USB Type-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode Driver Coming To Linux 4.19

[phoronix]

Phoronix: USB Type-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode Driver Coming To Linux 4.19

The USB Type-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode driver will be coming to the Linux 4.19 kernel...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Type-C-DP-Alt-Mode-Linux-4.19

[Venemo]

Type-C to DisplayPort already works on my Dell XPS 9370. What exacty does this new driver do?

[boxie]

Type-C to DisplayPort already works on my Dell XPS 9370. What exacty does this new driver do?

is it currently being done by an nvidia binary driver or the aforementioned firmware blobs that auto initialised?

[Venemo]

is it currently being done by an nvidia binary driver or the aforementioned firmware blobs that auto initialised?

The 9370 does not have any NVidia hardware. I would never buy NVidia hardware. It just has an integrated Intel GPU.

[boxie]

The 9370 does not have any NVidia hardware. I would never buy NVidia hardware. It just has an integrated Intel GPU.

So your dell has some firmware that is presenting the DRM interface then

[numacross]

Type-C to DisplayPort already works on my Dell XPS 9370. What exacty does this new driver do?

That is most likely not using USB-C DisplayPort alternate mode, but Thunderbolt 3 DisplayPort mode instead, which is supported natively for quite some time.

USB-C has 4 alternate modes for video

[Venemo]

That is most likely not using USB-C DisplayPort alternate mode, but Thunderbolt 3 DisplayPort mode instead, which is supported natively for quite some time.

USB-C has 4 alternate modes for video

It also works on the non-Thunderbolt USB Type-C port so... not sure what it is. Most likely the firmware does its magic.

[edwaleni]

This is great progress on the USB-C front in Linux. USB-C is still a misused connector standard by the hardware vendors and has caused a great deal of user confusion. Even on the Windows side, I can't tell you how many people get these USB-C dongles with a HDMI port on it that doesn't work. Device Managers will show a "USB_Billboard" issue because the OS can't locate an alt-mode. They are beginning to fill the return bins at BestBuy.

I am prepping a USB 3.1 Gen 2 test for my own consumption just to get a feel of where Linux is overall. Beware of cheap cables!

[numacross]

It also works on the non-Thunderbolt USB Type-C port so... not sure what it is. Most likely the firmware does its magic.

Interesting, is that USB-C device visible on lsusb as a video device of some sort? How about lspci or dmesg output when you connect it, if it's not too much trouble

[starshipeleven]

Type-C to DisplayPort already works on my Dell XPS 9370. What exacty does this new driver do?

It deals with devices where it's not handled in firmware like in your case.

I don't understand why Intel in their infinite wisdom decided to even allow the choice of not using a firmware to deal with these things.