Mastodawn

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️

I can't get my computer to recognize my second #display. I'm running #Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS on a Minisforum UM890 Pro with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS and Radeon™ 780M Graphics × 16. There are 64GB of memory. The second display is a EVICIV 13.3" EVC-1301 that always worked fine with my Mac Mini and my MacBook. It's connected with a cord that is #Displayport on the PC side and #HDMI on the display side. I also tried it with USB4 to USB4. [EDIT] Problem solved!

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

I couldn't get the DP-HDMI cord to work on either display, but I was able to get the second display working when I connected with a USB4-HDMI cord.

What the heck is is the DP port on my computer for if it won't connect to a display!?

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

I followed the instructions on how to install the #DisplayPort driver on #Ubuntu, but it made no difference. I just wrote to #Minisforum support. Hopefully they can help me. I don't like having to use that precious USB4 port on the front panel for a display, when there is a port on the back that is literally called "DisplayPort."

Ray McCarthy Apr 14

@RachelThornSub
I've only one USB-C cord that works between the netbook (Linux Mint) USB-C DP port and the screen. No others work.
I bought a USB cable tester. Turns out that all of the other USB-C <-> USB-C cables (even ones sold as USB-3.x) are all variations of USB 2.0 wiring. My USB 3.x USB-A -> USB-C cables are all USB 3.0 but no use for DP.

Two different USB-C DP HDMI adaptors do seem to work with everything, but they can be a problem.
Also not all actual full size DP to HDMI work.

Ray McCarthy Apr 14

@RachelThornSub
USB-C is a mess. So many options, so many partial cables, so little documentation on what modes a particular port supports from the manufacturer. Real tech specs seem to not exist on most tablets, phones and laptops.

Ray McCarthy Apr 14

@RachelThornSub
Also I can't leave the USB-C DP HDMI adaptor plugged in on the larger laptop or the battery goes flat. The power can't be turned off for that port, even in BIOS, on that Lenovo.

It's a mess. Each newer piece of gear is more annoying.

I have Netbook (ex-ChromeBook), Laptop & workstation all with Linux Mint & two screens. Though mostly 1 on the netbook. Big laptop 2x external QHD via HDMI & USB-C DP HDMI adaptor..

𝙽𝚘𝚊𝚑 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 Apr 14

@RachelThornSub Hrmm...a few things I can think of to try.

First I would probably start with running "xrandr --listmonitors" to see if the second monitor is even visible to the system. If it's detected but just not enabled, you might just need to enable it. The command would be something like "xrandr --output HDMI-1 --auto" assuming the second monitor shows up as "HDMI-1" in the first command run (replace that with whatever your system says the name of the second display is).

Let me know if that works for you...there are a few other things to be tried if not.

𝙽𝚘𝚊𝚑 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 Apr 14

@RachelThornSub I'm pulling those commands from my very faulty brain...so might need to preface those with "sudo"...I honestly can't remember.

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

@monkeyninja (Didn't need sudo)

𝙽𝚘𝚊𝚑 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 Apr 14

@RachelThornSub OK cool, couldn't remember honestly. So if it's not visible we're likely looking at a driver issue. Try running "sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall" to see if we get lucky and it can auto-install the missing drivers to get the second monitor working.

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

@monkeyninja Here's a strange thing. The EVICIV works when I use it as my MAIN display with HDMI to HDMI.

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

@monkeyninja And when I use the Displayport to HDMI cord to try to make my original display a second display, once again the computer doesn't recognize it.

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

@monkeyninja Problem solved (!?)
I couldn't get the DP-HDMI cord to work for either display, but a USB4-HDMI cord worked with the EVICIV display!
Thank you for your help!

𝙽𝚘𝚊𝚑 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 Apr 14

@RachelThornSub Fascinating...I have no idea why that would make the difference...maybe it was just an order of operations issue with bus addressing or some such. How odd! Well either way, I'm glad you found a solution that worked!

𝙽𝚘𝚊𝚑 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 Apr 14

@RachelThornSub I poked around a bit and I saw a few similar posts from folks who said they had DisplayPort to HDMI issues on 22.04 and 24.04 but not earlier versions so I'm wondering if a kernel update caused problems for folks. I didn't see *any* fixes though that didn't involve changing the cable setup so it seems like no one else has figured out DP-HDMI on a recent Ubuntu install either.

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

@monkeyninja
Oh my. I think my only choice for that little portable display are HDMI and USB-C. I wonder if a DP-to-USB-C cable would work.

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

@monkeyninja Apparently it's not visible.

Large Format Projectionist Apr 14

@RachelThornSub

Can I ask what the fix was?

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 14

@BenHM3 Apparently using a USB4-HDMI cord instead of a USB4-USB4 cord? But I still haven't solved the puzzle of why my DisplayPort doesn't work.

Large Format Projectionist Apr 14

@RachelThornSub

Do you know if the DP end of the cable is input or output? This is what I started jumping up and down about reading your post. If I recall correctly, the cables for source->DPI->HDMI->monitor are completely different from ones going the other way.

And-stretching here-one of those conversions requires power and active circuitry. The other doesn’t.

Now can I remember which? Oh goodness gracious me NO.

Hoping this leads somewhere actually useful.

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 15

@BenHM3 Wait. WHAT!? You mean they have a direction!?

Prof. Rachel Thorn 🍉🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️🏳️Apr 15

@BenHM3 Sure enough! I just got a response from Minisforum support.