I'm completely new to Linux so please explain in idiot-proof detail...

Recently my netbook (Toshiba NB100, running Ubuntu 8.04) has started crashing every time I shut the lid. The screen goes black, I press the power switch, and it doesn't come on. The screen stays black but I have a cursor flashing. That's it, nothing happens, I have to restart.

How can I fix this?

Thanks

I don't know if this will help or not, but on my Ubuntu 9.04 Toshiba satellite a205, I have to press enter (I press it twice and can't remember anymore if I have to do it twice or if it's just OCD) and then I get my login prompt so that I can resume my session.

Thanks, but I've tried pressing everything. Nothing has any effect except ctrl, alt, del. That restarts it, but before I just had to tap any key and it would wake up again. It's only just started doing this, I have no idea why. It means any windows I left open get closed which is kind of annoying

Have you recently made any hardware changes, or perhaps kernel updates?

No hardware changes, and I don't know what a kernel update is so I don't think so. I have had a lot of crashes before where I get a long string of text with a message about a 'kernel panic' at the end.

Ubuntu by default will pop up the "Update Manager" the kernel is the heart of linux.......technically speaking it is the linux in linux and everything else is programs and scripts. The kernel, among other things, is what interfaces with the hardware and handles the suspend and hibernation. If you have updated Ubuntu or allowed it to update, then there is a likelihood of a kernel update. To find out youi ned to find out what kernel version shipped with your release and then compare that to the output of which will give you your running kernel. There are also settings in Ubuntu to control your suspend/hibernation triggers like closing the lid. There could also be some bios setting that you can tweak, although on my toshiba laptop at least, there isn't much the user has access to.

Also don't be shy to use the Ubuntu forums also. Post back with what you find out or questions you might have.

Have you looked at the power management settings in System>>Preferences>>Power Management?
For AC and Battery you can set the behavior for lid close. Do Nothing should be an option...if not, you can set that as a value in gconf-editor.
Each time AC and Battery, when you set the value, you must click "make default."

If power management continues to misbehave, you may have to set boot options for the kernel acpi=off. How this is done will change when you upgrade from 8.04. It can be tested by choosing F6 at grub menu.

the running kernel is: 2.6.24-19-lpia

I'm not sure how to find out what it shipped with. But I always let Ubuntu update so it probably has update the kernel.

Should I try switching to Ubuntu 9.10? Would that make any difference?

That is an older kernel, but there is almost no doubt that it's been updated several times Even on my 9.04 the kernel was updated just this past week to a newer, yet still old kernel. It's possible that you will get better support for acpi by upgrading, but that is a decision only you can make. I've heard some bad things about trying to use the update features to upgrade as opposed to a clean install which has it's own set of risks to your data, depending on your particular setup.

Has several good troubleshooting tips. It's workth looking through the power options, also the bios, if you are happy with your current OS minus the current problem. If you have no real attachment to the OS or decide that either you have no data you care to save on that particular machine, or it's easily/already backed up, then upgrading might be something you want to do.

Also don't rule out the Ubuntu forums. I've never posted there, but I've searched and found a number of Ubunutu specific solutions to Ubuntu specific problems.

It's good to search things like this with your kernel version included:

or whatever

It just occurred to me that on my machines, Ubuntu always keeps the older kernels even when it upgrades. To see if it is a kernel issue, you could try rebooting and hitting esc when it comes out of POST. On my machines that brings you to a boot options menu, that will allow you to pick a different kernel.

It's possible that someting other than the kernel was updated and is causing your problem.

If it was working once, then it can definitely work again.