I installed both xautolock and slock. slock doesn't display the password input screen (I only saw a coloured screen) so I think I'll pass. By the way I can lock the screen from the terminal using the command "mate-screensaver-command -l" and activate the screensaver I selected using mate screensaver using the command "mate-screensaver-command -a"  and can do both lock and screensaver activation using the command "mate-screensaver-command -al" so adding a sleep command before it should be similar to your suggested command.
Running a command pretty much defeats the purpose of the computer figuring out that it is idle and locking itself after a few minutes.

In my case, I have it run via startup in JWM, via script.

You could I suppose, do the same with any other DE and some WM.

Also, you can make a python bash script,

So yeah, xautolock + slock can work for your use case.  Unless you need to be able to display the password input screen, which is less secure anyways.

Hello everyone.

I haven't managed to get mate screensaver to work after the computer is idle for a certain amount of time when using the mate desktop  with or without enabling screen lock. Did anyone manage to get it to work? If so, how is it achieved?

Thanks.

I don't even know if that will be available for 0.4, but I do have good news,

there is a way to do this with 0.3.1 and probably 0.4 in the later future...

xautolock -time  20 -locker slock

You can pick a different time if needed though.

This is how I would do something like this, up to you though. It is currently the only way it works in 0.3.1, in 0.4...

Not yet though.

I haven't managed to get mate screensaver to work after the computer is idle for a certain amount of time when using the mate desktop  with or without enabling screen lock. Did anyone manage to get it to work? If so, how is it achieved?

Thanks.