How to turn off display permanently?

gregy · 05-28-10, 10:54 AM

Hello all, I have new laptop with nvidia card (using nvidia-drivers) and have a slight problem with it. With ati I used to turn off display completely (with acpi) so it stayed off even when I used mouse or keyboard. I am trying to do something similar with nvidia, without success so far.

I can use xset dpms force off and it works, but when I move the mouse or type something the display turns itself back on. I want it to stay off. Is it possible to do it somehow?

Thank you

artem · 05-31-10, 01:59 AM

Try to use 'xrandr'.

Enigma2175 · 06-01-10, 12:29 PM

If you have a card like mine, your display turns off permanently even if you don't want it to: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=151348

Seriously, use xrandr to change the display to another output, or you could use the "UseDisplayDevice" or "ConnectedMonitor" xorg.conf options to disable the monitor you want turned off.

gregy · 06-01-10, 12:59 PM

Xrandr doesn't work

, it lists one output (default) but xrandr --output default --off does nothing.
I don't want to use xorg.conf options because I need it to be switchable in runtime (eg when I shut the lid)

Quick and dirty solution seems to be to use xinput to disable mouse and then use xset dpms ... but I would like to avoid that.

There is also vbetool which works (vbetool dpms off) but when I turn the display back on (vbetool dpms on) something clashes somewhere (my guess: nvidia module) and I get complete lockout and need to restart the system

**AaronP** · 06-01-10, 02:17 PM

Are you trying to switch to a configuration where you have only an external monitor enabled? You can do that by setting up a set of metamodes with your different configurations:

Code:

  Option "TwinView"
  Option "MetaModes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select; DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select; DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select"

That should give you three options: one with only the internal display, one with only the external display, and one with both side-by-side. You can switch between them with xrandr.

gregy · 06-01-10, 02:24 PM

I don't have any external monitor, I am sorry if I explained it badly.

I have only internal monitor and I want to control it - I want to be able to shut it off and on. Like with "xset dpms off/on" but independently so that it doesn't come back on automaticly (with mouse move, keyboard press etc)

Now when I close the laptop lid nothing happens (monitor is still on -> bad for battery) so I want to create acpi hook that will shut the monitor down on LID/CLOSE but I don't know how (besides xset dpms off that is)

**AaronP** · 06-01-10, 04:51 PM

Oh I see. That's odd, most laptops turn off the internal display automatically when you close the lid. I don't think the driver will validate metamodes with no active display devices. You could hack it by making the driver think an external display is connected using the ConnectedMonitor option, then configure metamodes like I described, switching to the nonexistent external display when you want the internal one to turn off.

gregy · 06-02-10, 04:55 AM

I can not figure it out or it just doesn't work.
My xorg.conf:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Unknown"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    #Option "ConnectedMonitor" "DFP-3;DFP-1" Tried with and without this line
    Option "MetaModes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select; DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select; DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select"
    Option "TwinView"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option         "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

I am not even sure how to change current metamod, I tried ctrl alt +/- and it only turned off the screen for half a second and then it came back

**AaronP** · 06-02-10, 02:19 PM

ConnectedMonitor takes a comma-separated list, i.e. "DFP-1, DFP-3".

05-28-10, 10:54 AM	#1
gregy Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4	How to turn off display permanently? Hello all, I have new laptop with nvidia card (using nvidia-drivers) and have a slight problem with it. With ati I used to turn off display completely (with acpi) so it stayed off even when I used mouse or keyboard. I am trying to do something similar with nvidia, without success so far. I can use xset dpms force off and it works, but when I move the mouse or type something the display turns itself back on. I want it to stay off. Is it possible to do it somehow? Thank you

05-31-10, 01:59 AM	#2
artem Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 678	Re: How to turn off display permanently? Try to use 'xrandr'.

06-01-10, 12:29 PM	#3
Enigma2175 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 8	Re: How to turn off display permanently? If you have a card like mine, your display turns off permanently even if you don't want it to: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=151348 Seriously, use xrandr to change the display to another output, or you could use the "UseDisplayDevice" or "ConnectedMonitor" xorg.conf options to disable the monitor you want turned off.

06-01-10, 12:59 PM	#4
gregy Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4	Re: How to turn off display permanently? Xrandr doesn't work , it lists one output (default) but xrandr --output default --off does nothing. I don't want to use xorg.conf options because I need it to be switchable in runtime (eg when I shut the lid) Quick and dirty solution seems to be to use xinput to disable mouse and then use xset dpms ... but I would like to avoid that. There is also vbetool which works (vbetool dpms off) but when I turn the display back on (vbetool dpms on) something clashes somewhere (my guess: nvidia module) and I get complete lockout and need to restart the system

06-01-10, 02:17 PM	#5
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: How to turn off display permanently? Are you trying to switch to a configuration where you have only an external monitor enabled? You can do that by setting up a set of metamodes with your different configurations: Code: Option "TwinView" Option "MetaModes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select; DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select; DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select" That should give you three options: one with only the internal display, one with only the external display, and one with both side-by-side. You can switch between them with xrandr.

06-01-10, 02:24 PM	#6
gregy Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4	Re: How to turn off display permanently? I don't have any external monitor, I am sorry if I explained it badly. I have only internal monitor and I want to control it - I want to be able to shut it off and on. Like with "xset dpms off/on" but independently so that it doesn't come back on automaticly (with mouse move, keyboard press etc) Now when I close the laptop lid nothing happens (monitor is still on -> bad for battery) so I want to create acpi hook that will shut the monitor down on LID/CLOSE but I don't know how (besides xset dpms off that is)

06-01-10, 04:51 PM	#7
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: How to turn off display permanently? Oh I see. That's odd, most laptops turn off the internal display automatically when you close the lid. I don't think the driver will validate metamodes with no active display devices. You could hack it by making the driver think an external display is connected using the ConnectedMonitor option, then configure metamodes like I described, switching to the nonexistent external display when you want the internal one to turn off.

06-02-10, 02:19 PM	#9
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: How to turn off display permanently? ConnectedMonitor takes a comma-separated list, i.e. "DFP-1, DFP-3".