HDMI connected monitor only detected if already directly plugged in on fresh boot

[ostrichbay]

On a new install of linux mint 20.2. On a fresh boot, when the HDMI cord is already connected directly from the monitor to my computer, I can login to LM and see everything fine. However:

• If the HDMI connected monitor is not already plugged in and I plug it in after I power the machine on, I can't see anything after the computer's splash screen's disappears--the monitor itself says no input is detected.

• If the HDMI connected monitor is plugged into my docking station (which is also plugged into my computer), I can't see anything after the computer's splash screen's disappears--the monitor itself says no input is detected.

I also had this working flawlessly out of the box on Pop OS, which I just came from, and windows when I dual boot, and windows when I connect my docking station to my work laptop, so I know this is specific to Linux Mint.

inxi -Fxz output:

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-90-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 5.0.7 Distro: Linux Mint 20.2 Uma 
  base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Mini-pc System: System76 product: Meerkat v: meer5 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Intel model: NUC10i5FNB v: K61361-303 serial: <filter> UEFI: Intel 
  v: FNCML357.0047.2020.1118.1629 date: 11/18/2020 
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard K360 
  charge: 100% (should be ignored) status: Discharging 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i5-10210U bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Kaby Lake rev: C L2 cache: 6144 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 33599 
  Speed: 599 MHz min/max: 400/4200 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 602 2: 600 
  3: 600 4: 600 5: 600 6: 600 7: 600 8: 600 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: modesetting 
  unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.3 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-90-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless-AC 9462 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 3000 
  bus ID: 00:14.3 
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Intel Ethernet I219-V driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: efa0 
  bus ID: 00:1f.6 
  IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter> 
  Device-3: Realtek RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter type: USB driver: r8152 
  bus ID: 4-1.1:3 
  IF: enx001cc2524880 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 465.76 GiB used: 100.93 GiB (21.7%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB 
  size: 465.76 GiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 343.53 GiB used: 100.56 GiB (29.3%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 45.0 C mobo: 42.0 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Info:
  Processes: 295 Uptime: 14m Memory: 15.36 GiB used: 2.01 GiB (13.1%) 
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 
  inxi: 3.0.38 

[ThaCrip]

I assume one of the first things SMG will probably say given you got a 10th gen Intel CPU is to try a newer kernel.... Update Manager > View > Linux Kernels. so install 5.13, reboot, and see what happens.

because if I recall correctly it's recommended to use a newer kernel with 8th generation and newer Intel CPU's and I think 6th-7th gen are maybe, maybe not. 5th gen and older should be 'safe' on 5.4 I think, generally speaking. but one can still try newer kernels on older CPU's if they want, but it seems a newer kernel is much more important if your CPU is 8th generation and newer since the 5.4 kernel is a bit too old for these CPU's it seems.

[ostrichbay]

Thank you. I'm still a bit of a noob with linux and I'm not sure how to update the kernel--I thought since I downloaded the latest version of LM Cinnamon, I would be covered. How would I update the kernel? Would that involve a reinstall of Mint?

[ThaCrip]

Thank you. I'm still a bit of a noob with linux and I'm not sure how to update the kernel--I thought since I downloaded the latest version of LM Cinnamon, I would be covered. How would I update the kernel? Would that involve a reinstall of Mint?

The 'shield' looking icon on the bottom right area of your screen is... 'Update Manager'. through there go to... Update Manager > View > Linux Kernels. from this screen you can click on 5.13 and install the newest one (which should be straight forward enough)

then after that's done you simply reboot and you will be using the 5.13 kernel. your currently using 5.4 kernel, which is older.

[ostrichbay]

Thanks! So I installed 5.13. It sort of worked in that now I can see my screen if my HDMI is connected to my docking station.

The problem is that the screen is very grainy. Not sure how to explain it. In the login screen, depending on where my mouse was on the screen, the whole password field would disappear. The grainyness is sort of like there a few reddish pixels around all of the objects (like the mouse and desktop icons) that are constantly moving. Never seen anything like this.

If I plug my HDMI back directly into my PC, I don't have this problem. Not sure what to do

[SMG]

Thanks! So I installed 5.13. It sort of worked in that now I can see my screen if my HDMI is connected to my docking station.

The problem is that the screen is very grainy. Not sure how to explain it. In the login screen, depending on where my mouse was on the screen, the whole password field would disappear. The grainyness is sort of like there a few reddish pixels around all of the objects (like the mouse and desktop icons) that are constantly moving. Never seen anything like this.

If I plug my HDMI back directly into my PC, I don't have this problem. Not sure what to do

It sounds like the signal translation through the docking station is not working properly. Can you give us more information about the docking station (make and model) and how it is connected to the computer. I presume you are using the same HDMI cable to connect the monitor to the docking station as you were using to connect it directly to the computer.

[ostrichbay]

Yes, I was using the same cable. By chance I decided to plug the cable into an HDMI splitter I had lying around, and plug that into the monitor, and all is fine well. So I'll just keep using this this way (since I needed the splitter anyway).

Thanks again for your help!

[SMG]

Yes, I was using the same cable. By chance I decided to plug the cable into an HDMI splitter I had lying around, and plug that into the monitor, and all is fine well. So I'll just keep using this this way (since I needed the splitter anyway).

Thanks again for your help!

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