GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

nonZero · 2026-01-05 10:04:14

Hi!

I have previously posted about not being able to make gnome blank automatically ( https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=310056 ).
It seems that the problem is even bigger - I can't even lock the screen.

Hitting Super+L generates the following message on journalctl:
gsd-media-keys[1699]: Couldn't lock screen: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name is not activatable

Is there a way to lock the screen?

`dm-tool lock` does not work.

Thanks!

seth · 2026-01-05 14:17:45

gnome uses GDM as screenlocker and on top of that lightdm runs on X11 and gnome wayland
W/o GDM, does

loginctl lock-session

work?

nonZero · 2026-01-05 17:07:10

No, it does not do aything. in journalctl the following is added:

polkitd[664]: Registered Authentication Agent for unix-process:1197464:171760281 (system bus name :1.9062 [/usr/bin/pkttyagent --notify-fd 6 --fallback], object path /org/freedesktop/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.UTF-8)
polkitd[664]: Unregistered Authentication Agent for unix-process:1197464:171760281 (system bus name :1.9062, object path /org/freedesktop/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.UTF-8) (disconnected from bus)

Last edited by nonZero (2026-01-05 17:34:49)

seth · 2026-01-05 17:11:55

Please use [code][/code] tags, the BBS predates markdown by the oldest gnome bugs age. Edit your post in this regard.

You don't seem to run a polkit agent (though afaiu gnome comes with one built-in now) or your session bus is broken?

echo $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
loginctl session-status

nonZero · 2026-01-05 17:35:29

$ echo $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus

$ loginctl session-status

2 - udi (1000)
  Since: Tue 2025-12-16 21:59:43 IST; 1 week 4 days ago
  State: active
 Leader: 1200 (lightdm)
   Seat: seat0; vc8
Display: :0
 Remote: no
Service: lightdm
   Type: wayland
  Class: user
Desktop: gnome
   Idle: no
   Unit: session-2.scope
         ├─1200 lightdm --session-child 13 20
         └─1328 /usr/lib/gnome-session-init-worker gnome

nonZero · 2026-01-05 17:41:53

systemctl status polkit.service

is running.

pkexec echo "Hello from Polkit"

works.

seth · 2026-01-07 20:28:47

'key - I guess loginctl just uses the pkttyagent regardless - so likely a red herring.
And you can't lock the session by pure gnome means.

From https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/List_o … en_lockers you could try gtklock or maybe swaylock, but I'd frankly also not surprised if gnome on wayland exclusively can be locked w/ GDM

nonZero · 2026-01-07 21:18:46

Thank you!

gtklock doesnt work:

It appears your Wayland compositor does not support the Session Lock protocol

seth · 2026-01-08 15:38:52

I'd frankly also not surprised if gnome on wayland exclusively can be locked w/ GDM

Arch Linux

#1 2026-01-05 10:04:14

GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#2 2026-01-05 14:17:45

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#3 2026-01-05 17:07:10

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#4 2026-01-05 17:11:55

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#5 2026-01-05 17:35:29

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#6 2026-01-05 17:41:53

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#7 2026-01-07 20:28:47

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#8 2026-01-07 21:18:46

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

#9 2026-01-08 15:38:52

Re: GNOME 49.2 + Wayland + lightdm: How to lock screen?

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