I’ve ran into this situation multiple times at my current and previous jobs. I really want to avoid Windows and use something better, but I can’t live without two external monitors.
On Windows, it “just works”. I don’t have to do anything.
On Linux (I tried Linux Mint today) it doesn’t work. First, it only connected one of the monitors, the other one did not register. Then I switched to a different cable from the computer to the docking station and it connected both screens - however, they were locked to 30fps. I could not make them work at 60fps (and this is a major dealbreaker, I cannot live with 30fps).
This isn’t really a tech support question, I’m more trying to understand what fundamentally causes this situation. Why is Linux still struggling with pretty basic functionality that Windows does with zero setup? Is it the vendor of the laptop and docking station that aren’t properly supporting Linux? Or is it some other problem?
On Windows, it “just works”. I don’t have to do anything.
It only “just works” if you are using the correct dock and the correct cables. My Surface Pro with Windows 11 refuses to do dual monitors at 4K unless I use the actual Microsoft Adapter cables (USB-C to HDMI) along with the actual Microsoft Dock.
Your problem isn’t that Linux can’t do what you want, it’s that you have to have the correct hardware setup…and so does Windows.
Using X? I’m running a dock with triples via USB-C/thunderbolt without issue on Wayland. Maybe I had to briefly configure them but it really wasn’t anything worth remembering.
I was trying Linux Mint so yes, X I believe. I’m considering trying again with latest Debian+KDE plasma which uses Wayland I believe?
You’ll probably have better luck with that. X has always been kind of annoying with displays. Especially if they change like with a dock.
Dock firmware. If changing the cable did something, chances are the chips on the dock are not working nicely with the OS. It is a hit or a miss for what I’ve researched on it. What you have to know is that a Usb-C cable is only the physical shape of the port, what that port can do depends on ancillary chips implementing the protocols, and the protocol has to be supported on both sides of the connection. So, something on your current driver configuration is not talking with the dock. Maybe try running a newer kernel and see if that helps.
Also, the 30fps lock might be due to X11. I’ve not tried Wayland but this is one of the points the evangelists like to ramble about. Something, something, if both monitors are not equal and connected through the same protocol it doesn’t work, just use Wayland or whatever.
For what is worth, lots of people do complain online about docks not working with Windows and some even stop working after a few months, those things are fickle as hell.
Yeah, if you’re running monitors with two different refresh rates, you’ll have a hard time in X11. I haven’t tried it in Wayland but I’ve heard it’s better.
Also, the 30fps lock might be due to X11
You think I would have better luck with a distro that uses Wayland? I’m kind of surprised to learn that Wayland isn’t used on Linux Mint as I have read that Linux Mint is the most “it just works” distro out there, but it has not been my experience so far.
Wayland is developed by the same people who created and still maintain X11. It’s been on the works for a decade, but, and it is a big but, it’s still experimental. Sure, feature wise it’s 90% there, but it also creates a lot of incompatibility issues, as applications have to be made with Wayland in mind. There’s Xwayland that is included in most, but not all, deployments of Wayland that run X apps in Wayland, but that has compatibility issues as well. I get a lot of flak for saying this but, Wayland is not yet ready to be the universal replacement for X11, and that is OK, this is not entirely on the Wayland developer’s hands. Adoption of new technology takes a lot of time and it requires all developers on board.
Mint precisely because of their “just get it working” philosophy only provides experimental support for Wayland. As X11 is the mature implementation and no software will malfunction for using it, as they are all virtually designed to work with X. However, if you have the latest version of Mint, Virginia, you already have Wayland available to you. Just choose it on your display manager before login in. But it is marked as experimental because some software might glitch.
Mint is trying to create the most straight forward and easiest experience to the vast majority of people. We might have normalized it in the tech circles, but the vast majority of people don’t use multi monitor setups. The non-tech people who do, usually do it on an enterprise setting where IT deals with the technical details.
I would not describe Wayland in its current state as experimental. We’re past that point by a fair bit.
It is actively used as the default by multiple major Linux distributions and is the advised default by both GNOME and KDE maintainers.
I use Linux Mint with 2 4k monitors and have never had a problem. I use an Nvidia card and I think once I installed their drivers it just worked.
I only have integrated graphics, and it may have to do with the docking station as well of course.
You are probably on the right track. Docks have their own limitations on resolution and frequencies, and that might be your chokepoint.
I had a dock for work that only let me do two monitors at 1080 or one at 1440 and the other at 800. They replaced it with a newer dock and now borth are set to 1440.
Well sure yes - but the dock works flawlessly on Windows, so it can’t be some inherent hardware limitation.
Hardware isn’t the only limitation. The firmware could have less compatibility with linux as well.
Updating the firmware might be a possibility.
