[SOLVED] New installation won't detect external monitors

[khendron]

Hello there!

I have a Lenovo Thinkpad P15 and I an installed the latest Mint on it last week. I have 2 external monitors, both which work fine on another computer, but which Mint refuses to detect.

I seen a lot of previous posts about this, but the solutions provided (e.g., upgrade to latest kernel, disable SecureBoot, run NVIDIA driver in On-Demand mode) describe things that are already configured for me. I am not sure what I am missing.

BTW, my computer has an HDMI and 2 thunderbolt display ports. None appear to work.

The following output is with a monitor plugged into an HDMI port and a thunderbolt display port.

Code: Select all

$ inxi -SMCGx
System:
  Host: disaacs-thinkpad Kernel: 5.19.0-28-generic x86_64 bits: 64
    compiler: N/A Desktop: Cinnamon 5.6.7 Distro: Linux Mint 21.1 Vera
    base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 20SUS05J02 v: ThinkPad P15 Gen 1
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: 20SUS05J02 v: SDK0J40697 WIN
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: LENOVO v: N30ET27W (1.10 )
    date: 08/21/2020
CPU:
  Info: 6-core model: Intel Core i7-10850H bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Comet Lake rev: 2 cache: L1: 384 KiB L2: 1.5 MiB L3: 12 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1200 high: 2700 min/max: 800/5100 cores: 1: 900 2: 900
    3: 900 4: 900 5: 900 6: 900 7: 900 8: 2700 9: 900 10: 900 11: 900 12: 2700
    bogomips: 64797
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CometLake-H GT2 [UHD Graphics] vendor: Lenovo driver: i915
    v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0
  Device-2: NVIDIA TU117GLM [Quadro T1000 Mobile] vendor: Lenovo
    driver: N/A bus-ID: 01:00.0
  Device-3: Chicony Integrated Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo
    bus-ID: 1-8:3
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.3 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: i915 resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 22.2.5
    direct render: Yes

Code: Select all

$ 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) 344mm x 193mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  60.00  
   1680x1050     60.00  
   1400x1050     60.00  
   1600x900      60.00  
   1280x1024     60.00  
   1400x900      60.00  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      60.00  
   1368x768      60.00  
   1280x800      60.00  
   1280x720      60.00  
   1024x768      60.00  
   960x720       60.00  
   928x696       60.00  
   896x672       60.00  
   1024x576      60.00  
   960x600       60.00  
   960x540       60.00  
   800x600       60.00  
   840x525       60.00  
   864x486       60.00  
   700x525       60.00  
   800x450       60.00  
   640x512       60.00  
   700x450       60.00  
   640x480       60.00  
   720x405       60.00  
   684x384       60.00  
   640x360       60.00  
   512x384       60.00  
   512x288       60.00  
   480x270       60.00  
   400x300       60.00  
   432x243       60.00  
   320x240       60.00  
   360x202       60.00  
   320x180       60.00  
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)
HDMI-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

[SMG]

I seen a lot of previous posts about this, but the solutions provided (e.g., upgrade to latest kernel, disable SecureBoot, run NVIDIA driver in On-Demand mode) describe things that are already configured for me. I am not sure what I am missing.

Welcome to the forum, khendron.

You did not supply the complete inxi output, but it is likely those external ports are attached to the Nvidia GPU and your system does not have the Nvidia driver loaded.
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel CometLake-H GT2 [UHD Graphics] vendor: Lenovo driver: i915
v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0
Device-2: NVIDIA TU117GLM [Quadro T1000 Mobile] vendor: Lenovo
driver: N/A bus-ID: 01:00.0
Device-3: Chicony Integrated Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo
bus-ID: 1-8:3
Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.3 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: i915 resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 22.2.5
direct render: Yes

There is a note in the Tips for Troubleshooting Graphics Issues (including external monitors not working) which is pinned to the top of the Graphics Cards & Monitors forum indicating special steps must be taken when using the Nvidia driver and the 5.19 kernel. If you upgraded the kernel before you disabled secure boot and changed to on-demand mode, then that is likely why you are having issues.

You can either switch back to using the 5.15 LTS kernel or you can follow the steps in the Tips topic to get the Nvidia driver to install properly with the 5.19 kernel. There is supposed to be an update coming through to fix that issue, but I'm guessing it may not yet have come through. If you need more information on doing either of those options, let us know.

If neither of those options work, then please supply the output of

Code: Select all

mokutil --sb-state

and

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dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia

[khendron]

Thanks for that! I've had partial success.

