laptop external monitor problem

Tue Sep 23 03:13:37 UTC 2008

On Mon, 2008-09-22 at 21:22 -0500, Default User wrote:
> 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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Update: 
I just discovered that both monitors are active from within the Gnome X
session, but NOT in a non-X terminal.  So, boot into an X session (GDM)
by default, both monitors are on.  

Then do alt-ctl-F1 (or alt-ctl-F2, etc.); You are now in a non-X
terminal.  External monitor is ON, laptop LCD screen is OFF. 

Then do alt-F7; you are back in X, both monitors are now ON again.  

So, it would appear that the problem is not in the laptop, or in the
base Ubuntu system.  This suggests that it is either an X problem, or at
least a Gnome problem.

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