Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

sender · 2016-06-11 13:05:31

@cabellicar123 No need for windows to update the BIOS (I guess this is what you mean?). Just place the download in /boot and reboot, press F12 and select 'Bios Update'

cabellicar123 · 2016-06-11 13:22:45

@sender Not the BIOS, the Thunderbolt 3 firmware updater which seems to be only a windows executable.

sender · 2016-06-11 14:01:21

@cabellicar123 ah, hmm, can't help you with that

fd · 2016-06-12 00:28:16

cabellicar123 wrote:

Anyone know a way of easily temporarily booting windows so that I can update the firmware? I've tried burning a bunch of ISOs to USB but none of them have worked. Anyone have something which worked (I've completely replaced Windows).

Try dropping the firmware into the EFIBOOT partition, and then using the BIOS utility to upgrade it

diraimondo · 2016-06-12 01:52:13

@cabellicar123 are you sure that it is not included in the firmware blob? I thought that the bios update include all the part updates. Maybe I'm wrong...

Let us know if you have success in upgrading from BIOS.

kgizdov · 2016-06-12 18:56:10

diraimondo wrote:

@cabellicar123 are you sure that it is not included in the firmware blob? I thought that the bios update include all the part updates. Maybe I'm wrong...
Let us know if you have success in upgrading from BIOS.

Unfortunately, I can confirm the firmware is not in the BIOS blob. I can also confirm that it cannot be executed from the BIOS. I was only able to update the firmware by booting into Windows, installing the latest Thunderbolt driver and running the Firmware update patch.

The good new is that I was able to use an external USB HDD to do all of this, as I have erased all traces of Windows from my SSD. Also, I was able to run 1920x1080p @ 59Hz from the DA200 over HDMI, which I is not possible for me in Linux. So I am guessing the issue is in the driver itself, not the firmware.

But an interesting point is that I can run 1920x1080 @ 30Hz in Linux. I believe it has to do that on Linux I cannot make a mode with 59Hz, only 50Hz and 60Hz are available. If anyone knows how to create and apply a mode with 59Hz, let me know and I will test.

diraimondo · 2016-06-12 19:43:15

@kgizdov what did you get with the thunderbolt firmware update?

cabellicar123 · 2016-06-12 20:07:19

kgizdov wrote:

The good new is that I was able to use an external USB HDD to do all of this, as I have erased all traces of Windows from my SSD.

Too bad I don't have an external HDD with Windows installed...maybe I'll be able to find one somewhere. Did the firmware update fix any of the issues?

kgizdov · 2016-06-12 20:34:35

@diraimondo, the firmware update flashes the on-board chip from within Windows. I think the biggest problem with the patch is the fact that it is UI based, so it can't even run from an MS-DOS USB ...

@cabellicar123, I believe it fixes issues, yes. For example,

cvt 1920 1080

has a new mode with the correct refresh rate 59.96 Hz. However, for some reason in Linux I'm not able to run higher than 1400x900 through HDMI. In Windows, however, I can run any resolution, scaling, audio, it all works. I am almost certain it's a Linux driver issue or some kernel bug.

cabellicar123 · 2016-06-12 22:56:55

Good news is I successfully installed windows onto an old external HD and updated the firmware. Bad news is I can confirm that the issues persist.

diraimondo · 2016-06-13 04:22:53

cabellicar123 wrote:

Good news is I successfully installed windows onto an old external HD and updated the firmware. Bad news is I can confirm that the issues persist.

What are the steps to get Windows installed on an external device? Do you need the original recovery ? Can it be installed using a generic ISO?

Last edited by diraimondo (2016-06-13 04:23:20)

cabellicar123 · 2016-06-13 04:38:27

Using another Windows device these are the steps I used:

1. Download the Windows media creation tool
2. Open it and select the following options:
i. Accept
ii. Create installation media for another PC
iii. Change settings to your liking (I left them the defaults: English/Windows 10/64-bit)
iv. ISO file
3. When the program finishes creating the ISO open it
4. There should be a file in the sources folder called install.esd
5. Follow the steps here but use the install.esd file instead of install.wim in step 4

That should work.

cabellicar123 · 2016-06-13 04:41:35

Also a note that you will have to enable legacy ROMs in the BIOS to boot from it.

A.J.Rouvoet · 2016-06-13 09:47:43

I'm still having lots of graphics problems, e.g.:

It starts immediately after switching to and from a TTY.
I'll gladly post more specifics if anyone can help with this.

iv597 · 2016-06-13 14:51:15

kang wrote:

I've the WD dock and it works okayish.
If not plugged at boot I need to force a pci rescan each time you plug it back in (i think theres a kernel patch for that somewhere too).
Basically I've a script that does: echo 1| sudo tee /sys/bus/pci/rescan
and because i've an external 1440p screen it then does (i like mirroring):
xrandr --dpi 144 --output eDP1 --mode 3200x1800 --output DP1-1 --scale 1.25x1.25 --mode 2560x1440 --same-as eDP1
usb, audio, hdmi work for me. ethernet didnt last i tried but it might be fixed now from reading this thread.
also, don't forget to update the firmware of the dock in windows.

