Screenlocking and interactions with Compiz

Registered by Kees Cook

Discuss how to better handle screenlocking when using Compiz.

Blueprint information

Status:
Complete
Approver:
Jamie Strandboge
Priority:
Medium
Drafter:
Marc Deslauriers
Direction:
Approved
Assignee:
Marc Deslauriers
Definition:
Approved
Series goal:
Accepted for oneiric
Implementation:
Implemented
Milestone target:
milestone icon ubuntu-11.10
Started by
Jamie Strandboge
Completed by
Jamie Strandboge

Related branches

Sprints

Whiteboard

INFO: [chrisccoulson] - Just to point out, that gnome-screensaver is dying - https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-shell-list/2011-March/msg00340.html (with GNOME 3.2 being the next GNOME release)
INFO: [jdstrand] - see http://smspillaz.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/moving-the-screenlocker-into-compiz/ for more info

Work items:
[smspillaz] implement gnome-shell style screen locking in compiz plugin: DONE

Screenlocking mechansim of interest to security team
Lots of screenlocking bugs, back to jaunty
- pops over screen
- suspend and when come back see their screen for a few seconds
- can compiz special case the gnome-screensaver window so it is always on top
- it takes lots of time to show the unlocking dialog
In the past
- did special case at one point
- with resume, special casing may not work as well
 - compiz would need to know that the screen should be locked
upstream
- removed hacks now
- going forward, into gnome-shell (unlock dialog)
- idle stuff in gnome-session
fundamentally:
- could change compiz to be the screensaver
- since shell is going forward with getting rid of gnome-screensaver, we could provide a plugin for the dialog
- we could provide hacks via the toplevel overlay
- or, could have a black screen that has its opacity set to 0% normally and 100% when screensaver is active
what if compiz crashes?
- currently, will see the desktop background
- going forward, will see the windows
 - fallback is simply to restart compiz (will have the flash of the desktop with any fallback). already set to 'autorestart=true' in gnome-session)
If compiz is changed to be the screensaver, then can provide a plugin to special case gnome-screensaver for top level windows
What about previous releases?
- things done now could be backported to natty. farther back need rewrite of the patch
Who to assign to (if find an easy reproducer)
[ACTION] find simple reproducer and can assign to amaranth or smspillaz - mdeslaur (removing as work item since I can't seem to reproduce any longer, and LP: #771391 may have taken care of the issue)
[ACTION] implement gnome-shell style screen locking in compiz plugin - Amaranth

(?)

Work Items