cinnamon-screensaver-command

cinnamon-screensaver-command [OPTION...]

--lock
    Locks the screen immediately, activating the screensaver if it's not already active. This is often used for security when stepping away from the computer.

--activate
    Activates the screensaver, typically displaying a screensaver animation, but does not necessarily lock the screen unless configured to do so. In many common use cases, its effect is similar to --lock.

--deactivate
    Deactivates the screensaver, typically unlocking the screen if it was locked. This command might require user authentication depending on the system's security settings.

--query or --status
    Queries the current status of the screensaver. It prints information to standard output, indicating whether the screensaver is active, inactive, or locked.

--help
    Displays a help message with a list of available options and a brief description of their usage.

--version
    Displays the version information of the cinnamon-screensaver-command utility.

The cinnamon-screensaver-command utility provides a command-line interface to interact with the Cinnamon desktop environment's screensaver daemon, cinnamon-screensaver. Its primary function is to allow users and scripts to control the screensaver's state, including locking the screen, activating the screensaver immediately, deactivating it, or querying its current status. This command is particularly useful for automation tasks, keyboard shortcuts, or scripts that need to programmatically manage the display's locked state within a Cinnamon session. It ensures that the screensaver behaves as expected without direct graphical interaction, making it a crucial component for system administrators and power users alike.

This command is specific to the Cinnamon desktop environment and requires the cinnamon-screensaver daemon to be running. It will not work on other desktop environments (like GNOME, KDE, XFCE, etc.) or if the Cinnamon screensaver daemon is not active. Deactivating the screensaver (unlocking) often requires authentication (e.g., password entry) for security purposes, which cannot be bypassed via this command-line tool.

Here are some common usage examples for cinnamon-screensaver-command:

Lock the screen immediately:
cinnamon-screensaver-command --lock

Query the screensaver status:
cinnamon-screensaver-command --query

Deactivate the screensaver (if unlocked):
cinnamon-screensaver-command --deactivate

The cinnamon-screensaver-command typically returns an exit status of 0 upon successful execution. A non-zero exit status indicates an error or failure in performing the requested operation.

The cinnamon-screensaver-command utility emerged as part of the Cinnamon desktop environment's development, which itself is a fork of GNOME 3. Consequently, its functionality and command-line interface are heavily inspired by and often directly derived from the gnome-screensaver-command tool. It was created to provide native screensaver control for the Cinnamon desktop, maintaining compatibility with the underlying GNOME technologies while adapting to Cinnamon's specific design choices and user experience.

cinnamon-screensaver(1), xdg-screensaver(1), gnome-screensaver-command(1), xset(1)