betterlockscreen

Lock the screen

$ betterlockscreen [[-l|--lock]]

$ betterlockscreen [[-u|--update]] [path/to/image.png]

$ betterlockscreen [[-l|--lock]] pixel --text "[custom lock screen text]"

$ betterlockscreen --off [5] [[-l|--lock]]

betterlockscreen [options]
betterlockscreen -l [fx_options]
betterlockscreen -u [path_to_image]
betterlockscreen -s [name]
betterlockscreen -w
betterlockscreen -p

-l, --lock
    Locks the screen using the current configuration. Can be followed by effect options.

-u, --update
    Updates the current wallpaper configuration. Optionally takes a path to a new image.

-s, --save
    Saves the current desktop wallpaper as a named lock screen.

-w, --wallpapers
    Lists all saved lock screen wallpapers.

-p, --path
    Prints the path to the currently used lock screen image.

-d, --dim
    Applies a dimming effect to the wallpaper.

-b, --blur
    Applies a blurring effect to the wallpaper.

--fx-blur <value>
    Sets the blur intensity (e.g., 10x5).

--fx-pixel <value>
    Applies a pixelation effect with specified pixel size.

--fx-vignette <color1> <color2>
    Adds a vignette effect with specified colors.

--fx-line
    Applies a horizontal line effect.

--no-text
    Removes the text input/status display from i3lock.

--display <value>
    Specifies which display to use (e.g., DP-1).

--i3lock-args <args>
    Passes additional arguments directly to i3lock-color.

-h, --help
    Displays help message and exits.

-v, --version
    Displays version information and exits.

betterlockscreen is a sophisticated wrapper script designed to enhance the i3lock or i3lock-color lock screen experience.

It automates the process of generating visually appealing lock screens by dynamically applying various image effects, such as blurring, pixelation, dimming, and vignetting, to your current desktop wallpaper. The script handles caching of processed images to ensure fast lock screen transitions. It provides a user-friendly interface to set, update, and manage lock screen wallpapers, making it easier to personalize your system's security aesthetic.

It's particularly popular among users of tiling window managers like i3wm, providing a more feature-rich alternative to directly calling i3lock. It leverages tools like ImageMagick for image manipulation and xrandr for multi-monitor setups.

Requires i3lock-color (recommended) or i3lock, imagemagick, and xrandr to be installed and accessible. Applying complex effects on very high-resolution images can be resource-intensive during generation, though cached images ensure fast lock screen transitions. The exact appearance of the lock screen heavily depends on the i3lock-color version and its features.

betterlockscreen stores its configuration and cached images typically in ~/.cache/betterlockscreen/ and ~/.local/share/betterlockscreen/. Users can manually manage these directories for advanced customization or troubleshooting.

Ensure i3lock-color (or i3lock), imagemagick, and xrandr are installed and accessible in your PATH for betterlockscreen to function correctly.

betterlockscreen emerged from the Linux desktop community, particularly among users of i3wm and other tiling window managers, who desired more advanced customization options for their lock screens than i3lock alone provided. It gained popularity as a convenient wrapper script that integrated i3lock with image processing tools like ImageMagick to automatically apply aesthetic effects to wallpapers. Its development has been driven by the need for a simple, yet powerful, tool to manage lock screen appearances, leading to its widespread adoption in various dotfile configurations.

i3lock-color(1), i3lock(1), convert(1), xrandr(1)