Xset Command Utility
The xset command is a user preference utility for the X Window System. It allows you to control various aspects of your graphical environment, including screen saver settings, display power management, and keyboard behavior. This tool is essential for customizing your X session directly from the command line.
Configure Screen Saver Settings
Manage your X server's screen saver with xset. You can disable it entirely, set the blanking time, or configure the timeout and exposure settings to prevent your screen from turning off unexpectedly or to conserve power.
Control Display Power Management Signaling (DPMS)
The xset command enables fine-grained control over DPMS. You can turn DPMS on or off, set specific power-saving states like standby or suspend, and force immediate transitions. This is useful for managing energy consumption on your display.
Customize Keyboard Preferences
Beyond display settings, xset can also adjust keyboard parameters such as auto-repeat delay and rate, and keyboard bell volume. Tailor your keyboard input to your personal preferences for a more comfortable typing experience.
Combine and Force X Settings
Effectively use xset by combining multiple commands into a single execution. This allows for efficient configuration of your X environment. You can also use the force option to immediately apply DPMS states, ensuring your settings take effect without delay.
# xset
# User preference utility for X
# Disable screen saver blanking.
xset s off
# Change time before which the screen is blanked, to 3,600 seconds (1 hour).
xset s 3600 3600
# Turn off Display Power Management Signalling. To instead enable DPMS, the `-`
# character is simply changed to `+`.
xset -dpms
# Disable DPMS and prevent screen from blanking. This command also clearly
# demonstrations the ability to combine several xset(1) commands within the one
# process call.
xset s off -dpms
# Immediately force the provided DPMS state (off). Available states are
# 'off', 'on', 'standby', and 'suspend'.
xset dpms force off