Closing laptop lid should not blank external monitor

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

I'm affected by this too. This is very annoying when working with a laptop as a docking station, or when watching a movie on an external monitor.

I have a Samsung N310 with 12.04 up to date.

I'm experiencing this on a dell xps m1330 laptop with intel integrated graphics.

Same here on Samsung Q310 with 12.04 fresh install. Also reported in this duplicate (https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/1015796)

Same here with Fujitsu AH530 and Samsung TV (connected via HDMI).
Confusing point: I also installed XBMC ,which should be shared with "twin-view" option (xrandr .....--same as LVDS1).
When I´m using XBMC in full-screen mode, it is working well !! The Samsung TV is blanking for ~2sec. when the laptop-lid is closed but then it starts again and works correctelly.
I´m using XBMC only in application form, not in "stand alone mode".

Maybe this information would be helbful for someone.

Same behavior on a Dell E6420 with Nvidia graphics (note: optimus is disabled). Power settings are not honored, external monitors go into power save when lid is closed.

found that this behavior is more or less like a screensaver ...
When I connect an external mouse or keyboard, connect my Laptop to my TV via HDMI and close the Laptop-lid, the TV is blanking like usual, but after moving my external mouse, the display is coming back immediatelly. No problem then.

Can someone confirm this ?

Yes, I can confirm that it behaves as you say, so it is no longer a problem in my case.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, on a Dell Lattitude E6420 the behavior is not resolved; booting while docked results in an inability to bring display up on any/all monitors (including laptop internal display). Booting with laptop lid open results in docked monitors displaying correctly. After booting, closing laptop lid results in DPMI turning on for all monitors (including docked).

Quantal still not resolved this bug, I'm still experiencing the same on Ubuntu 12.10 on a Compaq CQ57 with Intel HD Graphics.

I have the same problem with my Dell D410, docking station, and a generic 15" external monitor. Initially the external monitor shows an "out of range" message but once signed in via the laptop screen, both screens are mirrored. Closing the laptop lid blanks both screens and I then can't get any display at all. Thus I then have to switch off with the power button and start all over again.

Trying to start up with the laptop lid closed and using the dock power button just shows the out of range message on the external monitor, so I have to start up with the lid open.

I'm using Precise 12.04, upgraded from 11.10 and all updates installed.

I had observed the same bug on my Laptop Asus K40IN (graphics nvidia G102M). But I found a workaround:
1. Open in editor /etc/acpi/lid.sh and insert "exit 0" in the beginning of the script, to force exit on start. This script executes every time when you close or open the lid of your laptop.
Then restart ubuntu, should help, but this didn't helped me when I first tried to do that. I'm not completely sure that this works.

2. Disable DPMS, you can read a lot of information about it here https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Display_Power_Management_Signaling . Both works on my laptop:

Disable DPMS and prevent screen from blanking:
xset -dpms; xset s off

edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf and append in Monitor section
Option "DPMS" "false"

I'm having the same problem with my Dell XPS 15z with dual video cards.

Alezandr tricks worked! It would still be great to have a proper fix implemented eventually :)

The problem with the laptop lid closed when the monitor is connected. When i close laptop lid, secondary monitor(CRT) is turn off, but if i move mouse monitor is on(laptop monitor and secondary in mirror mode, and i change parametrs dconf>org>gnome>settings daemon>plugins>power : "Laptop lid close action when on AC" and "Laptop lid close action on battery" to "do nothing" and this is not help to prevent switch off of external monitor)...then i start video player(totem or VLC or Smplayer) and start to watch video and see a lags(1 sec freezes) in video. When i open the laptop lid (both monitors start reconfigure) and video has no lags.
My laptop configure is Core™ i3-2310M + Nvidia GeForce 540m + 8GB RAM
ubuntu 13.04

I found a fix which is simplier than Alezandr's approach and worked for me in xubuntu 12.04:
in Settings > Screensaver, I changed the screensaver mode from Blank screen to Disable screen saver.

This bug still affects Ubuntu 14.04. I tried the workaround by Installing xscreensaver and disabling it, but all that does is showing the mouse cursor on the blank screen.

Use case:
1. Connect laptop to external monitor.
2. Show information on external monitor.
3. Close lid on laptop.
4. Keep showing information on external monitor.

Hi,

My laptop actually had a key which shutdown the light on the monitor (still showing content on the screen and was barely noticeable without the backlit on).

However, the "use case" Lupius (coolincarl) mentioned seems much better. If you really want to close your laptop you could just press the physical button to do so.

So, hopefully we will get to live to see this feature implemented :)

Hi,

The same in 16.04

Confirm the bug with the dafault Xubuntu theme.
$ env GTK_THEME=Abiword
solves the problem, no more flickering