There are two different products: NexDock 360 and NexDock Wireless. The former is wired only and I am asserting based on the original blog post that it is the former that is in this offering.
It is still a valid question though to wonder what the state of Linux support is for the Wireless version of the product (specifically the display over WiFi). It’s a little bit too expensive to be the one trying to answer that question …
I can’t say anything about the compatibility to the Nexdock Wireless but beside the older project ‘MiracleCast’ there is a new project implementing wireless screen cast: gnome-network-displays. I guess in case someone give it a try it would be good to present the results in a dedicated thread.
PSA: if you’re thinking of plugging a hub into the nexdock make sure it’s a powered hub that has its own power adapter. I doubt that dock’s little port can handle much amperage.
OK I’ll try to update the product page with one soon.
Yes, the keyboard/mouse are deactivated once you flip it past a certain point in the 360 hinge. I should note that not all lapdocks that feature a 360 hinge deactivate the keyboard/mouse in tablet mode, but the Nexdock 360 does.
As far as WiFi/BT casting, Nexdock does offer a new product with that feature but I’m unsure how many of our customers would want a device that is always broadcasting WiFi/BT w/o a kill switch. Beyond that, even if miracast support were better, I suspect most people would still prefer to physically connect their Librem 5 to the lapdock if for no other reason than to keep it charged.
If you have access to mains power then a fully wireless interface between phone and lapdock, keeps the USB-C port on the phone free and therefore allows you to have the phone on charge to the mains.
If you are off-grid then keeping the phone charged would definitely be a consideration and wireless could be a problem. (You might have to invest in a powerbank if going wireless.)
As to the security and privacy considerations, speaking only for myself, happy to keep it “wired”!
When “off-grid” such as at a conference, I tend to use my Librem 5 + lapdock with the Librem 5 plugged in and charging, and if I am not near an outlet to plug the lapdock in, I often carry one of our 20,000mAh battery banks with me and plug that into the Nexdock to keep it charged while it is keeping the Librem 5 charged as I use it.
Yes, when the Librem 5 is docked, it is using a USB-C port on the left side that is specifically designed for this purpose. On the right-hand side of the Nexdock are two other ports. The one near the back is for charging the Nexdock itself. The one near the front is an input port you could use to plug in a USB-C Ethernet adapter, a USB-C thumb drive, or other USB-C accessories.
In my case it typically only requires the short cable that connects the Librem 5 to the Nexdock, and optionally the cable that charges the Nexdock itself (if I don’t want to drain its battery). So if you are willing to run from battery you’d just need the one cable, and if you wanted to connect accessories to the open front-right USB-C port, those accessories.
Once question i had, could the same method or software be used to show the phone on a large display when plugging the phone into a USB hub, where the large display is also used by a desktop computer with two displays, where it could negotiate or let the use decide whether to display the desktop or the phone input, in theory could that work?
My usecase is that i have a desktop with two displays, but for certain trouble shooting i might want to use one of these displays to show the phone content and use a mouse and keyboard.
There are hardware KVM switches letting you choose the input devices for a monitor. Some monitors have it built in.
I vaguely remember having read of a software KVM switch, but I did not try it.
Another approach could simply be using a remote desktop system like VNC or so. That works over the network and would be quite flexible I think. I remember having read that posts here in this forum that hosting a remote desktop on the L5 does not work. That’s quite some time ago so maybe there is progress.
There’s something like a remote X session via ssh -X, but I never tried it. The ssh man page tells something about it.
I have a KVM switch setup that I use. Or I should say, KM, no video My monitor has multiple video inputs, so I just manage that with the monitor controls. IT all works really nicely with the hub i bought from purism when I got my L5. I do notice, that when I switch the keyboard and mouse to another device on the switch, it does something strange to the L5. the L5 suddenly thinks it is NOT docked any more and it changes the windows back to full display on the L5. Even though the external monitor is still connected to it. So, with my setup, I switch the keyboard and mouse, but not the video. So, that seems to confuse phosh, and so even though a monitor is connected to the hub, it assumes there is no monitor when the KM is swtiched to another computer.
But, overall, it works really well. This is how I do “lapdocking”. I had asked about doing RDP to the L5, and unfortuntately that seems to be a low priority for purism. I don’t understand way. They seem to prefer you buy a new lapdock device to expand your L5 screen space, rather than using an existing device, laptop or desktop computer you already have access to and is on the network?!
Did you buy the hub from the Purism shop? For the connection to the monitor do you use HDMI to the hub or some other type of connection?
I ask because the dock I have connects to a monitor using HDMI but the video will flash in and out at times or flicker. I suspect a loose connection at the hub but I wanted to hear about other people’s experience using HDMI to connect their Librem 5.
Yeah, I bought the hub from purism when my L5 was getting shipped, and I use hdmi cables. I actually have 2 monitors. One is a 43" LG 4k monitor. the L5 drives that with no problem! It gets pretty hot though no real flickering or any problem. My other monitor is a 24" HD monitor, an old Gateway monitor It only has the old VESA and dvi inputs. so, I use an hdmi cable with a converter to VESA (I think that is the format). the monitor is like 15 years old, but still works.
These days I use the smaller HD monitor more, because it doesn’t get the L5 as hot. But, I can swap out the hdmi cable from either monitor into the hub and everything works fine.