Feature Request: Optional Power Off button on the lock screen

[petrovh]

Hello,

I'd like to propose adding an optional "Power Off" button to the lock screen.

There are many situations where a user locks their session and later decides to shut down the computer/laptop without logging back in. Having a shutdown option on the lock screen would make this possible while still keeping the session locked.

I assume some users might not want to expose power controls on the lock screen. For that reason, I think this would work best as an optional setting that could be enabled or disabled in the Login Window or Screensaver settings?

Thank you for considering this suggestion, and thank you for all the work you put into Linux Mint!

[rChaoz]

+1 on this, I'm often in the scenario I have to log in just to get to the power settings. I'll also add that I'm usually looking to suspend not shut down. That's maybe? safer to add since it's less likely to cause data loss, so maybe there could be a switch to allow only suspend/hibernate, all power options, or none (default, the current situation).

[cplittlfield]

I'm on the other side of this. The point of the lock screen is to protect the computer while one is away from one's desk. I often leave applications with unsaved work while stepping away momentarily, and I would not like to return to find that some prankster had shut down the machine on me and caused my unsaved work to be lost. I've worked with such malicious pranksters in the past.

Granted, this is overkill on a home machine, where presumably there is trust between the members of the household.

[rChaoz]

I totally agree it shouldn't "just be there". But do you see any potential problems with it being opt-in, disabled by default? As you mentioned, it would be very useful on a home machine.

[cplittlfield]

A very good point. And you're right; I can't see any problem, if it's done the way you described. And only now, of course, do I notice the word "optional" in the thread title! (Don't get old!) Apologies.

[billyswong]

If you really really want to power off a Linux Mint computer without unlocking the session, you can go the "switch user" route, get into the initial login screen, then get the power off choice from the top right corner.

Edit: Remove the "Quit Menu" via "Login Window" settings if one don't want others to be able to shutdown the computer this way.