM...
Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
On Thu, Apr 08, 1999 at 08:06:51AM -0600, Rick Macdonald wrote: This is great! Thanks! I don't even need xlock now. I'll just start/stop the SETI program directly. Now, does anybody know if there is an equivalent to the /proc files on other UNIXs, particularly Solaris, to detect mouse and keyboard activity? Shouldn't nicing it to the lowest level mean it only runs in idle time anyway? Or does it display things when running? Hamish -- Hamish Moffatt VK3TYD. CCs of replies from mailing lists are welcome.
Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
On Fri, 9 Apr 1999, Hamish Moffatt wrote: On Thu, Apr 08, 1999 at 08:06:51AM -0600, Rick Macdonald wrote: This is great! Thanks! I don't even need xlock now. I'll just start/stop the SETI program directly. Now, does anybody know if there is an equivalent to the /proc files on other UNIXs, particularly Solaris, to detect mouse and keyboard activity? Shouldn't nicing it to the lowest level mean it only runs in idle time anyway? Or does it display things when running? I need to try various nice values and pay more attention, but I could feel it's presence when it's running at nice=1. It's all numerical computation and soaks up lots of CPU. Memory isn't a problem for me (I have 256MB). It doesn't display anthing, just a stream of progress prints to stdout that you can /dev/null. ...RickM...
Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
On Thu, 8 Apr 1999, Rick Macdonald wrote: On Fri, 9 Apr 1999, Hamish Moffatt wrote: Shouldn't nicing it to the lowest level mean it only runs in idle time anyway? Or does it display things when running? I need to try various nice values and pay more attention, but I could feel it's presence when it's running at nice=1. It's all numerical nice=19 is the LOWEST priority, nice=-20 is the HIGHEST. Negative numbers are only available to root. So, when you moved it from 0 to 1, you didn't really do all that much. Try sending it all the way to 19. -Michael computation and soaks up lots of CPU. Memory isn't a problem for me (I have 256MB). It doesn't display anthing, just a stream of progress prints to stdout that you can /dev/null. Michael Stenner Office Phone: 919-660-2513 Duke University, Dept. of Physics [EMAIL PROTECTED] Box 90305, Durham N.C. 27708-0305
Re: [off-topic] How to auto-run xlock?
On Thu, 8 Apr 1999, Michael Stenner wrote: I need to try various nice values and pay more attention, but I could feel it's presence when it's running at nice=1. It's all numerical nice=19 is the LOWEST priority, nice=-20 is the HIGHEST. Negative numbers are only available to root. So, when you moved it from 0 to 1, you didn't really do all that much. Try sending it all the way to 19. The default is 1. I did set it to 19 for awhile, but not long enough to decide if I could live with it that way for 2 years. Once the novelty wears off, I figure running it only when I'm away from the PC will be plenty good enough. The program checkpoints state, so you can kill and restart it at will without loosing anything. Of course, you could just stop/cont it as well. The [EMAIL PROTECTED] sever is down right now so I can't do any more tests at the moment. ...RickM...
