Broken usb-c to hdmi with kernel 5.18+

[rfm83]

I just reinstalled Manjaro (Mate) with an image from Manjaro's github page and the kernel version in the image was 5.18. HDMI with a usb-c dongle is broken. This used to work when I was using the default Manjaro KDE that came with the PBPro when purchased. It was running kernel version 5.7. This was a kernel version specific for the Pinebook Pro. Now the Manjaro images available on github have kernel version 5.18. which after updating to 5.19 the same problem is observed. Kernel 5.7 is available on Manjaro's repository but unfortunately there is an issue with building the initramfs file after installing the kernel. It complains there is no module "panel_edp". So there are booting issues after that. Basically staying on kernel 5.19 and figuring out a workaround for the usb-c to hdmi issue seems the best option.

Does anybody know how to fix this in the current kernel 5.19? Is there any specific module that might be missing in Manjaro's kernel image?

[mjrr15]

Same problem here. I upgraded once I received mine (didn't look at the Kernel version prior) before trying out my USB C dock (Enklen): Linux pinebookpro 5.19.11-3-MANJARO-ARM #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun Sep 25 15:08:54 UTC 2022 aarch64 GNU/Linux

I've tried multiple images of Armbian, but they are either 5.18 or 5.15, and  everything else works (USB, PD) except for Video. Tried Manjaro 22.04 from github (5.17-1) as I read somewhere that this Kernel had everything working (and I things started failing 5.18+), and it kind of worked, showed video on my multiple monitors connected to the dock, but it was glitchy (image appeared and disappeared, never stayed fully on).

For 5.19 neither video or PD work.

Is says in the wiki to go to Manjaro and select PineBook Pro from the drop down, but there is no such option (https://manjaro.org/download/). It shows at the most PinePhone and PinePhone Pro. Where can I get the "official" image that comes originally with PBP?

Read also that the 5.7 kernel might work and to get it from the linux-pinebookpro package, but also read someone broke their system by trying to use this package. I am scared of even trying trying, without knowing there is an "official" image I can go back to at least.

Please advise.

[mjrr15]

Well, I risked the downgrade to 5.15 and broke the booting sequence. Found a way to recover though using an SD card with Armbian. Mounted EMMC /boot after booting Armbian.

Files in EMMC /boot were named *linux515* renamed to *linux* and copied vmlinuz-linux to Image (as I could not create a symbolic link). Then saw dtbs/rockchip/rk3399-pinebook-pro.dtb was missing so copied it from the Armbian /boot/dtb/rockchip folder (after creating the folder).

drwxr-xr-x  3 root root 8.0K Oct  1 17:18 dtbs
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root 8.0K Oct  1 17:05 extlinux
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 167K Jul 20 04:01 idbloader.img
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  30M Oct  1 17:05 Image
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  17M Oct  1 16:09 initramfs-linux-fallback.img
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 8.1M Oct  1 16:08 initramfs-linux.img
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   30 Sep 23 09:44 linux-aarch64.kver
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 978K Jul 20 04:01 u-boot.itb
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  30M Oct  1 16:08 vmlinuz-linux

All these details I found in the EMMC "/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf" file:

LABEL Manjaro ARM
KERNEL /Image
FDT /dtbs/rockchip/rk3399-pinebook-pro.dtb
APPEND initrd=/initramfs-linux.img console=ttyS2,1500000 root=PARTUUID=1eeb7b54-686c-447f-80a7-b57c8d7b3345 rw rootwait audit=0 splash plymouth.ignore-serial-consoles

[rfm83]

Well, I risked the downgrade to 5.15 and broke the booting sequence. Found a way to recover though using an SD card with Armbian. Mounted EMMC /boot after booting Armbian.

Files in EMMC /boot were named *linux515* renamed to *linux* and copied vmlinuz-linux to Image (as I could not create a symbolic link). Then saw dtbs/rockchip/rk3399-pinebook-pro.dtb was missing so copied it from the Armbian /boot/dtb/rockchip folder (after creating the folder).

drwxr-xr-x  3 root root 8.0K Oct  1 17:18 dtbs
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root 8.0K Oct  1 17:05 extlinux
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 167K Jul 20 04:01 idbloader.img
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  30M Oct  1 17:05 Image
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  17M Oct  1 16:09 initramfs-linux-fallback.img
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 8.1M Oct  1 16:08 initramfs-linux.img
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   30 Sep 23 09:44 linux-aarch64.kver
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 978K Jul 20 04:01 u-boot.itb
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  30M Oct  1 16:08 vmlinuz-linux

All these details I found in the EMMC "/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf" file:

LABEL Manjaro ARM
KERNEL /Image
FDT /dtbs/rockchip/rk3399-pinebook-pro.dtb
APPEND initrd=/initramfs-linux.img console=ttyS2,1500000 root=PARTUUID=1eeb7b54-686c-447f-80a7-b57c8d7b3345 rw rootwait audit=0 splash plymouth.ignore-serial-consoles


@mjrr15 

Kernel 5.15 from Armbian has the same issue. Eventually I ended up installing TwisterOS and the image comes with kernel 5.10 so there is no HDMI issue there. Give it a try.

Now, it would be nice to find a Manjaro or Arch image that has these older kernel versions available.
Ideally this should be fixed though as it's such basic functionality and it has been broken for a long time.

[mjrr15]

Thanks for the tip. I tried TwisterOS kernel 5.10 and everything works except for the HDMI. It does show in the display widget there is a Dell monitor (even though I have 2) and that it is enabled as extended display, but the monitor(s) remain blank.

Could be an issue with the docking station (https://www.amazon.com/Docking-Station-D...B08BC6WFYV), though it works perfectly with a laptop with Linux x86 and Windows 11.

Oh well, I guess I will have to wait for a Kernel fix.

[rfm83]

Thanks for the tip. I tried TwisterOS kernel 5.10 and everything works except for the HDMI. It does show in the display widget there is a Dell monitor (even though I have 2) and that it is enabled as extended display, but the monitor(s) remain blank.

Could be an issue with the docking station (https://www.amazon.com/Docking-Station-D...B08BC6WFYV), though it works perfectly with a laptop with Linux x86 and Windows 11.

Oh well, I guess I will have to wait for a Kernel fix.

The issue might be with your docking station. Try a usb-c to HDMI adapter if you have one. It should work.

[rfm83]

I  confirm that the usb-c to HDMI functionality is working on Manjaro with the kernel image linux-lts-5.15. This image is available in the repo currently.