Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64bit - screen goes black every 15 seconds

[stefan_bahrens]

I am completely at a loss. On a new installation of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64bit my laptop screen has started to go black every 15 seconds. If I move the mouse or click then the display returns (I do not have to log in). Because this happens every 15 seconds the laptop is essentially unusable. It looks like screensaver behaviour but it could be anything.

If I type " sudo lshw -C video | grep product: " I get -

product: Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics
product: GM108M [GeForce 940M]


If I type " sudo lshw -C video " I get -


*-display

description: VGA compatible controller
product: Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 09
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
resources: irq:44 memory:f0000000-f0ffffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:4000(size=64)
*-display UNCLAIMED

description: 3D controller
product: GM108M [GeForce 940M]
vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:08:00.0
version: a2
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress cap_list
configuration: latency=0
resources: memory:f1000000-f1ffffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff memory:d0000000-d1ffffff ioport:3000(size=128)
If I type "xset s off" this seems to have no effect.
If I type " gnome screensaver " I get -
** (gnome-screensaver:5014): WARNING **: screensaver already running in this session
If I type " xscreensaver " I get -
The program 'xscreensaver' is currently not installed. You can install it by typing: sudo apt install xscreensaver
If I type " xset -q " I get -

Keyboard Control:
auto repeat: on key click percent: 0 LED mask: 00000000 XKB indicators: 00: Caps Lock: off 01: Num Lock: off 02: Scroll Lock: off 03: Compose: off 04: Kana: off 05: Sleep: off 06: Suspend: off 07: Mute: off 08: Misc: off 09: Mail: off 10: Charging: off 11: Shift Lock: off 12: Group 2: off 13: Mouse Keys: off auto repeat delay: 500 repeat rate: 33 auto repeating keys: 00ffffffdffffbbf fadfffefffedffff 9fffffffffffffff fff7ffffffffffff bell percent: 50 bell pitch: 400 bell duration: 100 Pointer Control:
acceleration: 5/1 threshold: 5
Screen Saver:

prefer blanking: yes allow exposures: yes timeout: 0 cycle: 0 Colors:

default colormap: 0x22 BlackPixel: 0x0 WhitePixel: 0xffffff
Font Path:

/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,built-ins
DPMS (Energy Star): Standby: 0 Suspend: 0 Off: 0

DPMS is Enabled Monitor is On
Needless to stay if I go to Settings > System Settings... and make changes to "Brightness and Lock", "Power" or "Screen Display" this has no effect on the problem. I don't know what to do. Any help would be appreciated.

[stefan_bahrens]

I have solved this issue. I have no idea why the problem was triggered. I don't know what the problem actually was. I don't know why or how my solution works.

I guessed that the problem was arising because of Display Power Management Signalling, or DPMS. I guessed that DPMS had been turned on by something I'd installed and that it was operating at a default setting of 15 seconds. I guessed that DPMS was turning off the display through the X server after 15 seconds (a default value) of zero activity in order to "manage power". I opened a console and typed "xset -dpms". This turns off DPMS permanently, not just for the session. The problem promptly went away.

[Swelch87]

THANK YOU!
I had this exact same issue with my 16.10 install. The only thing I could think would have caused it is Remmina as I just started using it the other day. I also don't know how or why this happened or worked, but I'm glad you solved it.

[ehsanjfry]

Thank YOU . You solve my problem too .
i had same problem with ubuntu 16.04.

[alanr@unix.sh]

Thanks much for solving it. I just had the same problem show up with 16.04 myself. Your solution fixed my problem too! Thanks!