External monitor does not display image

kbkat · 2021-06-05 10:17:18

Hello, I've installed Arch on my Dell XPS 13 (9300), and while I am very happy with the linux support out of the box, I have trouble getting my external display to work. The weird thing is that xrandr acts as if everything works, but my display remains in stand-by.

GPU: Intel Iris Plus
Driver: I tried the mode-setting driver and xf86-video-intel, the behaviour regarding this issue is identical
xorg.conf: default
DM: None (startx, run manually atm)
WM: i3
xorg log: https://pastebin.com/pNtJWVgN
lspci -v | grep vga: https://pastebin.com/cBEQFtKE
lsusb -v: https://pastebin.com/vCibTwYi

~ » xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3840 x 1200, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected primary 1920x1200+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 288mm x 180mm
   1920x1200     59.95*+  59.88    47.96  
   1920x1080     60.01    59.97    59.96    59.93  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     59.98  
   1600x900      59.99    59.94    59.95    59.82  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      60.00    59.97  
   1368x768      59.88    59.85  
   1280x800      59.99    59.97    59.81    59.91  
   1280x720      60.00    59.99    59.86    59.74  
   1024x768      60.04    60.00  
   960x720       60.00  
   928x696       60.05  
   896x672       60.01  
   1024x576      59.95    59.96    59.90    59.82  
   960x600       59.93    60.00  
   960x540       59.96    59.99    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       60.00    60.32    56.25  
   840x525       60.01    59.88  
   864x486       59.92    59.57  
   700x525       59.98  
   800x450       59.95    59.82  
   640x512       60.02  
   700x450       59.96    59.88  
   640x480       60.00    59.94  
   720x405       59.51    58.99  
   684x384       59.88    59.85  
   640x400       59.88    59.98  
   640x360       59.86    59.83    59.84    59.32  
   512x384       60.00  
   512x288       60.00    59.92  
   480x270       59.63    59.82  
   400x300       60.32    56.34  
   432x243       59.92    59.57  
   320x240       60.05  
   360x202       59.51    59.13  
   320x180       59.84    59.32  
DP-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-4 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3-3 connected 1920x1080+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 598mm x 336mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  74.97    50.00    59.94  
   1680x1050     59.95  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1440x900      59.89  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1280x720      60.00    50.00    59.94  
   1024x768      75.03    70.07    60.00  
   832x624       74.55  
   800x600       72.19    75.00    60.32    56.25  
   720x576       50.00  
   720x480       60.00    59.94  
   640x480       75.00    72.81    66.67    60.00    59.94  
   720x400       70.08

Running

xrandr --output DP-3-3 --off; xrandr --output DP-3-3 --auto

causes the internal display to change resolution (as it should) and i3 puts my 2nd workspace on the (non-functioning) external display. No errors are reported, but my display still refuses to wake up. I've tried DP and HDMI, no difference. I also updated the firmware, nothing.

Could the issue be related to my thunderbolt dock? xorg.log suggests that my system is too slow to keep up with the keyboard, which is plugged into the dongle. Could that indicate a connection issue? On the other hand, the display works properly on windows 10.

Do you guys have any idea what's going on here? Any help is appreciated!

Last edited by kbkat (2021-06-05 10:41:36)

seth · 2021-06-05 14:40:05

Why would those commands alter the resolution of the internal display?
Can you "xrandr --output DP-3-3 --mode 640x480"?

kbkat · 2021-06-05 14:53:57

seth wrote:

Why would those commands alter the resolution of the internal display?

AFAIK, setting the external display to auto means that it mirrors the internal display, but since the latter has a higher resolution, it needs to switch to one the external display supports.

seth wrote:

Can you "xrandr --output DP-3-3 --mode 640x480"?

Yes, I can. When the external monitor is set to auto/off, the internal screen only uses the top left 640x480 (it doesn't change resolution, but acts as if).
When the external display is set to --right-of eDP1, there is no noticeable effect.

seth · 2021-06-05 15:20:16

https://man.archlinux.org/man/extra/xor … randr.1.en

setting the external display to auto means that it mirrors the internal display

The xrandr man page wrote:

--auto
For connected but disabled outputs, this will enable them using their first preferred mode (or, something close to 96dpi if they have no preferred mode). For disconnected but enabled outputs, this will disable them.

You will *never* impact a different output this way, xrandr is a low-level tool.
What *might* happen is that your WM restricts the used geometry to that of the smallest overlap (output positions default to 0,0) …

the internal screen only uses the top left 640x480 (it doesn't change resolution, but acts as if)

…this way.

When the external display is set to --right-of eDP1, there is no noticeable effect.

Can you maybe move the mouse into the upper right dead area?

I assume the dock is the problem.
Do you have means to attach an output to the notebook directly?
Are there related errors in dmesg?
Last but not least: see the 3rd link in my signature.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-06-05 10:17:18

External monitor does not display image

#2 2021-06-05 14:40:05

Re: External monitor does not display image

#3 2021-06-05 14:53:57

Re: External monitor does not display image

#4 2021-06-05 15:20:16

Re: External monitor does not display image

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