No Display Recognized - Ubuntu 18.04 Mi Notebook Pro

Video Connector Adapters, Converters, and Cables USBC-HDMI
1

Hi there, I’ve got a Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro and I’m attempting to connect it to a UHD 60Hz display. I can connect to this display just fine via the HDMI port on my laptop, but it only delivers 30Hz which is why I bought this cable. When I plug the monitor in to the adapter in either USB-C port I get no output, and no devices recognized in xrandr

Here is the output of xrandr with the monitor plugged in to the HDMI port:

 ~  xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 32767 x 32767
eDP1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 340mm x 190mm
   1920x1080     60.03*+  59.93    48.00  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1600x1024     60.17  
   1400x1050     59.98  
   1600x900      60.00    59.95    59.82  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1440x900      59.89  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1368x768      60.00    59.88    59.85  
   1360x768      59.80    59.96  
   1280x800      59.81    59.91  
   1152x864      60.00  
   1280x720      59.86    60.00    59.74  
   1024x768      60.00  
   1024x576      60.00    59.90    59.82  
   960x540       60.00    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       60.32    56.25  
   864x486       60.00    59.92    59.57  
   640x480       59.94  
   720x405       59.51    60.00    58.99  
   640x360       59.84    59.32    60.00  
DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI1 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
   4096x2160     30.00    24.00    29.97    23.98  
   3840x2160     30.00    24.00    29.97    23.98  
   1920x1080     60.00    59.94    30.00    24.00    29.97    23.98  
   1920x1080i    60.00    59.94  
   1680x1050     59.88  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1440x900      59.90  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1360x768      60.02  
   1280x800      59.91  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1280x720      60.00    30.00    59.94    29.97    24.00    23.98  
   1024x768      75.03    70.07    60.00  
   800x600       72.19    75.00    60.32  
   720x480       60.00    59.94  
   720x480i      60.00    59.94  
   640x480       75.00    72.81    60.00    59.94  
   720x400       70.08  
HDMI2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VIRTUAL1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Here is the output of xrandr with the monitor plugged in to the USB-C to HDMI adapter:

 ~  xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 32767 x 32767
eDP1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 340mm x 190mm
   1920x1080     60.03*+  59.93    48.00  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1600x1024     60.17  
   1400x1050     59.98  
   1600x900      60.00    59.95    59.82  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1440x900      59.89  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1368x768      60.00    59.88    59.85  
   1360x768      59.80    59.96  
   1280x800      59.81    59.91  
   1152x864      60.00  
   1280x720      59.86    60.00    59.74  
   1024x768      60.00  
   1024x576      60.00    59.90    59.82  
   960x540       60.00    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       60.32    56.25  
   864x486       60.00    59.92    59.57  
   640x480       59.94  
   720x405       59.51    60.00    58.99  
   640x360       59.84    59.32    60.00  
DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VIRTUAL1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

I am using an HDMI 2.0 cable that works with another machine at UHD 60Hz.

The device does appear in lsusb as:

Bus 001 Device 017: ID 06c4:c002 Bizlink International Corp.

Please help! Thanks.

2

Hello, thanks for posting and I am sorry to hear that our adapter is not working! We do not have other feedback from customers using the Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro nor do we have this system for internal testing.

Do you happen to have other USB-C video adapters that are working with the USB-C ports on the Xiaomi laptop?

Unfortunately, I do not have recommendations from a software standpoint and the only thing we can really try is to see if a replacement adapter works in the event that the current unit you have is defective. If the replacement unit also behaves in the same manner then our adapter may not be compatible with the Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro.

Please let us know if interested in trying a replacement USBC-HDMI adapter and then we will reach out to you directly in order to facilitate the replacement process.

Thank you,

David W.
Plugable Technologies
www.plugable.com/support

3

Thanks for the response. I don’t have any other USB-C Video adapters to try with the Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro, nor do I have any other USB-C devices on which to test this adapter.

However, there are reports on the subreddit for Xiaomi products that people successfully use the USB-C port to drive a 4k 60Hz display.

I’d be open to testing a replacement, I’ve also ordered a Xiaomi brand adapter with other ports on it as well, but it is coming from China so the shipping is quite slow.

4

After doing some further digging, it appears that my version of the Linux kernel may not have DisplayPort Alternate Mode available: https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Type-C-DP-Alt-Mode-Linux-4.19

I’m not sure what kernel version I’m on as I’m not home or able to check, but I suspect it’s lower than 4.19 as I haven’t upgraded it, and my Ubuntu version ships with 4.15.

I’m going to upgrade the kernel tonight and I’ll post here with my results.

5

Thanks for sharing this and hopefully a kernel upgrade helps!

Thank you,

David W.
Plugable Technologies
www.plugable.com/support

6

So I upgraded to Kernel 5.0.3 and my problem was not solved. I think it may be possible that some of the tools and desktop environment configurations I’m using are not necessarily configured to properly utilize DisplayPort Alternate Mode.

I’m going to try booting up a live Fedora image that should have the updated kernel and I will post back my results.

Edit: It is also possible that the kernel in the Ubuntu repository is not compiled with the TYPEC_DP_ALTMODE flag on. I may have to do some deeper research.

7

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