# How can I stop the screen from blanking every ten minutes?

## Wes

On my Dell Inspiron, the screen blanks every ten minutes.  This is extremely annoying when I am doing a presentation on an overhead screen.

Here's what I've tried.  DPMS is not enabled in X.  I have gone into the BIOS and disabled power management (both both for battery and non-battery mode).  It still does it.

Eventually, I noticed that the console blanks even when I am not running X.

Note: I do have the Dell laptop support enabled in the kernel.  Could that be the problem?

Can anyone tell me what to do?

----------

## BonezTheGoon

You might want to read this other thread that covers this behavior.  Alternatively I have noticed that after I have installed xscreensaver I can control with those settings; how and when the screen blanks.

Hope that helps!

Regards,

BonezTheGoon

----------

## st. anger

i am having an interesting problem: i just installed gentoo from the 1.4_r3 cd on an MSI nforce2 board with integrated geforce4 mx. i installed the nvidia drivers and graphics are working just fine, the problem is when the screen blanks, it doesnt wake up again. for example after 10 minutes the screen blanks and when i try to move the mouse or hit a key to wake it up, nothing happens. also when i exit X, i dont see any text on the console just a blank screen, i can still blindly type startx again and it will start, but when i go back to console its still blank. i even tried CTRL ALT F2 etc, but it just seems when graphics start, i cant get back to console. very frustrating.

----------

## easykill

in your .xinitrc (for startx) or .xsession(for xdm) or /etc/X11/Sessions/whatever file (sometimes kdm/gdm use these), put the following

xset s off

this will disable screen blanking.

----------

## st. anger

i know how to prevent it from blanking, but that is not the issue. the problem is when i exit from X the console is blank. but i know its not frozen because i can still "blindly" type commands. the console works perfectly if i dont startx, but when i exit from X, the console stays black

----------

## kha

you likely have a prob with your console mode. I think you must be using a graphic mode for your console ? If it is the case you should try with a standard console mode first (textmode) and make sure everything is fine when you are in text mode. 

You will very to recompile your kernel though. 

Kha

----------

## st. anger

well actullay i was thinking about trying the framebuffer, because this is happening on standard console. i tried re-emerging X, tried different kernels: beta kernel, redhat sources, gaming source, ck sources, ac sources, finally now im using mandrake sources.the only the mandrake, gaming and beta sources had support for my nforce board. the gaming sources froze up when in X. the beta sources i couldnt compile the nvidia drivers. so im happy w/ mandrake sources for now.

 but STILL :: invisible console!!!!!

like i said, it starts up fine, its only after i exit X that my console suffers this frustrating occurence.

i am going to try the framebuffer now.

----------

## st. anger

well, that didnt help.

i am beginning to suspect the integrated graphics.

----------

## st. anger

i probably should have started a new thread for this problem but, anyways

i installed a gfx card and everything is ok now. has anyone had any success with integrated gfx on this board? MSI K7N2G-L

----------

