GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 387925
lock dialog should include a "mute" or "pause" option
Last modified: 2007-01-05 17:58:26 UTC
Even if one doesn't know the password to a locked machine, one should be able to inject a signal to mute the sound or pause the music player. Once muted or paused, it should never be possible to un-mute or un-pause.
The current plan for this kind of thing is to use the switch user feature. So when the screen locks the music keeps playing but if the user-switch button is pressed then the music app stops playing. This should be possible once more components support ConsoleKit.
So if I'm in my office with a dozen coworkers in earshot and I drown while visiting the loo, when the music changes from a soothing Chopin to GWAR, the secretery's supposed to be able to figure out how to silence my machine without unplugging it -- and that method is obviously "switch user" because it has the side-effect of muting. That's terrible.
Yes drowning in the loo would certainly be terrible. ;) So there are a number of things here: * really this needs to be pause not mute * there is no way we'll be able to control every audio producing app * they need to respond on their own to signals g-s or ConsoleKit emits * we have an another bug report for allowing audio keys to pass through the screensaver (ie mute) * there is some personal responsibility here for what you put on your office playlist when you aren't using headphones and walk out of the room * You can write a script to pause your audio player when the session is idle using the example here: http://live.gnome.org/GnomeScreensaver/FrequentlyAskedQuestions#head-ac43c8f33bc700a5e298e6a82ded0e8bb9b33043