Wow, whatever voodoo magic that PCI rescan request does completely fixes my USB ports, so far. My keyboard hasn't disconnected in the last 10-15 minutes from the dock, which is by a landslide my record with this WD15.

Time to write a udev rule. Thanks for the pointer

EDIT: About 3 hours later, my keyboard once again got stuck in a reset loop, so this either did nothing (placebo) or simply delays the inevitable. No amount of unplug/replug is fixing this dock this time around, either...

Last edited by iv597 (2016-06-13 17:10:12)

iv597 · 2016-06-13 20:18:35

For any who are curious, I've logged a kernel bug report against this Type C dock keyboard issue: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=120171

frank604 · 2016-06-13 21:39:14

A.J.Rouvoet wrote:

I'm still having lots of graphics problems

It is always better to clearly describe in text what your graphical problems are. To my untrained eye I cannot spot what is the problem from the screenshot.

iv597 wrote:

For any who are curious, I've logged a kernel bug report against this Type C dock keyboard issue:

Wow! I just read your dmesg output. I've never experienced that with the dock. Have you tried other usb keyboards/mouse? I'm using a corsair k90 with the cbk drivers from aur and haven't had any of those issues with the dock. Could be a quirk issue? What model keyboard mouse do you have?

iv597 · 2016-06-13 21:42:35

frank604 wrote:

iv597 wrote:
For any who are curious, I've logged a kernel bug report against this Type C dock keyboard issue:
Wow! I just read your dmesg output. I've never experienced that with the dock. Have you tried other usb keyboards/mouse? I'm using a corsair k90 with the cbk drivers from aur and haven't had any of those issues with the dock. Could be a quirk issue? What model keyboard mouse do you have?

TypeMatrix 2030 and some random HP mouse that was laying around the office, both of which work fine when plugged straight into a Type A port on the laptop.

I'm definitely hoping this isn't some bizarre motherboard issue with my XPS that I need to file a return on Amazon for. That'd be quite a mess to deal with...

EDIT: Can confirm after messing with the docks in my Windows partition, this is definitely an issue that is isolated to Linux.

Last edited by iv597 (2016-06-14 16:52:53)

kgizdov · 2016-06-15 17:39:40

Guys, new BIOS - specifically it seams for addressing the problems with docks - http://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ … erId=VNT5J

belette · 2016-06-15 19:58:08

thanks! I was hopping this would solved the issues for HDMI max resolution and Ethernet keeps appearing and disapearing but no... (https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=210730)
Now the Ethernet issue seems worst...

kgizdov wrote:

Guys, new BIOS - specifically it seams for addressing the problems with docks - http://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ … erId=VNT5J

kircul · 2016-06-16 18:30:55

Hi everyone,

To some who are curious about Thunderbolt firmware update: I've just contacted official Dell's technical support. Here is their answer:

there isn't a way to do it in Linux, but you should be able to update it through a FreeDOS environment and avoid having to install Windows just to do the update
we've been able to do it on our lab systems in FreeDOS

I'm going to try it later today. In case if no luck I'll contact them again and ask to provide more detailed instructions.

Update:
Too early
Just got an email from that same guy in tech support:

I actually just had a colleague tell me that FreeDOS doesn’t work after all, he misunderstood my question. I’m trying to see if a WinPE environment will work instead.

Last edited by kircul (2016-06-16 19:00:27)

bart_vv · 2016-06-16 22:29:43

Wait, isn't that the same firmware that the developer edition has? How come we cannot update the firmware without Windows then?

kircul · 2016-06-17 01:15:15

@bart_vv, I don't know. I didn't find a way to get information about thunderbolt firmware.

tthis · 2016-06-17 08:47:16

tmotard wrote:

ar3s3ru wrote:

Seeing the other replies, I think I have some problems with my XPS...
I'm running at 8-9W (sometimes even 10-11W), idle load.

