Disconnected monitors act as present

[Trent Gamblin]

I add a custom mode for my monitor using xrandr at boot. It looks like this:

xrandr --newmode "2560x1440R" 241.50 2560 2608 2640 2720 1440 1443 1448 1481 +hsync -vsync
xrandr --addmode HDMI-1 "2560x1440R"
xrandr --output HDMI-1 --mode "2560x1440R"
xrandr --output HDMI-1 --pos 0x0
xrandr --output eDP-1 --pos 2560x360

Starting recently, since I installed Ubuntu 18.04.2 (was using .1 before), even though the monitor isn't connected, that "space" is still there. I can move my mouse out of my laptop screen and it goes over where the monitor would be and gets lost. And screenshots (Print Screen) captures a large blank space as if the monitor were connected.

As I said, this just started happening recently but I don't remember exactly what update caused it. All I know is before I installed 18.04.2, this didn't happen.
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.5
Architecture: amd64
BootLog: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/boot.log'
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: bionic
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, including running git bisection searches
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation UHD Graphics 620 [8086:5917] (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell UHD Graphics 620 [1028:0804]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-02-16 (22 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190210)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Inspiron 5379
Package: xorg-server (not installed)
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-16-generic root=UUID=a0583427-a9f8-49aa-89d2-bb8e77de9a58 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-16.17~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20
Tags: bionic ubuntu
Uname: Linux 4.18.0-16-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 07/19/2018
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.10.0
dmi.board.name: 05G60G
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.10.0:bd07/19/2018:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron5379:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn05G60G:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.family: Inspiron
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 5379
dmi.product.sku: 0804
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.96-0~b~padoka0
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 18.3.3-1~b~padoka0
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 18.3.3-1~b~padoka0
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core N/A
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

This doesn't sound like a bug to me. If you manually place your only connected display at a position that's not 0x0 then I would expect that invisible space.

[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

Do you have a better solution? If I change the HDMI display to -2560x-360 it doesn't work either. Now there is space to the bottom and right of the laptop display (captured in screenshot) and the external monitor is not actually at that position either, it's more like -2560x-180 (not sure if negative values are even supported.) I've attached a screenshot with no external display connected.

Like I said, this is a new problem.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

OK. Please run this command to send us more information about the system:

  apport-collect 1818829

[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

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[Trent Gamblin (goobliata)]

Done. I changed a couple things since reporting this though. I stopped setting the screen positions in the initial commands I posted. I booted with no monitor attached, without running the script, then connected the monitor and ran it (again, without settings positions) and sent the report while the laptop display was disabled (only using external monitor.) If you need me to run it some other way let me know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xorg-server (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]