Ubuntu 12.04 "Do nothing" when "lid closed" blanks out external monitor

Question

This is not the same as this question.

I have Ubuntu 12.04 running with an Nvidia card on a W510 Thinkpad. I have one external monitor connected. When I change the power settings to "Do nothing" when "Lid closed" it still keeps the system running which is great. However, it blanks out the display on any external monitors making the system useless. I plan on getting a dock soon and having to identical resolution monitors and would love to be able to dock the monitor and work as normal on the external monitors. Does anyone have a suggestion or fix for this? Should I report this as a bug or feature request?

Solution

Here is the way this works. When it is set to do nothing and you close the lid it blacks out the laptop display and the external monitor. Then all you have to do is move the mouse and the secondary external monitor will come on. I never tried that before but it works! So, I kind of like it like this because if I leave the room and don't want to go full stand by (I used to turn the monitor off physically (w/button)) now I can just close the lid, then if I want to use the secondary monitor I just move the mouse and the main laptop lid is still off keeping the laptop a bit cooler.

Comments

[Admin]

I think answers in that question also address the screen blanking out, like this answer for 12.04 askubuntu.com/a/123577/47291

[humanityANDpeace]

I agree, that seems handy. Still "nothing" and "blank" (or black/off) are two different options. I see no reason that there should be a setting nothing, that counterintuitively does something. Anyhow, thanks for suggestion to move the mouse, just like you it took me a while to figure that this brings back the other screen.

[Majal]

What if you don't have a mouse? For example, you use only the touchpad? (Which I do whenever I'm mobile and showing video presentations through a projector.)

[Elijah Lynn]

I would think it would work with any input device such as your trackpad. Does it not work?