Here's my

sudo systool -m i915 -av

output:

Module = "i915"

  Attributes:
    coresize            = "1204224"
    initsize            = "0"
    initstate           = "live"
    refcnt              = "17"
    taint               = ""
    uevent              = <store method only>

  Parameters:
    disable_display     = "N"
    disable_power_well  = "1"
    edp_vswing          = "0"
    enable_cmd_parser   = "1"
    enable_dc           = "-1"
    enable_execlists    = "1"
    enable_fbc          = "-1"
    enable_guc_submission= "N"
    enable_hangcheck    = "Y"
    enable_ips          = "1"
    enable_ppgtt        = "3"
    enable_psr          = "0"
    enable_rc6          = "1"
    fastboot            = "N"
    guc_log_level       = "-1"
    invert_brightness   = "0"
    load_detect_test    = "N"
    lvds_channel_mode   = "0"
    lvds_use_ssc        = "-1"
    mmio_debug          = "0"
    modeset             = "-1"
    nuclear_pageflip    = "N"
    panel_ignore_lid    = "1"
    prefault_disable    = "N"
    preliminary_hw_support= "0"
    reset               = "Y"
    semaphores          = "-1"
    use_mmio_flip       = "0"
    vbt_sdvo_panel_type = "-1"
    verbose_state_checks= "Y"

  Sections:
    .altinstr_replacement= "0xffffffffa0190ca6"
    .altinstructions    = "0xffffffffa01d30e5"
    .bss                = "0xffffffffa01d9cc0"
    .data               = "0xffffffffa01d4000"
    .data..read_mostly  = "0xffffffffa01d8280"
    .data.unlikely      = "0xffffffffa01d77cc"
    .exit.text          = "0xffffffffa0190c84"
    .fixup              = "0xffffffffa0190db1"
    .gnu.linkonce.this_module= "0xffffffffa01d9980"
    .init.text          = "0xffffffffa01f4000"
    .note.gnu.build-id  = "0xffffffffa0192000"
    .parainstructions   = "0xffffffffa01b2620"
    .ref.data           = "0xffffffffa01d8420"
    .rodata             = "0xffffffffa01920c0"
    .rodata.str1.1      = "0xffffffffa01a9a08"
    .rodata.str1.8      = "0xffffffffa01b2c00"
    .smp_locks          = "0xffffffffa01ce0c8"
    .strtab             = "0xffffffffa0211138"
    .symtab             = "0xffffffffa01f6000"
    .text               = "0xffffffffa00cd000"
    .text.unlikely      = "0xffffffffa0190e32"
    __bug_table         = "0xffffffffa01d24d8"
    __ex_table          = "0xffffffffa01d3418"
    __jump_table        = "0xffffffffa01d7820"
    __kcrctab_gpl       = "0xffffffffa0192080"
    __ksymtab_gpl       = "0xffffffffa0192030"
    __ksymtab_strings   = "0xffffffffa01d3090"
    __mcount_loc        = "0xffffffffa01ce490"
    __param             = "0xffffffffa01d2be0"
    __tracepoints_ptrs  = "0xffffffffa01d34a8"
    __tracepoints_strings= "0xffffffffa01d35e0"
    __tracepoints       = "0xffffffffa01d8fc0"
    _ftrace_events      = "0xffffffffa01d82e8"

It seems that i915 params are not passed correctly...
My /etc/modprobe.d/i915.conf is this:

options i915 enable_rc6=7 enable_fbc=1 enable_psr=1 lvds_downclock=1

Even if used as kernel params they're not setted correctly

hi, did you find the solution ? it seems i got the same problem...

I had the same problem, I solved it by setting modeset in the kernel options in

/boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
options ... i915.modeset=1 i915.enable_rc6=7 i915.enable_fbc=1

I think psr=1 was freezing my screen though.
enable_rc6=7 still shows up as "1" but powertop tells me that the deeper modes are reached.

sandys · 2016-06-17 19:01:25

has anybody figured out the right way to configure the touchpad to solve the issue of the multiple touchpads ? I just cant seem to be able to disable the multiple touchpads at all.

Arch Linux

#676 2016-06-11 13:05:31

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#677 2016-06-11 13:22:45

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#678 2016-06-11 14:01:21

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#679 2016-06-12 00:28:16

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#680 2016-06-12 01:52:13

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#681 2016-06-12 18:56:10

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#682 2016-06-12 19:43:15

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#683 2016-06-12 20:07:19

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#684 2016-06-12 20:34:35

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#685 2016-06-12 22:56:55

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#686 2016-06-13 04:22:53

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#687 2016-06-13 04:38:27

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#688 2016-06-13 04:41:35

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#689 2016-06-13 09:47:43

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#690 2016-06-13 14:51:15

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#691 2016-06-13 20:18:35

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#692 2016-06-13 21:39:14

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#693 2016-06-13 21:42:35

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#694 2016-06-15 17:39:40

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#695 2016-06-15 19:58:08

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#696 2016-06-16 18:30:55

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#697 2016-06-16 22:29:43

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#698 2016-06-17 01:15:15

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#699 2016-06-17 08:47:16

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

#700 2016-06-17 19:01:25

Re: Dell XPS 13 9350 Late 2015

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