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I use Ubuntu 12.04 on a Toshiba Portege R600. Normally I have a flat green background (the middle choice of the custom set under wallpapers in the right-mouse-click GUI).

When I plug in a VGA monitor for two-screen usage the background on that and on the laptop screen go black. They remain black after I unplug the monitor and give the command:

xrandr --output LVDS1 --auto --output VGA1 --off

Is there a trick to maintain the green blackground, at least on the laptop screen, or at least regain it automatically on the laptop screen?

Radu Rădeanu
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Rob Rutten
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    Per OP, resolved by upgrading: "This bug went away when I installed Ubuntu 14.04 on a new Toshiba Z930." – belacqua May 12 '14 at 19:14

2 Answers2

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An workaround will be to use the following command:

xrandr --output LVDS1 --auto --output VGA1 --off && gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color "#73D216"

This will set again your background color to #73D216 (green).

Radu Rădeanu
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  • Thanks but no go: DISPLAY=:0: Command not found. Sorry, should have added I use Gnome Classic. – Rob Rutten Oct 11 '13 at 12:54
  • @RobRutten Are you sure that you copy it correctly? Dont't use any space before or after = sign. – Radu Rădeanu Oct 11 '13 at 13:00
  • alias vga-off 'xrandr --output LVDS1 --auto --output VGA1 --off && DISPLAY=:0 GSETTINGS_BACKEND=dconf gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color "#73D216"' – Rob Rutten Oct 11 '13 at 13:06
  • Or is it my use of tcsh? Sorry, I am not too unix-knowledgeable... – Rob Rutten Oct 11 '13 at 13:12
  • @RobRutten Oh... tcsh. Ok, don't use these variables DISPLAY=:0 GSETTINGS_BACKEND=dconf. See if it is working with gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color "#73D216" only. – Radu Rădeanu Oct 11 '13 at 13:20
  • Yes, that's it! Many thanks! Is there a palette or such to choose a color specifying such code number? – Rob Rutten Oct 11 '13 at 13:47
  • @RobRutten Yes, you can use gcolor2. If this answered your question, you may mark this answer as accepted, by clicking the green check mark next to it. That will indicate that your problem is solved. – Radu Rădeanu Oct 11 '13 at 13:50
  • Hold! I found a nifty color code finder at http://www.colorpicker.com/ Question closed- Thanks! – Rob Rutten Oct 11 '13 at 13:58
  • @RobRutten Well, are many useful tools in this sense. – Radu Rădeanu Oct 11 '13 at 14:01
  • Sorry! I was too quick. The gsettings background color definition only works after I have manually reset the background with the GUI. After switching off or unplugging he second VGA monitor the background stays black also when apply your command. he gestetings command – Rob Rutten Oct 12 '13 at 08:50
  • Then run again gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color "#73D216" only. – Radu Rădeanu Oct 12 '13 at 08:52
  • I tried that. The background stays black. If I reset it with the GUI then after that the command does work. – Rob Rutten Oct 12 '13 at 10:29
  • @RobRutten Maybe you have a bug. That command will not work if you have an image set as background. – Radu Rădeanu Oct 12 '13 at 10:36
  • @ Radu Radeanu I don't use an image but the central lightgreen "custom" flat background in the Appearance GUI. I tried instead with an (ugly) wallpaper from upper choice in the GUI: xrandr then works properly, giving that background on both screens and keeping it after unplugging or my vga-off. With the flat choice and your command above the green flashes momentarily into view when I unplug and then the background goes black and stays black, the command won't work afterwards either - until I revive the GUI choice and then it does work. Some real bug I suspect. Thanks anyhow! – Rob Rutten Oct 12 '13 at 13:20
  • @RobRutten Sound like a bug. See How do I report a bug?. – Radu Rădeanu Oct 12 '13 at 14:17
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This bug went away when I installed Ubuntu 14.04 on a new Toshiba Z930.

Rob Rutten
  • 657