Disable screen blanking on text console
You can verify what timeout the kernel uses for virtual console blanking via:
$ cat /sys/module/kernel/parameters/consoleblank
600
This file is read-only and the timeout is specified in seconds. The current default seems to be 10 minutes.
You can change that value with entering the following command on a virtual console (if you are inside an xterm you have to change to a virtual console via hitting e.g. Ctrl+Alt+F1).
$ setterm -blank VALUE
Where the new VALUE is specified in minutes. A value of 0 disables blanking:
$ cat /sys/module/kernel/parameters/consoleblank
600
$ setterm -blank 0
$ cat /sys/module/kernel/parameters/consoleblank
0
setterm has other powersaving related options, the most useful combination seems to be:
$ setterm -blank 0 -powersave off
Thus to permanently/automatically disable virtual console blanking on startup you can either:
- add
consoleblank=0
to the kernel parameters (edit grub configuration) - add the
setterm -blank 0
command to anrc-local
or equivalent startup script add the
setterm
output to/etc/issue
since/etc/issue
is output on every virtual console:# setterm -blank 0 >> /etc/issue
Choose one alternative from the above.
Try using this:
setterm -blank
According to : https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Display_Power_Management_Signaling#DPMS_Interaction_in_a_console_with_setterm
Prevent screen from turning off (in console)
$ setterm -blank 0 -powerdown 0
Alternatively you can disable console blanking permanently using the following command:
# echo -ne "\033[9;0]" >> /etc/issue