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Two 4k external monitors through a docking station - Why is this seemingly effortless for Windows but basically impossible for Linux? (feddit.dk)
submitted 5 months ago by SorteKanin@feddit.dk to c/linux@lemmy.world
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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?

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[-] where_am_i@sh.itjust.works 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Dummy, you're talking about 2 displays in 4k while using a "type-c to HDMI+DP" whatever docking. There are no laptops out there that have two connection standards simultaneously wired to one type-c port. I don't know your laptop model or the docking station model, and yet I can guarantee that you're using a DisplayLink or a similar trash technology. While you, the owner, are utterly clueless, yet throw around 4k60fps.

Your hardware setup excludes any possibility of good graphics or smooth rendering. On any platform. It works on windows so that excel monkeys could connect two monitors to their outdated laptops. And nobody who used their screens for more than text editing should be using this tech.

Now, please, go write to the customer support line of DisplayLink asking them why are they a greedy corpo, and wouldn't they be so kind to finally fuckin submit a working driver to the linux kernel. They're like 5 years late on that.

Here, they would love your "Unsolicited Idea Submission": https://support.displaylink.com/

this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2024
65 points (93.3% liked)

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