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When I change display settings, such as external monitor locations, resolutions, orientations, etc, my new USB-C to dual 4k 60 Hz adapter takes too long to respond. It works, but not quickly enough for me to click Keep Changes (shown below) to accept the new settings. So, I am unable to change my screen layout! How can I increase this display setting delay before it reverts the monitors to the old setting?

I'm on Ubuntu 22.04, but will need this on 20.04 too.

I'd like to change the delay from like 30 to 60 seconds.

I'm on a Dell XPS 15 9530 laptop, and a Dell Precision 5570 (nearly the same computer). The main ports I'm testing with the adapter are the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 connections on the left (XPS 15 9530 specs here), which support DP Alt Mode 1.4.

Because the timeout is too short, I can't change this layout:

enter image description here

This button doesn't give me adequate timeout for my adapter, and so it's timing out when my screen is still black, before my adapter has begun fully displaying the new settings. I can move my mouse cursor around the new screen configuration while all displays are still black/dark, but then it times out before the windows show up again, so I am never able to click "Keep Changes" in time below:

enter image description here

Gabriel Staples
  • 9,155

1 Answers1

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This is not an answer to my direct question, but it did solve my problem. Additional answers are welcome. I'd still mark another answer correct if it actually answered my question.

Quick summary

Solution: restart the computer and then configure the displays with nothing else running.

Details

I stumbled upon this answer from 15 Jan. 2024, less than 10 days ago: Unix & Linux: Timeout to keep or reset settings when configuring displays, where it states (emphasis added):

If nothing works, try rebooting computer and changing display settings as soon as you can. This way, you usually have less application running when you just fresh rebooted.

I did that and it worked immediately. I had a lot of tabs and processes open prior to that.

Here is my new monitor configuration:

enter image description here

Also, I don't think this is a timeout-too-short issue, but is rather an Ubuntu bug. It probably has something to do with the fact that this is a dual-monitor adapter, and uses the new Thunderbolt 4 USB-C DP 1.4 Alt mode standard, which I think is pretty new to computers.

I really hope there's a bug report on this and that Ubuntu is working on it.

For anyone wanting to have a similar setup, this adapter is the smallest dual adapter I've seen (and I've handled 4), and seems to work well on Ubuntu 22.04, aside from the issue above: USB C to DisplayPort Dual Monitor Adapter Hub, 4K Dual Display Port Multi Monitors Splitter (Compatible with Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB4), $46.

To get HDMI output, these DP to HDMI adapters work great: IIABC Displayport to HDMI Adapter (2Pack) 4K 24K Gold Plated Displayport DP to HDMI Female Converter，Uni-Directional Display Port to HDMI Converter, $10 for the 2-pack.

This computer has only 3 USB ports (all of which are USB-C) on the whole thing. By using this dual-monitor adapter, I've now freed up one of my 3 very precious and limited USB ports.

See also

  1. My answer: USB to HDMI adapter that works with Ubuntu
Gabriel Staples
  • 9,155