The Aggressive Screen Timeout
By default, Ubuntu Linux is configured with a very aggressive power-saving profile. If you do not touch your mouse or keyboard for five minutes, the screen will automatically go completely blank to save energy. If you are reading a long article, monitoring a terminal script, or referencing a document on a secondary monitor while typing on another computer, having your screen constantly plunge into darkness is incredibly disruptive to your workflow.
How to Disable the Screen Blanking Feature
You can easily adjust the power settings to extend the timeout delay significantly, or completely disable the feature so your screen remains on indefinitely.
1. Click on the system menu (the battery/network/volume icons) in the top-right corner of the top bar.
2. Click on Settings.
3. In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Power.
4. Look in the main pane for the “Power Saving Options” section.
5. Locate the setting labelled Screen Blank.
6. Click on the dropdown menu next to it. You can choose to extend the time to 15 minutes, but to completely disable the feature, select Never.
Preventing the Screen from Locking
It is important to understand that in Ubuntu, screen blanking and screen locking are two separate features that are closely linked. When your screen blanks, Ubuntu typically locks the computer immediately, forcing you to type your password to get back in. By setting “Screen Blank” to “Never,” your computer will no longer lock itself automatically. If you work in a shared office environment, you must now remember to manually lock your computer (by pressing Super + L) whenever you step away from your desk, as the system will no longer secure itself for you.