Part I API Documentation #

1 Introduction

The Idle Inhibition Service API allows client applications to inhibit a user's login session from becoming idle.

2 Consequences of idleness

Depending on the user session software running, idleness can have multiple consequences, including, but not limited to:

Screen backlight dimming
Screensaver animation replacing the desktop content
Instant messenging client going to "auto-away"
Computer suspending or hibernating

3 API overview

Idle inhibition is achieved by the application calling an Inhibit method on a well-known D-Bus name.

4 Design notes

The D-Bus service name, org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver, intentionally contains the word screensaver, as KDE implements the idle inhibition API in a screensaver sub-module. It was necessary for the specified Idle Inhibition Service API to be compatible with this existing software.