Laptop lid problems (?) when booting

General Help
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1

Hello, I am a Linux noob and just installed Zorin 16 Core on my laptop (Dell Inspiron 17-7779 64bits) as my main OS.
Every time I boot my computer or restart it, it shows a black screen that does not allow me to log in. However, when I close the lid and open it again, the black screen disappears and I can finally log in and use the system normally.

I do not know if this represents a problem, but closing and reopening my laptop lid every time I boot or restart my computer seems a bit odd.

Please help me :frowning:

2

This is a shot in the dark but:
Can you open terminal with the keyboard shortcut ctrl+alt+t. Then enter in

sudo nano /etc/systemd/logind.conf

Arrow key down to the line:

#HandleLidSwitch=suspend

And remove the hastag at the front to uncomment the line.
Hit ctrl+x to exit, then the y key to say yes to save, then the enter key to save as current configuration.

Reboot to test or run in terminal systemctl restart systemd-logind.service to test.

1 Like
3

It did not work :frowning:

When using systemctl restart systemd-logind.service , I am sent to the login screen. When rebooting I just reboot and have to close and reopen the lid again to access the login screen.

4

Well, it was a shot in the dark...
According to the specs of your machine, the graphics card is
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 940MX 2GB GDDR5 / Intel HD Graphics 620

Is this correct?
You can check with inxi

sudo apt install inxi

inxi -G

5

Yes :slight_smile:
Although I think the Intel graphic card is set as my main, according to inxi.
Screenshot from 2021-09-15 19-54-15

6

Here is my inxi -G readout...

inxi -G
inxi -G1718×464 132 KB

Here is what I think the possible issue might be. Your inxi -G readout is basically telling us that you have both Intel HD integrated graphics, and you have Nvidia, just as I do. Cause those of us who own notebooks, generally, they come with two GPU's.

Now, usually, when things are operating properly, the two GPU's are supposed to work in tandem with something called Optimus. Its basically a power saving deal for the battery.

When your system needs to kick in full power performance for gaming, its supposed to automatically switch to the Nvidia GPU. And when your doing general web surfing for example, its supposed to use the Integrated Intel.

So, its possible that you need your optimus drivers installed, which can be found in Synaptic Package Manager BTW, or can be downloaded from the site who has them, but I recommend installing through Synaptic.

Also, don't know if this matters to you or not, more of just an FYI thing. But, if you ever plugin an external display to an HDMI port or DISPLAY port, those are generally connected to the Nvidia GPU.

Also, there are extensions which allow you to override which GPU is always used. For example, I have my system set to always use the Nvidia GPU regardless. Thats cause I am not running the computer off of the battery.

I keep my computer plugged in, and use it like a desktop in that fashion, with separate keyboard and mouse, as well as, connected to a 55" 4K TV.

2 Likes
7

You may try using nomodeset to ensure that Intel graphics load by default at init.

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Find the line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" and add "nomodeset" so it is:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"
Hit ctrl+x to exit, then the y key to say yes to save, then the enter key to save as current configuration and close.

Then test...

1 Like
8

Did not work either :frowning:

9

In this case, it is best to restore grub to the original line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

Can you please:
Boot into the Recovery Menu by tapping or holding the left shift key at boot.
From Advanced Options for Zorin, select to boot from the working 5.11.0-27 Kernel.

10

Nope, did not work.

I don't know if this only happens on this specific laptop model. I'm thinking of reinstalling Zorin OS but I am afraid that something worse could happen. I mean, before installing Zorin I tried with Pop OS and the same problem happened, however, closing and reopening the lid would not work at all.

What should I do?

11

Update:

I have also noticed that when inactive, and the blank screen appears, I also have to close and reopen the lid to access the login screen

12

You may try a different desktop as the D.E. (Desktop Environment) and the D.M. (Display Manager) are what governs these behaviors.

Why not test it out on Zorin OS 15.3 Lite?

1 Like
13

I will reinstall Zorin OS Core and, if the problem persists, I'll give Zorin Lite a go. Wish me luck! :slight_smile: And thanks for your help and all the efforts to make this community so welcoming :slight_smile:

1 Like
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