How to switch off the Local Display using a linux command

[TheOldPresbyope]

@pkdick

Yes, the two commands @Macdelf showed you can be rolled into a bash script.

Disabling and enabling the touchscreen from the command line is possible too but it requires additional steps.


1. install the xinput utility

Code:

sudo apt install xinput

2. find the input id for the touchscreen, looking for the raspberrypi-ts entry

Code:

DISPLAY=:0.0 xinput --list

3. Now you can disable/enable the touchscreen input with

Code:

sudo DISPLAY=:0.0 xinput disable <id>
sudo DISPLAY=:0.0 xinput enable <id>

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So, for example, on one of my moOde players with the official 7" LCD touch display (and a USB volume control knob and a FLIRC USB device)

Code:

pi@moodeLD:~ $ DISPLAY=:0.0 xinput --list
⎡ Virtual core pointer                    id=2 [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer              id=4 [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ flirc.tv flirc Consumer Control          id=7 [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Arduino LLC iWit USB Controller Mouse    id=11 [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Arduino LLC iWit USB Controller Consumer Control id=12 [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ raspberrypi-ts                          id=9 [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                    id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard              id=5 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ flirc.tv flirc Keyboard                  id=6 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ flirc.tv flirc System Control            id=8 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ flirc.tv flirc Consumer Control          id=10 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Arduino LLC iWit USB Controller Consumer Control id=13 [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Arduino LLC iWit USB Controller Keyboard id=14 [slave  keyboard (3)]

I can disable the touchscreen with

Code:

sudo DISPLAY=:0.0 xinput disable 9

and enable it again with

Code:

sudo DISPLAY=:0.0 xinput enable 9

Note that this works independently of the display, e.g., you can turn the touchscreen off and on whether the display is on or off. This can lead to confusion

Regards,
Kent