Configure linux laptop to switch off screen but otherwise remain running when lid closed

Hi i'm trying to set up an old laptop as a 'server' for testing purposes. As such, I don't want the screen on all day, however i do want the cpu running 24x7. Can the 'lid close' switch be configured somehow to simply turn off the screen but otherwise the laptop is running as normal? FYI: I'm running coreos, but i'm willing to switch to another docker container OS if it makes life easier.