v3.2.0 - Patch Release

What's New

Improvements

• Improved video actor injection on the dialog, reducing issues on slower machines (thanks to @tmetz1987 for the contribution).
• Completely refactored the Preferences window, introducing multiple tabs and better code organization through a dedicated UI directory.
• Added GIF support for GNOME 48 and newer (suggestion #12).

Fixes

• Fixed missing swipe animations (issue #14).
• Fixed video stuttering when blur effects are applied.

Notes

• GIF support remains disabled by default on GNOME 47 and older due to reliability issues. It can be enabled through the Force GIF Support toggle in the Debug section, but video formats (especially WebM) are still strongly recommended for the best performance and compatibility.

The next release is planned to be a major update focused on new features, usability improvements, and continued refinement of the extension!

v3.1.0 — Hotfix Release

What's New

• Improved video actor positioning by removing reliance on make_fullscreen, preventing conflicts with other extensions (fixes #8). Added an optional fallback switch in the debug section.
• Fixed color inaccuracy by applying color conversion in the pipeline. Added an optional fallback switch in the debug section in case of performance overhead.
• Fixed password prompt effect activation bug (fixes #7).

v3.0.0 - Fundamental changes on video playback and improved performance

What's New

This release introduces a complete rework of the video playback architecture, bringing significant performance improvements and better stability across different hardware configurations as well as compatibility for GNOME 46.

⚠️ Previous version is available on the legacy branch.

Performance

• Replaced CPU-bound St.ImageContent and appsink with more efficient gtk4paintablesink (should noticeably improve performance especially if hardware acceleration is available)
• Made framerate limiting optional — only enable it if needed, as it adds conversion overhead

Multi-Monitor

• Each monitor now gets its own dedicated video window while utilizing single gstreamer pipeline
• Improved window-to-monitor matching
• Better handling of monitor connect/disconnect during lock screen

Password Prompt

• Added grayscale effect when password prompt appears

Battery

• Added option to disable extension when running on battery power

Stability

• Fixed shell crash when _updateBackgrounds is called multiple times (lid close, monitor hotplug)
• Added gtk4paintablesink dependency check with notification on missing installation
• Fixed occasional video frame jump when pausing

Known Issues

• Possible audio and video desync after suspend/wake
• Possible clicking/crackling sounds when pausing/playing video with audio-
• Video positioning issues when connecting/disconnecting monitors with lock screen on

v2.0.0 — Scaling Modes, Audio & Pipeline Rewrite

What's New

Video Scaling Modes

• Added stretch, fit and cover scaling modes
• Cover mode correctly crops and centers video to fill the screen
• Fit mode preserves aspect ratio with letterbox/pillarbox

Fade-in Animation

• Configurable fade-in duration for smooth video appearance

Suspend/Wake Support

• Video automatically pauses on system suspend and resumes on wake

Transparent Video Support

• RGBA pipeline preserves alpha channel for transparent videos (.webm VP9)

Improvements

Pipeline Rewrite

• Default pipeline now uses playbin for better stability and built-in A/V sync
• Legacy parse_launch pipeline available as opt-in fallback in Debug settings

Multi-monitor

• Pipeline now initializes after all monitors are handled

Resource Cleanup

• Proper cleanup order in disable()

Debug Options

• Unsafe pipeline — use legacy parse_launch pipeline if experiencing artifacts
• Skip first frame — workaround for brief green frame at video start

Bug Fixes

• Fixed remove_signal_watch called without add_signal_watch

Known Issues

• Possible audio/video desync after suspend/wake
• Brief green frame at video start
• Performance issues with high-resolution videos (hardware dependent)

v1.0.0 - Initial Release

What's New

Initial release of Live Lock Screen.

Features

• Play any video file as the lock screen background
• Loop support
• Multiple monitor support
• Blur effect with adjustable intensity and brightness
• Configurable framerate (1-120 fps)
• Optional audio output with volume control

Requirements

• GNOME Shell 48-49
• GStreamer plugins (see README for install instructions)

Known Issues

• Not tested on GNOME 45-47