How to use the command 'swaylock' (with examples)

The ‘swaylock’ command is a screen locking utility specifically designed for Wayland compositors. It allows users to lock their screens and customize the appearance and behavior of the lock screen. With ‘swaylock’, you can lock the screen with different backgrounds, disable the unlock indicator, customize the mouse pointer, show the number of failed login attempts, and even load configuration from a file.

Use case 1: Lock the screen showing a white background

Code:

swaylock

Motivation: Locking the screen with a simple command is useful when you want to prevent unauthorized access to your computer while you’re away. This can be particularly helpful in shared work environments or public spaces.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: This is the main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• This command doesn’t have any additional arguments, so it will use the default configuration to lock the screen, displaying a white background.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password.

Use case 2: Lock the screen with a simple color background (rrggbb format)

Code:

swaylock --color 0000ff

Motivation: Customizing the lock screen background color can help personalize your experience and make it visually appealing. It’s a simple way to add a touch of your favorite color or match the screen’s aesthetics with your desktop environment.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: The main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• ‘–color 0000ff’: This argument specifies the color of the lock screen background. In this example, the color code ‘0000ff’ represents blue in the rrggbb format.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password. The lock screen will have a blue background color.

Use case 3: Lock the screen to a PNG background

Code:

swaylock --image path/to/file.png

Motivation: Using a custom background image for the lock screen allows you to display a favorite photo, artwork, or any image that you find inspiring. It adds a personal touch to the lock screen and makes it more visually appealing.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: The main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• ‘–image path/to/file.png’: This argument specifies the path to the background image in PNG format that you want to set as the lock screen background.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password. The lock screen will display the specified PNG image as the background.

Use case 4: Lock the screen and disable the unlock indicator

Code:

swaylock --no-unlock-indicator

Motivation: In some cases, you might want to disable the unlock indicator to prevent others from knowing whether the password entered is correct or not. This can be useful in situations where privacy is a concern, or you simply prefer a cleaner look without the visual feedback.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: The main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• ‘–no-unlock-indicator’: This argument disables the unlock indicator, which is the feedback provided on keypress when entering the password.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password. However, there won’t be any visual feedback on keypress.

Use case 5: Lock the screen and don’t hide the mouse pointer

Code:

swaylock --pointer default

Motivation: By default, swaylock hides the mouse pointer on the lock screen. However, there might be cases where you prefer to keep the mouse pointer visible for better usability or personal preference. This option allows you to do just that.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: The main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• ‘–pointer default’: This argument sets the mouse pointer behavior to ‘default’, which means the mouse pointer will remain visible on the lock screen.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password. The mouse pointer will be visible on the lock screen.

Use case 6: Lock the screen to a PNG background tiled over all monitors

Code:

swaylock --image path/to/file.png --tiling

Motivation: If you have multiple monitors, you might want to use the same background image tiled over all the monitors to create a uniform visual experience. This option allows you to tile the specified background image across all monitors.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: The main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• ‘–image path/to/file.png’: This argument specifies the path to the background image in PNG format that you want to set as the lock screen background.
• ‘–tiling’: This argument enables tiling the background image across all the monitors.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password. The specified PNG image will be tiled across all monitors as the lock screen background.

Use case 7: Lock the screen and show the number of failed login attempts

Code:

swaylock --show-failed-attempts

Motivation: Showing the number of failed login attempts provides additional security information, allowing you to know if someone has tried to access your computer while you were away. This can help you identify potential security threats or unauthorized access attempts.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: The main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• ‘–show-failed-attempts’: This argument enables displaying the number of failed login attempts on the lock screen.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password. The number of failed login attempts will be shown on the lock screen.

Use case 8: Load configuration from a file

Code:

swaylock --config path/to/config

Motivation: Sometimes, you might want to have a specific lock screen configuration separate from the default settings. This can include customized colors, backgrounds, or other options. By loading configuration from a file, you can easily switch between different configurations or share them with others.

Explanation:

• ‘swaylock’: The main command used to lock the screen in swaylock.
• ‘–config path/to/config’: This argument specifies the path to the configuration file that you want to load for the lock screen.

Example output: The screen will be locked, and when you try to unlock it, you will be prompted for your password. The lock screen will be customized based on the configuration specified in the file.

Conclusion:

The ‘swaylock’ command is a versatile screen locking utility that offers various options for customizing the lock screen’s appearance and behavior. Whether you want to change the background color, use a custom image, disable the unlock indicator, show failed login attempts, or load configuration from a file, ‘swaylock’ provides you with the flexibility to create a lock screen that suits your preferences and needs.