Bug#473308: gnome-power-manager: idle detection stomps over active sessions

[Nikolaus Schulz]

Hi Sven, 

thanks for your reply. 

On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 07:15:48PM +0200, Sven Arvidsson wrote:
> On Sat, 2008-03-29 at 22:36 +0100, Nikolaus Schulz wrote:
> > the algorithms used by gnome-power-manager/gnome-screensaver to
> > determine if a system is idle do not detect at least two common
> > scenarios: remote ssh logins, and the computer playing music, with
> > nobody between chair and keyboard. 
> > 
> > This means that, if gnome-power-manager is configured to suspend my
> > computer when it's idle, it cuts off active ssh sessions, and kills my
> > jukebox as well.
> 
> Hi,
> 
> At the moment, the multi user scenario doesn't work very well in
> gnome-power-manager. Not for two users locally sharing the desktop, and
> not for remote logins.
>
> See http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=348218 and
> http://live.gnome.org/BetterPowerManager

I am aware of the upstream bug, and to be honest, I've seen the
BetterPowerManager page, too, but forgot about it.  

My impression was, that most people were talking about the
fast-user-switching scenario; which may be more common, but doesn't
cover the situation with no one 'physically' using the machine.  And
especially the g-p-m developer saying "Until [we have policykit] there
is no way we can have temp session authority over one monitor" made me
worry that PolicyKit might address the typical desktop use case only,
ignoring old school ssh logins. :-)  To my relief, the wiki indeed
suggests this will be properly solved.

Now, this wiki reads like it is still discussed how to approach these
problems, while I hear that Gnome 2.22 started 'integrating' PolicyKit,
whatever that means.  What's the current state of affairs with the
general multi user scenario?  Any pointer how to track the progress
here?  

> Music playback should be handled better by g-p-m, Rhythmbox for example
> inhibits g-p-m from suspending. I guess your music player lacks this
> functionality. 

Interesting.  I generally use audacious (since xmms has died, somewhat
:-). 

> You could use the Inhibit Applet to work around this.

Ah, that's much better than manually killing g-p-m entirely. :-)
Doesn't seem to be in Etch, though.  

Nikolaus