2

I think I have Googled this problem to death but can't find an answer. Maybe I'm not entering the right search parameters. There is a very common problem with Ubuntu where it keeps cycling back to the sign-on screen immediately after signing on. This is not the problem that I am having.

I'm not a regular Ubuntu 16.04 user but I have to use it in a VM-Box so that I can do builds for an embedded Linux project. It's using "bitbake" inside a terminal window and these builds take several hours. It's the kind of thing you want to let run just before you go to bed and hope it's all done by morning.

What keeps happening though, is that after anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, Ubuntu just decides to sign me off and go back to the sign-on screen. It stops my build and nothing, or very little, gets done. It just did it again after only about 5 minutes. The last time it was more like a half hour. Another time it was 2 or 3 hours.

I have looked at the power and lock settings again and again. Everything I can find is set to "NEVER". Just "NEVER". Just don't power off or sign off or go to sleep ever, under any circumstances, even if WWIII breaks out. Then I come back and it's showing me the sign on screen.

I saw one guy say that I should delete the .Xauthority file. I did that and tried again. Ten minutes later, I'm looking at the sign-on screen.

I am tearing my hair out here because I have work to do and everything has come to a screeching halt because I can't get a build done.

I don't think this is the same as the "Screen Saver Issue in U12" for the following reasons:

  1. Ubuntu is not blanking the screen, it's going back to the sign-on screen. This doesn't take anything off the screen that could be interpreted as "saving" it.
  2. It seems random. It has run for 2 or 3 hours before this happens. Other times, 10 or 15 minutes.
Jethro63
  • 21
  • 2
  • 2
    Possible duplicate of [Ubuntu 12.10 "Turn screen off when inactive for: Never" still turns off](https://askubuntu.com/questions/216783/ubuntu-12-10-turn-screen-off-when-inactive-for-never-still-turns-off) – WinEunuuchs2Unix Apr 11 '18 at 00:52
  • 1
    @WinEunuuchs2Unix This question is about how "after anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, Ubuntu just decides to sign me off and go back to the sign-on screen." Does [that question](https://askubuntu.com/questions/216783/ubuntu-12-10-turn-screen-off-when-inactive-for-never-still-turns-off) really cover this? – Eliah Kagan Apr 11 '18 at 06:41
  • 1
    As a workaround you could try using Caffeine. Maybe it helps. – pLumo Apr 11 '18 at 09:03
  • Hi RoVo: Caffeine? – Jethro63 Apr 11 '18 at 12:33
  • @EliahKagan "A few minutes of not using the keyboard" and "A few hours of using the keyboard followed by a pause" could result in inactivity screen lock. In any respect the OP should review the duplicate candidate and try the solutions there. Then if it doesn't work come back and comment why / revise the question with reason why. – WinEunuuchs2Unix Apr 14 '18 at 00:39
  • I did look at the post that was indicated and I did try many of the things that were suggested to no effect. What I ended up doing was moving my entire VMBox installation to a new system. There has been no problems on the new system. The reason this kept happening on my laptop will remain forever a mystery. – Jethro63 May 07 '18 at 17:43

0 Answers0