NO! SCRATCH THAT! EVERYTHING IS WORKING AFTER I LOGGED OUT AND LOGGED BACK IN AGAIN. IGNORE EVERYTHING UNDER THIS LINE (UNLESS YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT THE STEPS I TOOK). AND THANKS!!

> If you upgraded the kernel before you disabled secure boot and changed to on-demand mode, then that is likely why you are having issues.

That is exactly what had happened. My initial instinct was to switch back to 5.15, but I couldn't get the GRUB menu to come up. If I hit the escape key during boot the GRUB menu would flash briefly, then I would land in the `grub>` command line, at which point I did not know what to do.

I then decided to stay with 5.19 and followed the commands you linked, to uninstall the nvidia drivers, install a new gcc, and reinstall the nvidia drivers.

Now when I boot up my external monitor displays the login screen, but after I log in, the external monitors become blank. They are "there" in that I can move the mouse into them and drop windows onto them. I can also see them in the System Settings > Display > Layout window. But they are just black.

So while I am no longer on square 1, I seem to be stuck on square 2

In case it still helps:

Code: Select all

$ inxi -G
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CometLake-H GT2 [UHD Graphics] driver: i915 v: kernel
  Device-2: NVIDIA TU117GLM [Quadro T1000 Mobile] driver: nvidia
    v: 525.78.01
  Device-3: Chicony Integrated Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.3 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa gpu: i915
    resolution: 1: 3440x1440~60Hz 2: 3440x1440~60Hz 3: 1920x1080~60Hz
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 22.2.5

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$ xrandr

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 8800 x 1440, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 193mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  60.00  
   1680x1050     60.00  
   1400x1050     60.00  
   1600x900      60.00  
   1280x1024     60.00  
   1400x900      60.00  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      60.00  
   1368x768      60.00  
   1280x800      60.00  
   1280x720      60.00  
   1024x768      60.00  
   960x720       60.00  
   928x696       60.00  
   896x672       60.00  
   1024x576      60.00  
   960x600       60.00  
   960x540       60.00  
   800x600       60.00  
   840x525       60.00  
   864x486       60.00  
   700x525       60.00  
   800x450       60.00  
   640x512       60.00  
   700x450       60.00  
   640x480       60.00  
   720x405       60.00  
   684x384       60.00  
   640x360       60.00  
   512x384       60.00  
   512x288       60.00  
   480x270       60.00  
   400x300       60.00  
   432x243       60.00  
   320x240       60.00  
   360x202       60.00  
   320x180       60.00  
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)
HDMI-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-0 connected 3440x1440+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 798mm x 335mm
   3440x1440     59.97*+  49.99    29.99  
   2560x1440     59.95  
   2560x1080     60.00    59.94  
   1920x1080     60.00    59.94    50.00  
   1720x1440     59.98  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1280x800      59.81  
   1280x720      59.94    50.00  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1024x768      75.03    60.00  
   800x600       75.00    60.32  
   720x576       50.00  
   720x480       59.94  
   640x480       75.00    59.94    59.93  
DP-1-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-1-0 connected 3440x1440+5360+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 797mm x 334mm
   3440x1440     59.97*+  99.98    49.99  
   2560x1080     99.94    60.00    59.94  
   1920x1200     59.88  
   1920x1080     60.00    59.94    50.00  
   1680x1050     59.95  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1280x800      59.81  
   1280x720      59.94    50.00  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1024x768      75.03    60.00  
   800x600       75.00    60.32  
   720x576       50.00  
   720x480       59.94  
   640x480       75.00    59.94    59.93  
DP-1-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

[SMG]

IGNORE EVERYTHING UNDER THIS LINE (UNLESS YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT THE STEPS I TOOK). AND THANKS!!

Yes, please do ignore it because you did the wrong steps. You did steps you should not have done. Your dual graphics is likely not going to work properly.

My initial instinct was to switch back to 5.15, but I couldn't get the GRUB menu to come up. If I hit the escape key during boot the GRUB menu would flash briefly, then I would land in the `grub>` command line, at which point I did not know what to do.

You can ask here what to do. See this post for how to edit grub to get the menu to show if you are having problems getting it to show while booting.

I then decided to stay with 5.19 and followed the commands you linked, to uninstall the nvidia drivers, install a new gcc, and reinstall the nvidia drivers.

I guess you do not understand that you have a dual-graphics laptop. Your laptop has both Intel and Nvidia. You should have followed the directions in the first link. The directions clearly state if you have a dual-graphics laptop to do the first link and not to do the second link. You did the directions in the second link. [Edited to add: Instructions have be re-written to remove the links.]

Did you take a Timeshift snapshot before you began experimenting? If so, you should revert to the snapshot and go back to the 5.15 kernel.

