Comment by Spunkie | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Spunkie | Hacker News Reader

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This seems like the place to ask, what is up with USBC displayport alt mode during boot/bios?

Like I'm traveling with a usbc only monitor connected to a 6800xt and everything has been working fine with it until yesterday.

I updated manjaro packages and the kernel to 5.15, and somehow that resulted in the monitor not working during boot anymore. Which I just don't understand the logistics of AT ALL. How does the host OS relate to video out during boot?

The video out also didn't work once booted into linux but I was able to resolve this by replugging the monitor a couple of times after each restart. Ultimately reverting back to the 5.14 kernel fixed it in Linux but didn't fix it during boot.

So now I just have to enter my LUKS pass blindly and hope for the best or that I never need to adjust my bios settings ever again.

And on a slightly related side tangent how do people who switch to a bluetooth mouse/keyboard adjust their boot/bios? They just don't?

One nice thing about Apple computers is that Bluetooth works before the OS is booted.

I’ve heard some motherboards with built in wifi can enter the bios using a long power button press or something, and pair from inside the bios. Some Bluetooth adapters can stay paired after a soft reboot too. Both of above I only know about from seeing people complain online that these features don’t work.

There are some usb Bluetooth adapters that let you pair directly from the adapter to a keyboard, no OS required once it’s set up. Some keyboards have an optional usb cable you can use. You can also use a keyboard with a proprietary usb wireless adapter, that is a normal usb HID device. All Logitech keyboards come with this even if they support bluetooth, probably because tech support is a nightmare otherwise. Amusingly, Logitech Bluetooth devices sold for macs are the same products but simply leave out this adapter.

Come to think of it, I use normal bluetooth devices with a windows desktop and at least once a month I need to connect a usb mouse to turn Bluetooth back on (it’s easy to turn off by mistake) or because things just stop working.

You have to rustle up a wired keyboard, at least. Fortunately, most hotels and motels will have them handy in their computer rooms, and almost any business will have a keyboard for you to try borrowing.

I've been carrying my full sized wired keyboard along with my laptop since I had a laptop keyboard fail a few devices ago. I'd rather have a portable pc and monitor in a clunky case, the form factor of a laptop has always seemed the wrong solution for the problem being solved. Multiple pieces isn't a big deal.

> how do people who switch to a bluetooth mouse/keyboard adjust their boot/bios?

Most wireless mouse/keyboard use the same USB HID drivers as the wired equivalents. So they work just fine in the BIOS/EFI. At least that’s been the case for every device I’ve used; I’m sure there are exceptions.

That aside, fuck Bluetooth keyboards/mice. Even if you don’t play games, Bluetooth latency is very noticeable. I much prefer logitech lightspeed mice.

Wireless keyboards that come with a USB adapter will work, but ones that connect to the computer’s Bluetooth usually do not.

Ahh I hadn’t even considered using the built in Bluetooth since pairing random devices is so hit and miss. It’s one of those things that always breaks at the worst possible moment.

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