E/Port, 130W Simple Port Replicator for Latitude E-Family

[torreydale]

I have the E/Port, 130W Simple Port Replicator for Latitude E-Family.  It is a docking station for my e6430.  It worked fine when I used the Linux Lite 2.x series.  I am now trying it for the first time with Linux Lite 3.4 64 bit.  It works while it's going through the POST (power on self test), ie. I can see it get to the Dell splash screen and the GRUB menu, then it goes dark, the blue light on my monitor turns amber as if nothing is connected to it, and that's it.  There is something in the Linux Lite 3.4 build that isn't allowing it to display. 


It just so happens that I have a Dell e6330 for work.  I connected it to the same docking station, and things work fine.  It runs Windows 10 64 bit.  Below are the specs on my Linux Lite 3.4 64 bit laptop.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks. 

Code:

torrey@twdell:~$ inxi -F
System:    Host: twdell Kernel: 4.4.0-79-generic x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 Distro: Ubuntu 16.04 xenial
Machine:   System: Dell (portable) product: Latitude E6430 v: 01
           Mobo: Dell model: N/A Bios: Dell v: A16 date: 08/19/2014
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i5-3230M (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           clock speeds: max: 3200 MHz 1: 1366 MHz 2: 1594 MHz 3: 1204 MHz 4: 1284 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: [email protected]
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ivybridge Mobile GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.0-devel
Audio:     Card Intel 7 Series/C210 Series Family High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-79-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection driver: e1000e
           IF: em1 state: down mac: f0:1f:af:6a:0f:10
           Card-2: Broadcom BCM43228 802.11a/b/g/n driver: wl
           IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: 48:5a:b6:04:ac:81
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (42.7% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: Samsung_SSD_850 size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 20G used: 6.7G (36%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: /home size: 423G used: 177G (45%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 17.18GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 43.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 236 Uptime: 2 min Memory: 682.9/15950.5MB Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.2.35

[torreydale]

Update:

When I boot to a LL 3.4 64 bit Live USB, I get to the feather, and then it goes dark, ie. the monitor sleeps as if nothing is connected.  But when I boot to an Ubuntu 14.04.5 Live USB, I get to the Live desktop.

[firenice03]

[member=5239]torreydale[/member]

Just a quick thought..
Monitor may need to be configured prior...


- Boot laptop as laptop, connect monitor to laptop (not docked) set up as extended or replicated save monitor settings.. Now try docked..


- Could also try docked with laptop lid open, you may see LL on laptop until you extend/replicate to the larger...

[torreydale]

[member=5414]firenice03[/member],

Connecting directly to a monitor helped in the sense that I knew I needed to extend the display to the right.  So I used that knowledge when I was connected to the docking station, and that worked.  I also went into the advanced display settings and clicked on "Configure new displays when connected". 

Thanks partner.  No wonder your posting to reputation ratio is better than mine.

[torreydale]

I can get things to display on my monitors via the docking station.  I just cannot get my settings to be persistent beyond a reboot.  I have to remove the laptop from the docking station, reboot, login to Linux Lite, connect to the docking station, and change the display settings to recognize the two monitors as if I'm doing it for the first time.

[firenice03]

[member=5414]firenice03[/member],
Thanks partner.  No wonder your posting to reputation ratio is better than mine.

No worries      [size=78%] [/size]

I can get things to display on my monitors via the docking station.  I just cannot get my settings to be persistent beyond a reboot.  I have to remove the laptop from the docking station, reboot, login to Linux Lite, connect to the docking station, and change the display settings to recognize the two monitors as if I'm doing it for the first time.

Give the following a look over - it may help or point ya in the right direction...
http://bernaerts.dyndns.org/linux/74-ubu...ition-lost

[torreydale]

[member=5414]firenice03[/member] ,


I was just about to start the procedure in the link you sent and I noticed I don't have the ~/.config/monitors.xml file.  It doesn't show on the PC in question running Lite 3.4, and it doesn't show in my desktop which is still running Lite 2.8.  So before I go and follow the remainder of the link, I was stopping here.  When my PC in question was able to run on the docking station without issue and handle two monitors, it was running Lite 2.8.  But as I mentioned earlier, even the desktop PC running Lite 2.8 doesn't have a monitors.xml file.

[firenice03]

hhhmmm... I've only connected an external to the mini occasionally, I believe I have usually needed to reconfig the settings as well. I can check if mine created the xml but would assume the same as yours.



Perhaps LL/XFCE/XOrg saves the "monitors.xml" to another location??

Here's some additional info:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/6137/sav...r-settings
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sourc...ug/1311399


Maybe worth a try??
- Have a SystemBack back up ready on the in case.

[torreydale]

[member=5414]firenice03[/member]

I don't have a problem connecting to an external monitor.  I've actually connected to a television as a second monitor and to run a DVD/movie on the television.  And I have an Intel integrated graphics card.  Not Nvidia.

The issue is with the laptop working with the docking station.  Coincidentally, I have the same docking station at work.  I connected my laptop to it, and the result is the same...it goes dark after the GRUB splash and the blue monitor lights turn amber.  There's something different in the LL 3.x series build from the LL 2.x build that is causing this.  Perhaps it's Ubuntu 16.04 related.  Like I mentioned earlier, no docking station issues with Ubuntu 14.04 or LL 2.x.

Later today, I'll try booting to an Ubuntu 16.04 series Live USB or Mint 18 Live USB to see if the issue remains.

[torreydale]

[member=5414]firenice03[/member]

I've actually searched the entire disk (including hidden files/folders) for monitors.xml.  I don't see it.

I did boot to live USBs for Ubuntu 16.04, Mint 18.2 beta XFCE, Mint 18.1 XFCE, and Manjaro 17.0.1 XFCE. 

For Ubuntu, it got to the splash screen and then it settled on a blinking cursor.  For Mint 18.2 Beta, and 18.1, same result as with LL 3.4 (blank screen after GRUB).  For Manjaro, same result as Ubuntu 16.04--blinking cursor.

When I showed a coworker how I got both screens to display on a docking station (by booting to LL 3.4 off the docking station, adding the laptop to the docking station, and then using the Advanced Display options to add each monitor), he said "You basically need a way to create a script to load the way the display manager is sees your monitors at this moment, and have that script run during boot or just after you log on." 

But I don't know how to do that.  It also seems like something I wouldn't want to run if the laptop is not connected to the docking station.  I wonder if this has anything to do with going from upstart to systemd.  As I said, this worked smooth like butter on LL 2.x.  It's all Dell and Intel equipment.  I'm surprised I'm running into this.