Version: unspecified (using KDE 4.8.0) OS: Linux VLC can't block KDE screensaver. Reproducible: Didn't try Steps to Reproduce: 1. Enable KDE screensaver. 2. Be sure blocking screensaver is enabled in VLC (by default it's enabled, if didn't disable it). 3. Watch movie in VLC. Actual Results: Screensaver is enabled while watching movie. Expected Results: Screensaver is not enabled while watching movie. https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/5957 According to VLC developers: notvlc bug. With no further data, I have to assume KDE 4.8 again broke compatibility with xdg-utils. Neither of those packages are maintained through this bug tracker. Kubuntu 11.10 x86_64 with KDE 4.8 from Kubuntu Backports PPA. Bug reproduceable for both of latest stable VLC and latest development version of VLC.
This is a long time bug not specific to KDE 4.8. If I'm not mistaken I've seen this since the 4.6 era (when I started using KDE). I don't know if it's just the screen-saver part. For me it's more like the whole power management isn't inhibited because initially the screen gets dimmed and after that the monitor goes blank (blank screen-saver here).
*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***
VLC (only when video is playing or paused) does block the screensaver on my installation with Fedora 18 and KDE SC 4.9.4.
You know, for me VLC was block screensaver on KDE 4.9 too (but only on one laptop; on another laptop with KDE 4.9 screensaver still doesn't get blocked while playback video in VLC). But after upgrade to KDE 4.10 VLC can't block screensaver again.
Tickets with additional data: http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/7824 http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/4739
Same problem, after upgrade to KDE 4.10 (distro ArchLinux) VLC can't block screensaver again.
It's easy to reproduce this bug with Konsole (KDE 4.10) instead of VLC. 1. Enable the Screen Locker and change the time at 'Start automatically after' to 1 minute. 2. Open Konsole. 3. Find the window id of the Konsole window by using 'xwininfo'. 4. Enter the command 'xdg-screensaver suspend <window id>' where <window id> is the window id of the Konsole window. 5. Wait a minute without using the mouse or keyboard. The Screen Locker activates even though it is inhibited.
As mentioned in http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/4739#comment:33 * vlc 2.0 and earlier mostly worked with 4.9 and earlier but it only worked as well it did by accident. * The upcoming vlc 2.1 should work perfectly with kde 4.10 xdg-screensaver again is quite fragile and worked as well as it used to by accident. It's been even more unreliable for gnome for even longer I believe. This bug is variously INVALID, WONTFIX and FIXED. But we've already fixed a few quirks on the kde side for 4.10.0 and just need vlc 2.1 to be released to (hopefully) settle this. In the meantime you could untick "Enable power management" in the battery applet while you're watching the movie.
Doesn't work with Kubuntu 13.10, KDE 4.11.2 and VLC 2.1.
Disregard my last comment. I thought I had updated to 2.1 but I was still on 2.08. Didn't manage to install 2.1 for some reason, but I now have 2.2.0 (daily build) which works as it should (screensaver doesn't turn on while watching video).