Since version 1.8.2 Minecraft fails to start, due to an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException at org.lwjgl.opengl.LinuxDisplay.getAvailableDisplayModes(LinuxDisplay.java:951). I have attached the crash report that the launcher generated.
The last working version is 1.8.1.
Other reports exist, but have been closed by a bot as invalid due to them being reported with 1.8.8, even though the problem persists in 1.8.9.
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duplicates 1
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Xrandr IS installed, as it is in every Ubuntu desktop install. And since other games and older Minecraft versions work correctly, this is a Minecraft issue.
In your crash report, it indicates specifically:
org.lwjgl.opengl.LinuxDisplay.getAvailableDisplayModes(LinuxDisplay.java:951)
meaning the game is unable to recognize your display modes. This is not something controlled by the game. Either it is an issue with xrandr, your graphics drivers, or LWJGL (the libraries the game uses).
The problem is in how LWJGL interprets XRANDR's output, because if I manipulate XRANDR's output to tell LWJGL there is only one screen connected LWJGL doesn't give a fault and the game works. Apparently LWJGL chokes when a screen is connected but not turned on - like when you play on an external monitor and your laptop screen is disabled, like it is in my case.
Since most games on Linux use xrandr - without any issues - the problem lies in LWJGL. This library is supplied by Minecraft and thus your responsibility.
The game is unable to recognize your computer's display modes, possibly meaning you need xrandr available through the "X11-server-utils" package (on Ubuntu). You should also look into using Bumblebee to manage hybrid graphics with nvidia optimus.
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