# i3lock

> screen locker developed alongside the i3 project

**Wikidata**: [Q112159574](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112159574)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/i3lock

## Summary
i3lock is a screen locker developed alongside the i3 project, providing a way to lock computer screens when users are away from their workstations.

## Key Facts
- i3lock is free software distributed under the 3-clause BSD License.
- It is part of the i3 project and developed by Michael Stapelberg.
- The stable version as of 2022 was 2.14, released on May 28, 2022.
- It runs on BSD operating systems.
- The source code is available at https://github.com/i3/i3lock.
- It has multiple package names across different Linux distributions including i3lock for Ubuntu.

## FAQs
### Q: What is i3lock used for?
A: i3lock is a screen locker that locks computer screens when users are away from their workstations.

### Q: Who developed i3lock?
A: Michael Stapelberg is the copyright holder and developer of i3lock.

### Q: What license is i3lock under?
A: i3lock is distributed under the 3-clause BSD License.

### Q: What operating systems does i3lock support?
A: i3lock runs on BSD operating systems and has ports for FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and other Linux distributions.

## Why It Matters
i3lock is significant as a screen locker specifically designed for the i3 window manager, providing a secure way to lock computer screens when users are away from their workstations. It solves the problem of screen locking for users of the i3 environment, ensuring that their computer remains secure when not in use. The tool integrates well with the i3 ecosystem and is maintained as part of the i3 project, reflecting its importance within the i3 community.

## Notable For
- i3lock was developed alongside the i3 window manager project.
- It uses the 3-clause BSD License, which allows for free distribution and modification.
- The project maintains a GitHub repository with releases dating back to at least 2009.
- It has package support across multiple Linux distributions including Ubuntu, Gentoo, and OpenSUSE.

## Body
### Technical Overview
i3lock is a utility software designed to lock computer screens. It was developed as part of the i3 project, which is a tiling window manager for Unix-like operating systems. The tool provides a secure way to prevent unauthorized access to a computer when the user is away.

### Development and Versions
The development of i3lock has been ongoing since at least 2009, with the first stable release being version 1.0 on May 10, 2009. The project has maintained multiple stable versions, with the most recent stable version as of the provided information being 2.14, released on May 28, 2022. Subsequent updates include 2.14.1 on June 21, 2022.

### Distribution and Packaging
i3lock is available as free software and has package support across various Linux distributions:
- Ubuntu: i3lock
- Gentoo: x11-misc/i3lock
- OpenSUSE: i3lock
- FreeBSD: x11/i3lock
- OpenBSD: x11/i3lock
- NetBSD: x11/i3lock

The project maintains issue tracking on GitHub at https://github.com/i3/i3lock/issues.

### Licensing and Copyright
i3lock is copyrighted by Michael Stapelberg and distributed under the 3-clause BSD License. This license allows users to freely run, study, change, and distribute the software and modified versions.

### Technical Implementation
The tool is written in a programming language (not specified in the source material) and runs on BSD operating systems. It provides a secure screen locking mechanism that integrates with the i3 window manager environment.

## References

1. [i3lock 2.14 released. 2022](https://www.freelists.org/post/i3-announce/i3lock-214-released)
2. [Source](https://i3wm.org/i3lock/)
3. [i3lock 2.14.1 released. 2022](https://www.freelists.org/post/i3-announce/i3lock-2141-released)
4. [Release 2.0. 2010](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.0)
5. [Release 2.1. 2011](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.1)
6. [Release 2.2. 2011](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.2)
7. [Release 2.3. 2012](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.3)
8. [Release 2.3.1. 2012](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.3.1)
9. [Release 2.4. 2012](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.4)
10. [Release 2.4.1. 2012](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.4.1)
11. [Release 2.5. 2013](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.5)
12. [Release 2.6. 2014](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.6)
13. [Release 2.7. 2015](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.7)
14. [Release 2.8. 2016](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.8)
15. [Release 2.9. 2017](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.9)
16. [Release 2.9.1. 2017](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.9.1)
17. [Release 2.10. 2017](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.10)
18. [Release 2.11. 2018](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.11)
19. [Release 2.11.1. 2018](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.11.1)
20. [Release 2.12. 2019](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.12)
21. [Release 2.13. 2020](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.13)
22. [Release 2.15. 2024](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.15)
23. [Release 2.16. 2025](https://github.com/i3/i3lock/releases/tag/2.16)