[BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

beyonson · 2023-05-02 18:56:14

I can't get my second monitor to work with xrandr. I am using a Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen7 with Intel UHD Graphics 620:

[beyonson@X1 ~]$ lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation WhiskeyLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics 620] (rev 02)

[beyonson@X1 ~]$ xrandr --listproviders
Providers: number : 1
Provider 0: id: 0x47 cap: 0xb, Source Output, Sink Output, Sink Offload crtcs: 4 outputs: 5 associated providers: 0 name:Intel

I followed the Wiki for installing necessary packages and drivers (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/intel_graphics). This is what I have installed:

[beyonson@X1 ~]$ pacman -Q | grep xf86
lib32-libxxf86vm 1.1.5-1
libxxf86vm 1.1.5-1
xf86-input-libinput 1.3.0-1
xf86-video-intel 1:2.99.917+923+gb74b67f0-1

[beyonson@X1 ~]$ pacman -Q | grep intel
intel-ucode 20230214-1
vulkan-intel 23.0.3-1
xf86-video-intel 1:2.99.917+923+gb74b67f0-

[beyonson@X1 ~]$ pacman -Q | grep mesa
lib32-mesa 23.0.3-1
mesa 23.0.3-1
mesa-utils 9.0.0-2

My primary display works fine, no tearing or anything out of the ordinary. However, I can't connect an external display. With a monitor plugged in, xrandr returns:

[beyonson@X1 ~]$ 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) 310mm x 170mm
   1920x1080     60.02*+  59.93    48.00  
   1680x1050     59.88  
   1400x1050     59.98  
   1600x900      60.00    59.95    59.82  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1368x768      60.00    59.88    59.85  
   1280x800      59.81    59.91  
   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)
DP2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VIRTUAL1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Last edited by beyonson (2023-05-05 21:06:31)

V1del · 2023-05-02 19:30:28

Remove xf86-video-intel restart xorg and retry.

beyonson · 2023-05-02 20:09:19

V1del wrote:

Remove xf86-video-intel restart xorg and retry.

Still not detecting it, just got rid of the Virtual output

[beyonson@X1 ~]$ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 309mm x 174mm
   1920x1080     60.02*+  60.01    59.97    59.96    59.93    48.00  
   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)
HDMI-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

seth · 2023-05-02 20:35:36

Do output and cable w/ a different system?
Do they show up with a live distro (eg. grml)?

beyonson · 2023-05-02 21:02:11

seth wrote:

Do output and cable w/ a different system?
Do they show up with a live distro (eg. grml)?

I couldn't see it in a live distro, and I just tested the monitor on another machine and it worked. Something that I just found out while testing it on another OS was that the resolution has to be 720p or it won't work. It could be something related to that, but the display also worked just fine on another machine that had Endeavor installed (with no resolution fiddling).

seth · 2023-05-02 21:04:37

#1 cable
#2 cable
#3 cable
#4 cable seating
#5 cable
#6 underpowered, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Intel_ … Intel_CPUs
#7,8 & 9: it's the cable

beyonson · 2023-05-02 21:19:43

I've tried switching the cable out quite a few times. I will try the different power management settings, but I've also tried connecting displays that worked in the past to no avail. So I don't think it is an issue with this specific display.

beyonson · 2023-05-03 14:19:16

bump

seth · 2023-05-03 14:22:42

Don't do that

Did you try the power settings?
Either way, wrt

testing it on another OS was that the resolution has to be 720p

this is very most likely a hardware problem. Either the cable, or the plugs or the jack or the IGP got fused.

beyonson · 2023-05-03 14:32:09

Yes, I've tried the power settings. Also, I've been testing on three different monitors. Two of which have worked for me in the past with this system.

seth · 2023-05-03 14:50:15

You can try the lts or https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/linux-lts515 kernel, but because of the issues w/ "other OS" I'd not hold my breath.

beyonson · 2023-05-03 15:43:49

Yeah the lts kernel didn't change anything. I updated the BIOS too, I'm going to continue to check for more firmware updates. However, I would like to reiterate that the "other OS" issue only happened with one monitor. I am continually testing with monitors (and cables) that have worked with this machine and Arch in the past.

seth · 2023-05-03 19:13:28

What exactly is the other OS and if it's some linux, what kernel version does it run?

beyonson · 2023-05-03 21:44:05

I tried it on Windows 10, Mac OS Ventura 13.2.1, and Endeavor OS (I'm not by that machine right now, so I don't know the kernel). That Endeavor machine has a discrete graphics card though (Nvidia 3070).

This machine (7th gen X1 Carbon, 6.1.26-1-lts) , however, doesn't work with ANY monitors. I've tried grml as you suggested, and booted into live debian as well as Ubuntu. Nothing can see any monitor, and I've tried with 3 different monitors.

Something else to mention, the X1 Carbon has worked in the past with external displays and Arch installed.

seth · 2023-05-04 06:10:43

I tried it on … That Endeavor machine

No, the important question is what other OS did you try on the very hardware where things don't work.
If the local HDMI output is fused it really doesn't matter that the monitors all work nicely when attached to something else.

This machine (7th gen X1 Carbon, 6.1.26-1-lts) , however, doesn't work with ANY monitors. I've tried grml as you suggested, and booted into live debian as well as Ubuntu. Nothing can see any monitor, and I've tried with 3 different monitors.

Ie. this one. The hardware is gone.
If you're lucky, some UEFI update (might have simply deactivated the output)

the X1 Carbon has worked in the past with external displays and Arch installed

Yup, the nature of things. They work until they're broken.

beyonson · 2023-05-05 01:33:16

You were right, it is a hardware issue. I had been looking into the onboard graphics I have and not the laptop, but it turns out X1 Carbons Gen 6 and 7 have this common issue. It looks like there's no clear answer, but from what I can gather, Lenovo pushed out a firmware update that rendered the Thunderbolt controller (and therefore HDMI port) useless. I'm not sure if I should mark this as solved or not lol.

Last edited by beyonson (2023-05-05 01:34:35)

seth · 2023-05-05 06:34:06

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-X … -p/5120432
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-X … -p/4636402
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-X … -p/5152617
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-X … -p/5200639

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-X … -p/5200639 looks particularily interesting.

Otherwise you can tag the thread as [Broken Firmware] or something as the cause is (likely) known and not much else to do in this context

Arch Linux

#1 2023-05-02 18:56:14

[BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#2 2023-05-02 19:30:28

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#3 2023-05-02 20:09:19

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#4 2023-05-02 20:35:36

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#5 2023-05-02 21:02:11

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#6 2023-05-02 21:04:37

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#7 2023-05-02 21:19:43

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#8 2023-05-03 14:19:16

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#9 2023-05-03 14:22:42

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#10 2023-05-03 14:32:09

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#11 2023-05-03 14:50:15

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#12 2023-05-03 15:43:49

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#13 2023-05-03 19:13:28

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#14 2023-05-03 21:44:05

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#15 2023-05-04 06:10:43

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#16 2023-05-05 01:33:16

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

#17 2023-05-05 06:34:06

Re: [BROKEN FIRMWARE] xrandr not detecting external monitor

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