Stop suspend on laptop lid close from startup

[peter-j]

Hello

First post here and I just want to say that Linux Lite has made an otherwise useless piece of junk completely usable so thank you kindly to everyone involved for all your dedicated hard work.

My formerly useless piece of junk is a Toshiba M200 tablet PC. I have managed to get around majority of the issues except one. Being a tablet PC I tend to turn the screen around and lay it flat to the keyboard which also happens to be where the lid close switch is hidden, this causes the power management to suspend the system. I've changed the power management settings in XFCE and when logged in and at the desktop turning it into its tablet mode seems to have no effect and the machine doesn't suspend.

However on startup, if it is in tablet mode then the laptop will get so far then suspends. Powering on again just causes it to get a bit further then suspends again and this will continue 2-3 times before it crashes the system and I have to forcibly turn it off.

I have been into /etc/systemd/logind.conf and changed the option #HandleLidSuspend to ignore and restarted the service. I have also edited /etc/UPower/UPower.conf and set IgnoreLid to true. Is there anywhere else I need to look or change? Ideally I'd like to completely disable the lid close button.

Thanks in advance

[bitsnpcs]

Hello peter-j,

is this a hardware button with software too ?
It sounds like it is touching together hardware wise from the description ?
Can you disconnect the switch inside, or extend the wires and put the switch in a more suited location on the device ?

[peter-j]

Hello bitsnpcs

It is a hardware switch which triggers the software event. I want to stop the OS reacting to this switch. Ive not opened the laptop up to look at how its connected, maybe thats a good place to start.

[bayoubooger]

If you power off the OS, you still have problems? You have to shutdown OS in all cases, unless you tell it to shutdown OS when you close the lid? i power down OS and leave the lid up mostly, Screen cleaner gets the dust?

[bitsnpcs]

Hello peter-j,

Is this the correct model?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuaVuajz3B0


It says it is a pin switch near the hinge on many Toshiba, the manual of M200 does not cover the switch, at its end is a plug that pushes into a socket on the board if it is removed (gentle pulling) the switch is disabled. (similar some Dells I seen when searching), if its the pin it will be visible on computer. To refit just push the connector back into the socket.
It will not hibernate when close so would need to be shutdown, and also it won't be able to switch to external monitors using the F keys.

For the M500 models I found info said it uses the magnet as the switch, that using a small magnet by it will determine if it is switching using that instead and is done for testing that is functioning correctly.
If it is this type it would be good as it would be very easy to do with a small piece of screened (or rubber slim) and tape over magnet to disable that magnetic switch.

At first I thought it could be ldr at lower right of screen but they are leds manual says.

To be brutal and fast can just remove the pin only, carefully, and not undo any screws of the laptop pc, but then switch it is broken officially, if not likely to ever use it, or sell it that's not an issue, unofficially it could still be used for external video by using a trimmer tool to into the pin space press switch.

bayoubooger's way is the most efficient one for solve this as it makes the laptop shutdown and doesn't need to alter the laptop physically.

[peter-j]

Hello

Bayoubooger - Thank you, however, I'm not sure I quite follow what you mean. Yes I do indeed shutdown the OS fully but I don't shut the lid, I want to keep the tablet PC in it's tablet configuration all of the time (I have the screen and stylus input rotated by default on startup) so when I turn the it on (the power switch is built into the screen) I use it as a tablet.

Bitsnpcs - Thank you, yes it is an Toshiba Portege M200 (PPM21E-0260Z-EN) I will need to strip the machine down to do this by the looks of things, I don't really want to damage the laptop irreversibly so if it's just a plug then that's great. I am not worried about connecting external screens or what else happens when the lid closes as it'll very very rarely close when the machine is on (and not often when the machine is off really either). I have programmed some of the extra hardware buttons on the screen for different functions like shutdown options menu.

I have OnBoard virtual keyboard which works great.

Many thanks

Peter.

[bitsnpcs]

Hello Peter,

it is understandable not wanting to damage the laptop irreversibly.
Please let us know how the project goes, and some pics if possible, I would find this interesting.

[peter-j]

The concept of the project is to create a machine that can run and display web-based calendar and tasks and local contact lists for me in my office, may be even social media notifications too. The device will be secured on my desk. It has been an interesting project so far and I have learned quite a bit about Linux. I was very pleased that Linux Lite 3.4 detected the WACOM tablet built into the screen of the laptop (this is a first, no other OS has!). Linux Lite also gave me all the options I needed to get started and get it up to date.

I first had to work out how screen and pointing device rotation worked and manually add my desired changes to the startup applications list. I then couldn't install any software so I had to get around the issue that the Pentium M doesn't announce it has PAE and to then install the linux-image-4.4.0-79-generic before any other software could be loaded. I added forcepae in the GRUB options.

Then the brightness went peculiar so I added another entry to the GRUB conf file with "acpi_brightness=vendor" and got it back, I'm still looking for a way to change the brightness within the OS using a slider or something similar.

I then was able to get OnBoard virtual keyboard working and disable a few system services that I don't need. Now, apart from the lid switch issue, I have a fully operational machine which runs better than it has ever done before - even videos play (a little choppy but still watchable). I would also like to program all the WACOM hardware buttons. I'll post a couple of photos of the device and in operation :-)

Cheers

Peter.

[peter-j]

A couple of photos of the machine are now on my Google Photos album here: https://goo.gl/photos/p11JT7r3Zwjts6Ad6

[bitsnpcs]

Brightness controller with slider - https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/on-to.../#msg32468

It sounds an interesting and real world project
I use the Wacom Intuos Draw tablet and this connected to LL 3.2 and into GNU image manipulation program without any issues.

This project by GreatScott! is very interesting, it's building a wifi enabled counter for social media. You may like to add it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpdpDo-gR3Q