laptop external monitor problem

[Default User]

Hello!

I have a Toshiba M35X-S149 laptop single-booting into Ubuntu 8.04, up to
date, with Gnome desktop.  For several years it has worked fine, using
the laptop's LCD screen.  

I just attached and old SVGA monitor to it, so as to prolong the life of
the laptop's LCD screen, by using just the external monitor.

The laptop BIOS has two relevant options:
1) Autoselect: when an external monitor is detected, it (is supposed to)
switch off the laptop's LCD screen and just use the external monitor. 

2): Simultaneous: both the external monitor and the laptop's LCD screen
are activated and run at the same time. 

The BIOS is set to Option 1 (Autoselect).

When I boot up, at first the external monitor is ON, and the laptop's
LCD screen is OFF.  Good, that's what we expect.  

But. . .  partway through the bootup process, just before the Login GUI
screen appears, suddenly the LCD screen activates by itself, and the
external monitor stays on. From that point on both the external monitor
and the laptop's LCD screen are running, with the same exact video
signal to both, simultaneously.  

Note: the Gnome System/Preferences/"Screen Resolution" dialog box has
"clone screens" selected. If I un-check that, save, and exit the applet,
nothing happens. If I go back into the Screen Resolution applet, the
clone screens check box has magically re-checked itself!  BTW,
resolution is set to 1024 x 768, at 60 Hz. The applet shows a crude
graphic of a box with the words "Cloned Output" across it.  If I click
the "Detect Displays" button in the applet, nothing changes. BTW, the
box icon says 'Laptop 15"' whenever the clone screens check box is
un-checked.  

I have not found any obvious way to shut off the laptop LCD screen,
while keeping the external monitor activated.  I tried Googling I found
many entries from people wanting to have both their laptop LCD screen
and external monitor both ON (and working correctly) but nothing
addressing how to get the laptop LCD screen to stay off, and not come on
in the first place.  I suppose a hammer would do it. . . 

Has anyone one the list come across this problem?  



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