Keep a laptop running with closed lid

I am trying to keep my laptop running with the lid closed.

What I've done so far is:

1. In the file /etc/systemd/logind.conf add HandleLidSwitch=ignore both for docked and plain mode. This didn't do the trick at all.
2. In the file /etc/UPower/UPower.conf set IgnoreLid=true

This worked, but now my TeamViewer session closes and the screen is locked, so I still can't actually use the laptop.

Command line based

There are some gsettings you can use:

• Handling when on ac line

  gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.power lid-close-ac-action 'nothing'
  

  This will disable any action when the lid gets closed, and the laptop is plugged into AC.
  To undo simply:

   gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.power lid-close-ac-action 'suspend'
  

  Possible setting values instead of suspend are:

  'blank', 'suspend', 'shutdown','hibernate', 'interactive', 'nothing', 'logout'

• Handling when on battery

  gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.power lid-close-battery-action 'nothing'
  

• Handling when an external monitor is plugged in

  gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.power lid-close-suspend-with-external-monitor 'nothing'
  

Using a gui

If you prefer a gui based solution, you have to install

sudo apt install dconf-editor

Invoke with

dconf-editor&

or by searching the program dash.

Go to the schema as show in the first line of the images shown above, and make your settings:

On Ubuntu 19.10 the gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.power lid-close-* actions don't seem to work any more.

Keep on running on lid-close instead of suspend

Edit the file /etc/systemd/logind.conf with sudo and change the line

#HandleLidSwitch=.....

to

HandleLidSwitch=lock

And reboot your system.

The file /etc/systemd/logind.conf controls how logind shall handle the system power and sleep keys and the lid switch to trigger actions such as system power-off or suspend. Can be one of
"ignore", "poweroff", "reboot", "halt", "kexec", "suspend", "hibernate", "hybrid-sleep", "suspend-then-hibernate", and "lock". for these settings:

 HandlePowerKey=, HandleSuspendKey=, HandleHibernateKey=, HandleLidSwitch=,
 HandleLidSwitchExternalPower=, HandleLidSwitchDocked=

Reference:

• http://tipsonubuntu.com/2018/04/28/change-lid-close-action-ubuntu-18-04-lts/
• http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/eoan/man5/logind.conf.5.html