My MagicMirror screen keeps turning off

[EhsanMomeni81]

Hi,

My MM screen keeps turning off every 120 minutes. I have turn off screen saver and I have followed the instructions and installed x11-xserver, but it doesn’t seem to work, and I’m too novice to know how to correct it.

@xset s off
@xset -dpms
@xset s noblank

Thank you for your help

[TvE]

So I have also been searching a lot for an answer to this question and been wondering why it have been so difficult to find a CLI based solution to this task.

I am using the “Raspberry Pi Imager” tool (on Window$) to prepare a USB stick (or SD card) and hereafter configure everything via SSH.

I know I could just use RDP or VNC to access and thus make this change via a GUI. But that’s to annoying, hence my need for a CLI based solution

Finally I found it in this thread (thank you @evroom !)

So this is just to help others with the same search that this [1] still works on the current latest RPI OS bullseye:

pi@magicmirror:~ $ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Raspbian
Description:    Raspbian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)
Release:        11
Codename:       bullseye

Without this [1] change the screen goes black after 600s (10m)
Which can also be identified by the “timeout value” returned by this command.

pi@magicmirror:~ $ DISPLAY=:0 xset q
...
Screen Saver:
  prefer blanking:  yes    allow exposures:  yes
  timeout:  600    cycle:  600
...

After fixing it the value gets set to ‘0’
Right now I still see the screen after 16m (and counting…)

How to
The config change can be applied in many ways (vi, nano etc) but I prefer this method (as it can be copy-pasted or be made part of a config-script).

[1] I “just” add the three required lines to the config file:

printf "@xset -dpms\n@xset s off\n@xset s noblank" | sudo tee -a /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart

PS.: Before I found this I also tried these solutions (which all failed to solve the problem

A. in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf:
xserver-command=X -s 0 dpms

B. Enable VNC as a workaround for mutter

I found (but did not try)

C. install xscreensaver and configure it to not kick in

HTH (my first post here :-)

[sdetweil]

@EhsanMomeni81 does the tv or monitor have a power off function? Sleep maybe?

[evroom]

@EhsanMomeni81

120 minutes seems a long time for a screensaver or so.
Normally that would be 5 to 15 minutes.

Which exact file did you edit?

There are, for example, multiple autostart files on your system and only one of them will work, depending on your debian version.
To locate them:

sudo find / -name autostart -type f

[EhsanMomeni81]

@sdetweil It’s the official RPi 7" screen, and what I can see no power off/sleep function

[EhsanMomeni81]

@evroom
I edited the autostart which was stated in the MagicMirror guide

sudo nano /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart

[evroom]

@EhsanMomeni81
For Debian buster that seems to be right.
For Debian stretch it is

/home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart

On my Debian buster Pi with official RPI 7 inch screen, I have this for screen off after15 minutes.
So, your xset settings seem right; have them like that on my other MagiMirror install (on Debian stretch) too.

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cat /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
@lxpanel --profile LXDE-pi
@pcmanfm --desktop --profile LXDE-pi
@xscreensaver -no-splash
point-rpi
@xset s 900
@xset s blank
@xset -dpms

@sdetweil made install scripts, so I guess he knows a bit more.

[sdetweil]

@evroom not for screen stuff yet

[EhsanMomeni81]

@evroom
Sorry, but Debian buster and Debian stretch?

I have a cronjob to turn off the screen at 11 pm until 6 am, which works, but other than that I want the screen to be on. Is it possible to change 900 to 61 200 (17 h) instead?

[evroom]

@EhsanMomeni81 said in My MagicMirror screen keeps turning off:

Sorry, but Debian buster and Debian stretch?

I guess you downloaded and installed an image with Debian, like from
https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/raspbian/
Debian Buster is the latest Debian version.

With lsb_release -ayou can find out which version you have.

If your cronjob works for turning on / off the screen, then I guess you do not need to use the @xset parameters to turn off the screen.

This is what I currently have:

For Debain Stretch (screen always on):

$ cat /home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
@lxpanel --profile LXDE-pi
@pcmanfm --desktop --profile LXDE-pi
@xscreensaver -no-splash
@point-rpi
@unclutter -display :0 -idle 3 -root -noevents
@xset s noblank
@xset s off
@xset -dpms

For Debian Buster (screen off after 900 seconds):

$ cat /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
@lxpanel --profile LXDE-pi
@pcmanfm --desktop --profile LXDE-pi
@xscreensaver -no-splash
point-rpi
@xset s 900
@xset s blank
@xset -dpms

Not sure what the other entries do, I just appended the @xset lines to the existing entries.
Will try what happens when I remove them a bit later.

[evroom]

@evroom said in My MagicMirror screen keeps turning off:

Not sure what the other entries do

To answer myself.

lxpanel        0.10.0-2+rpt4 armhf        LXDE panel
pcmanfm        1.3.1-1+rpt7 armhf        extremely fast and lightweight file manager
point-rpi      0.20160905   armhf        Locate the mouse pointer over the menu button
xscreensaver - not installed

Using Debian Buster and a RPI 7 inch display, these settings should work for ‘screen always on’:

@point-rpi          # locate the mouse pointer over the menu button
@xset s off         # don't activate screensaver
@xset -dpms         # disable DPMS (Energy Star) features.
@xset s noblank     # don't blank the video device

I left @point-rpias it sounds useful somehow; for screensaver settings not needed though.
Will test it now.