For the last few years I've been using Transparent Screen Lock Pro to lock my computer while keeping the entirety of the screen visible, allowing me to view any running activity on it at a glance. In the last few months, this program's developers seem to have gotten stricter about running a free version of this program, and now every time I lock my computer I get a bright red nag screen telling me my evaluation period is over.
I really can't afford to pay for any software, let alone for a license that costs $49.95, so I'm hoping there's a free alternative out there that does the same thing.
xlock -mode blank -geometry 1x1