Score:1

Xubuntu 18.04 laptop screen blank after unplugging from external monitor. How to change primary display using terminal?

ki flag

I used to use an external monitor and had the display setting to external only in my house. Unfortunately I'm out of town and don't have an external monitor with me right now, so I am greeted by a blank screen when I boot into Xubuntu. I can still go into the terminal, so is it possible to change the primary display there? My Windows still works fine, so I know my display works.

I tried the following:

  • xrandr returns can't read display
  • rm ~/.config/monitors.xml
David avatar
cn flag
A confusing question.How do you have access to the terminal if you have no monitor? Would it be more accurate to say you have no GUI not no monitor?
aufwuch24 avatar
ki flag
I use ctrl alt f3 which shows the terminal on my laptop display. I have no GUI on my laptop screen, and I also don't have immediate access to an external monitor which would make life easier.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
Are you aware that *flavors* of Ubuntu only come with three years of supported life (five years applies to Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Server but not flavors), so you're asking about a release that is EOL. (https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2020/08/14/ubuntu-18-04-5-lts-released/ or a recent UWN - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue681#Lubuntu_18.04_LTS_End_of_Life_and_Current_Support_Statuses highlights the EOL notices for Lubuntu/Ubuntu-MATE/Kubuntu/Ubuntu-Budgie; Xubuntu didn't announce EOL but refer https://xubuntu.org/release/18-04/ you'll see it's 29 April 2021)
aufwuch24 avatar
ki flag
I was not aware the supported life differed for flavors, thank you for pointing that out.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
FYI: You can use `ubuntu-support-status` to get details of what is still *supported* and what isn't... all packages from `main` (repository) get security patches for the full five years, only those from `universe` (ie. community supported) no longer have any guarantee of security fixes (*though it's still possible for any MOTU to patch until the 5 years is up if bugs are filed & they have the time/capacity*). Your system is still on-topic here if you refer to it as Ubuntu 18.04 (with Xfce) in the future; its what you're running as I see it now.
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