The following is a feature request. At src/login/loginctl.c ? The looked up feature is the equivalent of setterm --blank aDelay --powerdown SomeOtherDelay , only as soon as the login prompt appears. Before login. I mean, I ask to leave the current state as is. But allow the admin to set up these command also for the login prompt, if he chooses to. And it will be cleared while logining in. That command just put the display into a sort of blank mode. For me, the current situation is that I have to login to get the ability to run that setterm command. Which, I think, is not always desiarble. A console in the remote servers room can be in blank mode when no emergency actions are required. In particular, when the server is remotely supervised. And so is a desktop that also act as the single printer gateway for a small office. Or for a user that gone away after the desktop was turned on (but before he logged in), because he had some urgent call to attend to. For a machine that boots into graphic mode, not plain old text mode, a similar feature is implemented out of the box. Isn't it? -- u34