Monitors Won't Sleep in TwinView Mode (Ubuntu Jaunty / gnome-power-manager)

[Ben Eisenbraun]

On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 01:54:30PM -0400, BassKozz wrote:
> Description:  I have a dual-monitor setup and ever since I switched over
> from "Separate X-Sessions" to "TwinView" the monitors won't go into sleep
> mode.

I have the same issue on 64-bit Hardy.  I did some research a few months
ago when it started happening, and I was going to send you some links, but
then I realized that the bug reports I had read...

> http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=554247
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-power-manager/+bug/275308

Were the ones that you opened.  :-/

I did not find a fix.  The workaround I ended up using was having a script
like this:

#!/bin/sh
sleep 2
xset dpms force off

Linked to a button in the toolbar, and when I get up to go away from the
computer, I punch the button.  Not very elegant, but since I'm trained to
lock my workstation at work when I walk away from it, it wasn't the hardest
habit to pick up at home.

Since 'xset dpms' can sleep the monitors, this seems like it's probably a
GNOME bug.

-ben

--
character is fate.                                     <heraclitus>