setvesablank

setvesablank [on|off]

on
    Enables VESA screen blanking on the console. The screen will blank after the system's configured inactivity timeout.

off
    Disables VESA screen blanking on the console. The screen will not blank due to inactivity.

The setvesablank command is a Linux utility used to control the VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) blanking feature of the console. It allows users to enable or disable the screen blanking mechanism, which is part of the power management features for the display. When enabled, the console screen will go blank after a period of inactivity, similar to a screen saver, helping to save power and prevent screen burn-in.

This command is particularly relevant in environments where direct console access is frequent and power management is desired, such as servers or embedded systems without a full graphical desktop environment. It operates directly on the Linux console driver to manipulate the VESA blanking state.

This command primarily affects the text-mode Linux console and typically has no effect on graphical desktop environments (like GNOME, KDE, XFCE, etc.).

The blanking timeout period is usually configured separately, often via tools like setterm or kernel parameters. setvesablank only enables or disables the feature, not its duration.

Requires root privileges or appropriate permissions to modify console settings.

Its functionality might be superseded or managed differently by modern display managers or power management daemons in contemporary Linux distributions.

While often used interchangeably, screen blanking (as controlled by setvesablank) typically refers to turning off the display signal or putting the display into a low-power state. A screen saver, on the other hand, usually involves displaying dynamic patterns to prevent burn-in, often without actually powering down the display. setvesablank focuses on the former.

The setvesablank command is part of the kbd project, which provides utilities for managing the Linux console's keyboard and screen. It has been available for a long time as a fundamental tool for console management in Linux, reflecting the early importance of power saving and display protection features even in text-mode environments. Its development has been intertwined with the evolution of the Linux kernel's console drivers.

setterm(1), kbd(7), console_ioctl(4)