Display Monitor

OS:: 🪟 Windows 🍎 macOS

The Display Monitor reports display activity and triggers actions on connection, power-state, and laptop lid changes.

Configuration

Display activity

This example keeps the system awake while an external display is enabled, or while an application has a power request. It sleeps when neither reports usage:

<SystemMonitor version="3" timeout="2min" onUsage="sleepless" onIdle="sleep">
  <DisplayMonitor preventIdle="enabled" />
  <PowerRequestMonitor />
</SystemMonitor>

With no display selectors, DisplayMonitor watches all external displays. The built-in laptop panel is selected separately.

A display whose power state cannot be determined still counts as enabled. Some monitors and televisions keep their connection alive when switched off, so test how your equipment reports its state before relying on it for sleep.

Lid events

<SystemMonitor version="3" timeout="5min" onUsage="sleepless" onIdle="sleep">
  <PowerRequestMonitor />
  <DisplayMonitor>
    <DisplayBuiltIn onLidClose="sleep+30s" />
  </DisplayMonitor>
</SystemMonitor>

The built-in panel does not count as activity by default. This configuration schedules sleep after closing the lid; opening it again cancels the pending lid-close action. The operating system’s own lid-close policy still applies and may suspend the laptop sooner.

Use environments to make lid-dependent settings conditional on mains power or a dock connection.

Display disabling

OS:: 🍎 macOS

disabled="true" holds a selected display disconnected in software while that configuration applies. For example, an environment can disable the built-in panel while using an external screen. Displays are released when the setting no longer applies or Desomnia stops.

Windows supports monitoring displays but does not support this software disconnect feature.

This is separate from keepDisplayAwake, which asks the system to keep the screen on while Desomnia is holding a sleepless request.

See Troubleshooting for unexpected display activity.