If you want to take your chances with having problems in the future, at least reinstall the nvidia-prime-applet you should not have deleted by running the following in a terminal

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sudo apt-get install nvidia-prime-applet

Even though the applet will be installed, you will likely not be able to use all the modes.

Also, please do explain what part of "dual-graphics" you did not understand so I can modify the instructions so others do not make the same mistake you did.
Edited to strikeout a line and to add: Instructions have been re-written to remove links which appear to have caused confusion.

[khendron]

Well damn. I did know I have a dual graphics laptop. I just totally misread your post. My bad.

Unfortunately I do not have a timeshift snapshot from before I upgraded to 5,19. I do, however, have one from before I started messing with the drivers. I will restore to there and try again from that point.

Thanks for your patience and sorry for the misunderstanding.

[SMG]

Unfortunately I do not have a timeshift snapshot from before I upgraded to 5,19. I do, however, have one from before I started messing with the drivers. I will restore to there and try again from that point.

Or you can just switch back to the 5.15 kernel.

It seems more people are running into the issue you had with Escape not working (because computers are just so fast nowadays). If you have problems with the instructions to make the grub menu show so you can boot into the older kernel, just let us know.

[khendron]

I think I did everything right this time <touch wood>

I have done the following:

• Edited /etc/default/grub to force the grub menu to be displayed, and reboot.
• From the grub menu, I booted with 5.15

At this point the monitor in my HDMI port was working but the monitor in my Display Port was blank (although it was being detected). I continued on with the following:

• Removed the 5.19 kernel
• Edited /etc/default/grub to be back the way that it was, and reboot.

Now I am booting automatically to 5.15, and both my external monitors are working again. The NVIDIA applet is present, and showing the the active profile is On-Demand. So it looks like I am good.

For the sake of completeness, my current settings are

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$ inxi -G
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CometLake-H GT2 [UHD Graphics] driver: i915 v: kernel
  Device-2: NVIDIA TU117GLM [Quadro T1000 Mobile] driver: nvidia
    v: 525.78.01
  Device-3: Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam type: USB
    driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo
  Device-4: Chicony Integrated Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.3 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa gpu: i915
    resolution: 1: 3440x1440~60Hz 2: 3440x1440~60Hz 3: 1920x1080~60Hz
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 22.2.5

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$ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 5360 x 2880, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected 1920x1080+0+1082 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 193mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  60.00  
   1680x1050     60.00  
   1400x1050     60.00  
   1600x900      60.00  
   1280x1024     60.00  
   1400x900      60.00  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      60.00  
   1368x768      60.00  
   1280x800      60.00  
   1280x720      60.00  
   1024x768      60.00  
   960x720       60.00  
   928x696       60.00  
   896x672       60.00  
   1024x576      60.00  
   960x600       60.00  
   960x540       60.00  
   800x600       60.00  
   840x525       60.00  
   864x486       60.00  
   700x525       60.00  
   800x450       60.00  
   640x512       60.00  
   700x450       60.00  
   640x480       60.00  
   720x405       60.00  
   684x384       60.00  
   640x360       60.00  
   512x384       60.00  
   512x288       60.00  
   480x270       60.00  
   400x300       60.00  
   432x243       60.00  
   320x240       60.00  
   360x202       60.00  
   320x180       60.00  
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)
HDMI-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-0 connected 3440x1440+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 798mm x 335mm
   3440x1440     59.97*+  49.99    29.99  
   2560x1440     59.95  
   2560x1080     60.00    59.94  
   1920x1080     60.00    59.94    50.00  
   1720x1440     59.98  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1280x800      59.81  
   1280x720      59.94    50.00  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1024x768      75.03    60.00  
   800x600       75.00    60.32  
   720x576       50.00  
   720x480       59.94  
   640x480       75.00    59.94    59.93  
DP-1-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-1-0 connected primary 3440x1440+1920+1440 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 797mm x 334mm
   3440x1440     59.97*+  99.98    49.99  
   2560x1080     99.94    60.00    59.94  
   1920x1200     59.88  
   1920x1080     60.00    59.94    50.00  
   1680x1050     59.95  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1280x800      59.81  
   1280x720      59.94    50.00  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1024x768      75.03    60.00  
   800x600       75.00    60.32  
   720x576       50.00  
   720x480       59.94  
   640x480       75.00    59.94    59.93  
DP-1-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

[SMG]

Now I am booting automatically to 5.15, and both my external monitors are working again. The NVIDIA applet is present, and showing the the active profile is On-Demand. So it looks like I am good.

It sounds like you are all set. Enjoy your Linux Mint install.

[khendron]

Thanks for the help and thank you for your patience! You rock!