This script allows you to setup you laptop as a computer desktop closing the lid without suspend the PC while a video cable is connected to a external monitor/s. If video cable is unplugged, then close the lid will suspend the laptop.
In the absence of testing on different Linux distributions, as far as I check, this script works in every Linux distributions. You just to be sure that the logind.conf is in /etc/systemd/ directory. Make sure that your logind.conf have HandleLidSwitch line like HandleLidSwitch=ignore or #HandleLidSwitch=ignore, otherwise maybe the script will not work properly. More info about logind.conf file here.
The only requeriment for Windows OS is have a Powershell version 5.1 or higher. In order to know what is your current version use the command Get-Host | Select-Object Version.
This script use two basics of Linux. The command xrandr and the logind.conf located in /etc/systemd/ directory. The command xrandr is used to check if any video port is connected to a external monitor or it is not. In order to manage the lid behavior, the logind.conf is modified, specifically the line of HandleLidSwitch. This script change this line to ignore option if video cable is connected and if is not connected comment the line with #.
For Windows it is use the command Get-WmiObject and query the information about current monitors connected to the machine. To change the lid behaviour, it is used the powercfg and the default GUID power plan, that is 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e 4f971e89-eebd-4455-a8de-9e59040e7347, so you have to set your power plan to Balanced, otherwise you will have to change to your correspoding GUID.
In order to automate this tasks there are differents ways to run a script on boot, for example, using crontab is a good idea. But in some desktops of Debian/Ubuntu distros like XFCE, there is a tab in configuration menu for configure startup applications.
For automate with crontab just add this line to your crontab file:
@reboot sudo /absolute-full-path-of-where-script-is/linux-screen-suspender.sh &
You can use the Windows Task Scheduler to set up the script and run it on every boot. You just create a new basic task, give it a name and description, set the trigger as 'When I log on' and set the action as Start a program and add next command:
Powershell.exe -windowstyle hidden "\absolute-full-path-of-where-script-is\windows-screen-suspender.ps1"
In addition, maybe you have to change some properties of the task, like set the OS to Windows 10, and check the box of Run with highest privileges. Now on every boot a powershell window maybe will pop up for few seconds and then the script will be running on background.
You can run this in a powershell terminal with high privileges to configure automatically the task:
$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute 'Powershell.exe' -Argument "-windowstyle hidden \absolute-full-path-of-where-script-is\windows-screen-suspender.ps1"
$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogOn
$settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries
Register-ScheduledTask -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -TaskName "Lid Screen Suspender" -Description "Lid Screen Suspender" -Settings $settings -RunLevel Highest If not works, maybe you have to connect your laptop to the power supply.