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I have a dell xps 13 9380 running 19.04 Ubuntu. I also have a zenscreen mb16ac portable monitor. The portable monitor connects to my laptop via usb c as a display and to get power.

Initially, when I plug the monitor in, my laptop detects it and everything works, but when my laptop goes to sleep or suspends, and i wake it back up, my laptop no longer detects the monitor, but it's still powering it.

The only way to get it to detect the monitor is if I unplug and plug the usb port back in. I'm not sure why this is happening.

How can I get my laptop to detect my portable monitor when it wakes up? I don't want to keep unplugging and plugging in the cable every time ubuntu sleeps or suspends.

edit: It also doesn't detect my monitor when I try to reload the drivers:

$ modprobe -r uhci_hcd
modprobe: FATAL: Module uhci_hcd is builtin.
$
$ modprobe uhci_hcd
$
$ modprobe -r ehci_hcd
modprobe: FATAL: Module ehci_hcd is builtin.
$
$ modprobe ehci_hcd

edit 2: so my laptop has 3 usb c ports. According to Dell the description is as follows:

Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) ports with Power Delivery: one has a power and thunderbolt logo, and the other is just a thunderbolt logo

One USB 3.1 Gen 2 (USB Type-C) port with Power Delivery/DisplayPort (has a display port logo)

The only port in which the monitor is detected after suspend is the port with the power and thunderbolt logo. I'm confused why the port that's meant for displays is having this issue.

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  • This seems to have been answered before.<br> askubuntu.com/a/1056420/988163<br> Give this a shot.
    – S3NTYN3L
    Aug 23, 2019 at 20:47
  • I've tried that and it doesn't work. Also if i try reloading the driver as the link suggested, I get some error (see edit above) Aug 23, 2019 at 21:30

1 Answer 1

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I have the same issue. Here are some things I tried:

  • Updating firmware via Ubuntu Software Center
  • Turning it off and on again
  • Plugging and unplugging
  • setting autosuspend to -1 in /etc/default/grub

It finally worked after I unplugged the power, plugged the USB-c dock into the power dock and heard the "click" sound which meant it had been mounted on my machine. I then unplugged it and plugged it into the USB-c port on the right side of the machine and everything was detected. I will test it again tomorrow. If this is the solution, then Dell has serious issues.

WHOSE CRAZY IDEA was it to have only one port?! I hope that person has been sent away.

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  • OK, so yeah. What seems to work for me is to switch the USB-C hub over to the other side. Once I hear the click sound I know I am back in business. Aug 24, 2020 at 13:57
  • +1 worked for me on a Dell G3. I don't have a power dock, and laptop has only one USB 3.1 port. 1. I unplugged the monitor's USB cable 2. I plugged an unpowered USB-C hub into the laptop, then unplugged it. 3. I plugged the monitor into the laptop again.
    – dcorking
    Nov 10, 2020 at 9:23

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