# betterlockscreen > simple, minimal lockscreen Betterlockscreen allows you to cache images with different filters and lockscreen with blazing speed. ## Example > lockscreen with blurred effect ```sh betterlockscreen --lock blur ``` ![scrot2](https://github.com/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen.demo/raw/master/scrots/scrot2.png 'scrot2.png') > [Watch some of the features of betterlockscreen in action](https://youtu.be/9Ng5FZwnn6M) ## Table of Contents - [about](#about) - [how it works](#how-it-works) - [requirements](#requirements) - [installation](#installation) - [configuration](#configuration) - [usage](#usage) - [background](#set-desktop-background-on-startup) - [keybinding](#keybindings) - [lockscreen on suspend](#lockscreen-when-suspendedsystemd-service) ### About Most of i3lock wrapper scripts out there takes an image, adds some effect and locks the screen adding effects, overall experience doesn't feel natural given delay of 2-3 seconds. Who would like a delay of 2-3 seconds while locking screen? So betterlockscreen was my attempt to solve this problem, as we dont need to change lockscreen background frequently this script caches images with effect so overall experience is simple and as fast as native i3lock. ### How it works The script takes image adds various effects and caches those images in special directory and then uses those images as lockscreen background depending on argument provided by user. ### Requirements > Note: Make sure your system has all dependencies satisfied - [i3lock-color](https://github.com/Raymo111/i3lock-color) - i3lock fork with additional features(`>= 2.13.c.3`) - [imagemagick](https://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php) - To apply effects to images - [xdpyinfo](https://www.x.org/archive/X11R7.7/doc/man/man1/xdpyinfo.1.xhtml), [xrandr](https://www.x.org/wiki/Projects/XRandR/), [bc](https://www.gnu.org/software/bc/) and [feh](https://feh.finalrewind.org/) - To find screen resolution, set custom blur level and wallpaper handling. ### Installation > manual installation ```sh git clone https://github.com/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen cd betterlockscreen cp betterlockscreen ~/.local/bin/ ```

OR

```sh # or wget the script ~12KB wget -O betterlockscreen https://git.io/fASUJ chmod u+x betterlockscreen cp betterlockscreen ~/.local/bin/ ``` ```sh # Add betterlockscreen to PATH: # (In your .bashrc, .zshrc etc) export PATH="${PATH}:${HOME}/.local/bin/" ``` ### Package Manager #### Arch Linux ###### Installing dependencies(not required if using betterlockscreen aur package) `pacman -S imagemagick feh xorg-xrandr xorg-xdpyinfo` - i3lock-color - `trizen -S i3lock-color` #### Aur package `betterlockscreen` is available in the Arch User repos as `betterlockscreen` and `betterlockscreen-git`. - betterlockscreen - `trizen -S betterlockscreen` - betterlockscreen-git - `trizen -S betterlockscreen-git` #### Debian and derivatives UtkarshVerma was so kind to provide an installation script for debian based systems, ![check it out here](https://github.com/UtkarshVerma/installer-scripts). #### Void Linux ##### xbps repository `betterlockscreen` is available in official Void's repository as `betterlockscreen`. Installing using `xbps` (will automatically install all required dependencies): `xbps-install -S betterlockscreen` ### Configuration You can customise various colors for betterlockscreen, copy config file from examples directory to `~/.config/betterlockscreenrc` and edit it accordingly. If configuration file is not found then default configurations will be used. If you have installed betterlockscreen from AUR package, then you can copy default config from docs ```sh cp /usr/share/doc/betterlockscreen/examples/betterlockscreenrc ~/.config ``` ### Usage Run `betterlockscreen` and point it to either a directory (`betterlockscreen -u "path/to/dir"`) or an image (`betterlockscreen -u "/path/to/img.jpg"`) and that's all. `betterlockscreen` will change update its cache with image you provided. ```sh usage: betterlockscreen [-u "path/to/img.jpg"] [-l "dim, blur or dimblur"] [-w "dim, blur, pixel or dimblur"] [-t "custom text"] [-s "lockscreen and suspend"] [-r "resolution"] [-b "factor"] [--off ] betterlockscreen - faster and sweet looking lockscreen for linux systems. required: -u, --update "path/to/img.jpg" caches all required images usage: -l, --lock effect-name locks with provided effect -w, --wall effect-name set desktop background with provided effect -s, --suspend effect-name lockscreen and suspend Available effects: dim, blur, pixel or dimblur -t, --text "custom text" set custom lockscreen text -b, blur 0.0 - 1.0 set blur range -r, --resolution res uses a custom resolution --off, --off sets custom monitor timeout ( in seconds) Usage examples: 1. Updating image cache(required) betterlockscreen -u ~/Pictures/Forests.png # caches given image betterlockscreen -u ~/Pictures # caches random image from ~/Pictures directory 2. Custom resolution and blur range betterlockscreen -u path/to/directory -r 1920x1080 -b 0.5 3. Lockscreen betterlockscreen -l dim # lockscreen with dim effect 4. Lockscreen with custom text betterlockscreen -l pixel -t "custom lockscreen text" 5. Set desktop background betterlockscreen -w blur # set desktop background with blur effect 6. Lockscreeen with custom monitor off timeout betterlockscreen --off 5 -l blur # set monitor off lockscreen timeout (5 seconds) ``` ### Set desktop background on startup Add this line to `.xinitrc`. ```sh # set desktop background with custom effect betterlockscreen -w dim # Alternative (set last used background) source ~/.fehbg ``` #### i3wm Add this line to `~/.config/i3/config` ```sh # set desktop background with custom effect exec --no-startup-id betterlockscreen -w dim # Alternative (set last used background) exec --no-startup-id source ~/.fehbg ``` ### Keybindings To lockscreen using keyboard shortcut #### i3wm Add this line to your `~/.config/i3/config` ```sh bindsym $mod+shift+x exec betterlockscreen -l dim ``` #### bspwm Add this line to your `~/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc` ```sh # lockscreen alt + shift + x betterlockscreen -l dim ``` ### Lockscreen when suspended(systemd service) ```sh # move service file to proper dir (the aur package does this for you) cp betterlockscreen@.service /usr/lib/systemd/system/ # enable systemd service systemctl enable betterlockscreen@$USER # disable systemd service systemctl disable betterlockscreen@$USER # Note: Now you can call systemctl suspend to suspend your system # and betterlockscreen service will be activated # so when your system wakes your screen will be locked. ``` **Hint:** The systemd-unit expects betterlockscreen to be installed in "/usr/local/bin", so maybe you want to check or change this! Resources and more informations: * https://gist.github.com/Raymo111/91ffd256b7aca6a85e8a99d6331d3b7b * https://github.com/Raymo111/i3lock-color/issues/174#issuecomment-687149213 --- ### Countributing Thanks to all the amazing people for all your wonderful PRs, issues and ideas! [![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/0)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/0)[![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/1)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/1)[![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/2)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/2)[![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/3)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/3)[![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/4)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/4)[![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/5)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/5)[![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/6)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/6)[![](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/images/7)](https://sourcerer.io/fame/pavanjadhaw/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/links/7) ## How can I support developers? - Star our GitHub repo :star: - Create pull requests, submit bugs, suggest new features or documentation updates :wrench: ## License Betterlockscreen is under [MIT](https://github.com/pavanjadhaw/betterlockscreen/blob/master/LICENSE) license. ## Feel free to use and distribute - Hat tip to anyone who's code was used - Thanks to those who contributed to make it better - Inspiration - [r/unixporn](https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn) [logo]: .github/hero.png [website]: https://mdxjs.com