In this article, we will guide you through the process of manually turning off your laptop monitor in Unity. This can be particularly useful when you want to save battery life, reduce eye strain, or simply when you’re not using the monitor. We will explore three different methods using terminal commands.
To manually turn off your laptop monitor in Unity, you can use the xset, xrandr, or busctl commands in the terminal. These commands allow you to instantly turn off the monitor to save battery life or reduce eye strain. Simply follow the steps outlined in the article to use the desired method.
Using the xset Command
The xset command is a user preference utility for X. It allows you to change various operational aspects of the X Window System.
Step 1: Open a terminal. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
Step 2: Enter the following command to turn off the monitor instantly:
xset dpms force offIn this command, dpms stands for Display Power Management Signaling. It’s a standard to reduce power consumption in monitors when the computer is idle. The force off command immediately puts the display into off mode.
To turn the monitor back on, you can simply move your mouse or press any key on the keyboard. Alternatively, you can use the following command:
xset dpms force onUsing the xrandr Command
The xrandr command is a primitive command-line interface to RandR extension, which allows for live (re)configuration of the display servers.
Step 1: Open a terminal.
Step 2: Enter the command xrandr. This will display the names of different monitors connected to your computer. Note down the name of the monitor you want to turn off.
Step 3: To turn off the monitor, use the command:
xrandr --output <DISPLAY_NAME> --brightness 0Replace <DISPLAY_NAME> with the name of your monitor. The --output parameter specifies the output to modify, and --brightness sets the brightness level. A brightness level of 0 effectively turns off the monitor.
To turn the monitor back on, use the following command:
xrandr --output <DISPLAY_NAME> --brightness 1Here, a brightness level of 1 means full brightness.
Using the busctl Command (for Ubuntu 18.04 with GNOME Wayland)
The busctl command is a utility for controlling the systemd bus, which is an inter-process communication mechanism.
Step 1: Open a terminal.
Step 2: Enter the following command to turn off the monitor:
busctl --user set-property org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig /org/gnome/Mutter/DisplayConfig org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig PowerSaveMode i 1In this command, set-property is used to change a property of a service. The PowerSaveMode property is set to 1, which puts the display into power save mode.
To turn the monitor back on, use the following command:
busctl --user set-property org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig /org/gnome/Mutter/DisplayConfig org.gnome.Mutter.DisplayConfig PowerSaveMode i 0Here, PowerSaveMode is set to 0, which brings the display back from power save mode.
Conclusion
These are three methods to manually turn off your laptop monitor in Unity. Depending on your specific setup and requirements, you may find one method more suitable than the others. Remember, always check the specific instructions for your operating system and desktop environment.
No, the power button on your laptop is designed to turn the entire system on or off. It does not have the functionality to specifically turn off the monitor.
Yes, turning off your laptop monitor can save battery life as the display consumes a significant amount of power. By turning off the monitor when not in use, you can extend the battery life of your laptop.
Yes, turning off your laptop monitor when not in use can reduce eye strain. Staring at a bright screen for extended periods can cause eye fatigue, and giving your eyes a break by turning off the monitor can help alleviate this strain.
In Unity, there is no built-in option to turn off the laptop monitor through the system settings. However, you can use the terminal commands mentioned in this article to manually turn off the monitor.
No, turning off the laptop monitor will not affect any running applications or processes. The system will continue to function normally, and you can easily turn the monitor back on by moving the mouse or pressing any key on the keyboard.
Yes, it is safe to turn off your laptop monitor using the terminal commands mentioned in this article. These commands are designed to control the display power management and will not cause any harm to your system or monitor.
Yes, you can turn off the laptop monitor temporarily using the terminal commands mentioned in this article. This will not change any system settings, and the monitor will turn back on when you move the mouse or press any key on the keyboard.
