Closing laptop lid doesn't cause the screen to go blank

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This bug did not have a package associated with it, which is important for ensuring that it gets looked at by the proper developers. You can learn more about finding the right package at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage . I have classified this bug as a bug in gnome-power-management.

Although the system supports screen blanking (it works on time), it could also be a lower level issue, and in that case, I hope someone will identify the right package.

Interesting... I discovered that after I close the lid the screen actually goes blank, but only for less than a second. Something has to wake it up again.

Changing compiz to metacity doesn't help.

Any progress, any additional info needed? Karmic has hit RC, final version is coming.

Ubuntu seems to be able to trigger a screen go blank, but sometimes causes it to last only a while. Any guess what exactly?

I reinstalled Karmic using official amd64 CD and screen blanking still doesn't work. Any chance of fixing it? It's bugging me...

This command:
$ xset dpms force off
blanks my screen properly. This proves it is (probably) not hardware related and should be easy to fix...

As suggested here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=8334873&postcount=7
it's enough to comment out line containing a line (it's near the beginning):

Comment out the 9th line (the one that says "if [ `CheckPolicy` == 0 ]; then exit; fi") of /etc/acpi/lid.sh

It should be easier now to identify the possible fix...

If I move a mouse when laptop lid is closed, screen shows up again. It should be blank until lid is open.

I'm sorry, of course I meant one need to comment out a line of /etc/acpi/lid.sh (for me it's the line no. 10), which contains by default the following line:

if [ `CheckPolicy` == 0 ]; then exit; fi

Same bug, Dell Inspiron 1520, Karmic x86_64 and i386. Duplicate mark forthcoming.

I guess it's confirmed then.

This bug affects me also, on a Dell Latitude D820 running Jaunty. I had the same problem in Karmic, but this plus other bugs prompted me to return to Jaunty for now.

When I was using Karmic, I tried Michal's suggestion:

if [ `CheckPolicy` == 0 ]; then exit; fi

but that caused my external monitor on my port replicator to blank as well. That's definitely not the desired behavior--I'd like the laptop display to blank and keep the external display enabled.

Other potentially useful info:
-In Jaunty, I have gnome-power-manager set to suspend when on battery when the lid is closed. It works well, consistently. In Karmic it sometimes failed.
-I'm using Nvidia driver 180 (was using 185 in Karmic).
-I have gnome-power-manager installed, but NOT gnome-screensaver. I've installed a real screensaver (xscreensaver). I tried enabling display power management in xscreensaver, and the screen blanked when the lid was closed. I'm not sure what the effect of this is on an external monitor. I don't think this worked in Karmic, though. However, xscreensaver power management doesn't seem as full-featured as gnome-power-manager, and I'm afraid to keep both enabled.
-I am using Compiz.

-Brian

This bug affects me also, I use 64-bit Karmic on my new Compaq 6730b.

I tried Michal's suggestion to comment in /etc/acpi/lid.sh :
 if [ `CheckPolicy` == 0 ]; then exit; fi

I tried: $ sudo vbetool dpms off
and it works fine, but when I close the lid of the laptop, the screen lights up after a few seconds.

I have the same problem, the screen turns off for a second when I close the lid but then turns on again.
The command "$ xset dpms force off" works to turn off the screen.
HP 6730b Karmic

Just got an update in gnome-power-manager: (proposed)

+ Fix gpm_button_is_lid_closed to return an updated value from
      DeviceKit-Power instead of its own locally stored value which may be
      outdated

Can anyone confirm if this solves the problem? I'm running Ubuntu in Virtualbox now to avoid this issue...

Almost. Screen goes black properly but it should stay turned off even if I move a mouse and it doesn't.

As per DodgeV83, no I just tested it, it doesn't fix the issue for me. I have been killing gnome-power-manager as a workaround.

/usr/share/acpi-support/screenblank works fine in my case, but /etc/acpi/lid.sh never reaches it, as it exits at line 12, reading:

if [ `CheckPolicy` = 0 ]; then exit; fi

What exactly does CheckPolicy tell us?

I have investigated further, and it seems like all my settings in gnome-power-preferences are ignored when I boot my computer on battery power.

If I put my computer in suspend mode and resume it, everything seems to start working. My display turns off when I close the lid, and further more, my monitor dims after a short period of no use, which is another issue I have (Does anyone know a bug number for this?).

Does anyone have similar issues?

Is this gonna be fixed in Lucid?
Please?
I'd wish I could fix it myself, but I simply don't know how to...

I previously had this problem (Latitude E6400) but now it's OK

@Nicolò Chieffo
And if You close the lid and then move the mouse the screen remains blank? If not, then it's not OK (and I suppose it should behave in the same way with Your PC as with mine).

If I move the mouse the screen turns back on

@Nicolò Chieffo
So You're still affected as well.

I'm not affected by the bug title and description.
In my setup the screen goes black if I close the lid.

If when you move the mouse you think that the screen should not be
enabled you should file another bug, and write here the link.

@Nicolò Chieffo
OK, here it is: bug 570351.

thank you very much, I'll subscribe to that bug and close this one.

When I have just booted and closes my lid, the monitor turns off, but instantly turns on again. only after putting the machine to sleep and back on again, the monitor stays off until I open the lid or move the mouse.

Now the screen doesn't blank anymore. But I noticed that this bug happens not in every boot.
What's strange is that the screen goes black for a second when opening the lid, and the angle is 35-40° with the table.

My problem is solved after upgrading to Lucid.
Machine is Dell M1330 with Intel graphics.

I also thought it was fixed in lucid, but today I relaized that the
problem reappeared, maybe it's an unlucky boot...

I don't have this problem anymore in the 10.10 kernel 2.6.34-5-generic

I have the same problem on Lucid kernel 2.6.32-23 on hp mini 5101

Do you have a mouse attached?
If so, moving it will likely cause the monitor to turn on again.

Actually this issue seems to be quite random. Sometimes the screen
blanks, sometimes not.
I don't have a mouse attached when I test this.

the acpi_listen do not recognize the lid.

I'm also having this problem on a Dell Inspiron 1501 running Ubuntu 10.04 x64.
Kernel version is 2.6.32-24.

This a _severe_ problem for me. When I encode videos, I have always closed the screen and left the laptop. Occasionally, upon opening the lid, the entire screen has turned a weird whitish color, which slowly fades to black. Nothing I do (i.e. Ctrl-Alt-F4) will fix the screen but a hard reboot. While I'm not sure exactly what causes the problem, I suspect it would not occur if the screen (and backlight) turned off when I close the lid.

Two notes:
1. "sudo radeontool light off" turns the screen off until I close and reopen the lid.
2. I think the screen blanked but the backlight remained on until recently. I think the screen began to stay on as well after I updated to the proposed kernel (2.6.32-24).

still an issue on HP mini 5101 on 10.10 RC kernel 2.6.35-22