How to connect librem 5 usa with my monitor, keyboard and mouse?

Did you look into the one Purism is selling?

Well option 1 is buying that and option 2 is the aenzr. Not 100% sure yet.

Even more desperate trying to find a working usb c extension cable that can transmit power, data and video at the same time. If you guys know one please let me know.

I’d email support about the dock. They should know everything.

Instead of an extension, why not just buy a longer cable?

This was precisely my problem. I had a 250€ Lenovo docking station from my work. Charging, keyboard and mouse worked, but video didn’t. Companies apparently know that the majority of people are going to use the devices with Windows and don’t care about proper Linux support. They have tested it with Lenovo notebooks on Windows and released it on the market.

No video works with the docking station. But if i put my extension cable between the phone and docking station, video does not work despite the cable description says it should work:

Someone knows a working extension cable for power, data and video and all at the same time?

Today i recieved my docking station from purism and EVERYTHING (charging, ethernet, keyboard, mouse & monitor) works!
https://shop.puri.sm/shop/usb-c-hub/

I use it in conjunction with this hdmi to vga adapter and power supply:
https://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/Dell-HDMI-Adapter-HDMI-Stecker-auf-VGA-15pol-Buchse-Schwarz-schraubbar_1054284.html
https://www.artwizz.com/smartphone-zubehoer/technik/powerplug-usb-c-cable_28424_15853/

BUT i also bought this usb c extension cable (the third one)
https://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/Club3D-Kabel-USB-3-2-Typ-C-2m-Verlaengerung-5Gbps-St-Bu-retail_1438690.html
When i connect it between the phone and the hub however the video/screen signal does not get transmitted to my monitor.
(Despite the monitor being recognized in the librem 5 settings)
Without using the extension it works great, though.

I already tried these three and non of them actually works:



https://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/Club3D-Kabel-USB-3-2-Typ-C-2m-Verlaengerung-5Gbps-St-Bu-retail_1438690.html

Thank you very much for this recommendation.
But is 0.8m the longest possible? I would rather have something like 2m if possible.

Would this one also work?


Could get that way faster than ordering from china.
3 Likes

Yes, YIWENTEC #1000180 should work as advised from its manufacturer. But I’m tired now to proof anything, especially related to the similar USB4 extension cable video transmission, so please wait until tomorrow (need to proof very same thing for myself as well, with some problematic docking … actually two of them).

Just to make sure before testing: you are about to extend USB-C male connector (from some docking station) toward the host (connecting the host) and this host name is Librem 5? Oh, yes, I already have your answer:

Yes that’s correct.
0.8m is the max. possible extension length? It’s not possible to extend for 2m or even more?
If so i will order exactly this: https://www.amazon.de/YIWENTEC-Thunderbolt-Compatible-Extension-Charging/dp/B09SZ7WDL5/

Why don’t you just buy a longer cable?

If you can tell me one that’s guaranteed working i do that. I already tried 3 cables and none of them worked. (See my second last post)

Those are all extensions. I mean just a longer USB cable, seems like it’d be a simpler solution to me.

What would you connect that with? I don’t understand what you’re suggesting me to do.

What i’m trying to do is placing the librem 5 as far away from the docking station as possible.
Well 0.8m is OK, i can live with that, but 2m or even 3m would be better.

Edit:

I think what you’re suggesting is using a usb cable and connect it with the librem 5 and an usb port from the docking station?

I don’t know if that would work.
Aren’t you supposed to use the short usb c cable from the docking station for connecting the phone?

Not necessarily. As long as the cable has the correct ends and can deliver data, you’re good.

This might help you-

Unfortunately not since there is only 1 usb c port on the purism docking station and that is used for charging.
There are 2 usb a 3 ports which of one i do not need, though.

1 Like

OK…

In short, general and exclusively related toward USB4 extension cable (it works, even if used twice :upside_down_face:):

I’m noticing other issues (perhaps software related, the one that is still in development) with my non-… external convergence equipment, but still hope that my answer somewhat helps (as toward your question related).

I’do not know much about at this point of time (but will look around based on …, but shorter data cables we are considering as the ones that are more reliable/quicker (video signal related …).

EDIT: @Michael24, please take a look at this link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000369786129.html, in order to get there … as quite more reliable solution (another setup idea of mine that includes connection to the above linked HDMI adapter from DELL, before you decide to buy anything new, and going to search for something else as well, yet this HDMI extension cable setup I’m already warmly suggesting, and even manufacturer is the known one or the one that I should recommend here).

EDIT II: Now after another short test I do not think (not any more) and almost sure that using USB4 extension cable is something not to be recommended at all (as possibility of getting the HSYNC and VSYNC blanking intervals on your external screen/monitor is relatively high), therefore please stick toward buying of adequate (in quality/length) HDMI extension cable (as my primary advice, while all my writing up to this point was actually based on your intention to use USB3.2 Gen 2 extension cable or USB4 extension cable with the here related docking station, or any other).

1 Like

Unfortunately it is not that simple. For this application it needs to be able to deliver all of
a) power (in the direction from dock to phone)
b) video
c) data

Sure if it’s just a passive cable taking all the conductors through, it could work but it also needs to meet other conditions in order to do the job.

Docks tend to be highly asymmetric i.e. not all the USB-C ports / connectors are created equal. Usually exactly one USB-C port supports power-in to the dock (and will be marked as such) and exactly one USB-C port supports the three functions necessary to connect to the host device, be it a laptop or the Librem 5, and will be hard-wired in.

1 Like

“Data” meant generically, as in “electrons not meant to power the device.” I consider video data, although yes there are data cables that don’t deliver video.

1 Like

Since this is similar and still a problem for me I’ll ask folks to check out my questions over in this thread…

I know about the “tested devices” page out there but, it’s incomplete based on what I find in other posts, out of date, and a lot of those devices are no longer available. Further, it takes hours of reading and searching to see what works for different people and what issues they’ve had. I’m burning a lot of brain cells and $$ trying to find the right combination for this.