Make the Linux driver open source and get it into the kernel
If the DisplayLink driver existed in the kernel, it would be SO much easier for the users to get it working. In my role as Chief Digital Officer for a large company (of 8000 people), I would probably have bought 500 of these devices IF the driver were just upstream (you know, how Linux devices normally "just work" without the aggro common in the Windows world). However, the annoyance of a manual driver install, especially when it's broken on updates to newer kernels, is just something I wouldn't want to invest in. Please consider that proprietary drivers are serious impediment to sales, and just work with a willing community upstream.
Richard Neill
shared this idea
18 comments
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Joshua Shannon
commented
This would be a great idea! By making it open source, the overall experience will be better on Linux because you won't have to worry about getting the correct version anymore. Whatever distro you're running will have the version of Display Link you need ready to install a command away. This would also allow support for a newer distro like Ubuntu 19.04 to be available sooner.
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Peter Bittner commented
It's great that DisplayLink shows support for GNU/Linux. Now, if they would release the source code as libre software that would be awesome. And make it easy or "automatic" to install. Awesome!
GPL v3 is a good license for driver software. (It's for hardware; that's exactly why Richard Stallman started GNU.)
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Puchuu Punya commented
> Agreed. If the compression technology is too proprietary to be released, then make 2 separate modules, one proprietary to load the compression algorithms, one open source so that kernel developers can easily port the module and update with each new kernel, while the compression algorithm remains closed source and proprietary. That way is best of both worlds.
It is 100% true. You can make a pure compression blob with simple input-output interface and nobody will touch your patents, you can keep it forever.
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Do not forget that there are some bad countries like post USSR. Here we have no laws, we can make reverse engineering of your software. Unfortunately mobile monitors is not so popular and nobody wants to do reverse engineering today. But I have to warn you about it.
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Thomas B
commented
As the OPs post was in 2017 and this still hasn't been fixed 2 years later, it seems DisplayLink does not respect the Linux community. I'm currently stuck with a d3100 which doesn't even work with USB support. It works only as a passthrough for network connections. If my laptop doesn't have an ethernet port AND had wifi not working, THEN it might be useful. As is, I have absolutely no use for this POS as none of the features I purchased it for will work. I'm currently running Arch proper with the newest available driver installed. I've just gone through every post on the DisplayLink forums and am seeing absolutely no response anywhere from this company.
I've had the device for a few months or I'd send it back for a full refund and look for a replacement. -
Maksim Lobanov
commented
Please, open up your crappy drivers, if you can't fix your own s*it and make it stable. Let's users do your job properly.
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Anders
commented
funny that no answer from DL in this
thats because they now we are right best way is to let it be opensource so more people can fix the issues that are in the driver all the time -
Anonymous
commented
Is this request being ignored by DisplayLink? This is top 4! Why do other requests with a way lower ranking have already gotten feedback from DisplayLink?
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don
commented
I've just installed the driver on Ubuntu 18.04 , running on an xps 13 9360 with 4k panel, connected to a D6000 dell docking station. If I set the scaling to 100% on my dell 2k monitor, it sets the scaling back to 100% on the laptop, making it unreadable, and if I put the scaling back to 200% on the laptop, it alters the Dell monitor. They are supposed to work separately. Also, the night light mode is working on the laptop, but not on the separate monitor. This basically makes it COMPLETELY UNUSABLE on my Linux installation. Yet it all works fine on windows 10.
Then there is the issue of having to sign the drivers (what an epic pain) or turn off secure boot!! I mean really?? Please make the driver open source, so it can be integrated properly with Linux distributions, as the open comment suggested. As it stands now the support is atrocious. Ubuntu 18.04 works flawlessly with the 9360 btw, if anyone is thinking of trying it :-) -
Ed Clement
commented
Indeed. The people most likely to have multiple monitors attached to a laptop are usually Engineers and Software Developers. Guess what these types of individuals use as an OS? ...Linux. Get with the times displaylink...
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[Deleted User]
commented
I'm agree too, I would like to be able of using my ASUS MB16AC with Solus OS.
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Anonymous
commented
I fully agree. I really like some of the DisplayLink products (e.g. ASUS MBR16AC). However, driver support for Linux is completely inconsistent. As a consequence, I don't buy DisplayLink products for my company.
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Tangles
commented
Your "Ubuntu" driver package works inconsistently, fails every time there is a system update to the kernel or the X server, and performs badly. It's clearly not a priority for your development team, who likely have orders to focus their efforts on the larger market-share platforms. The open-source community is packed with talented developers who will work for free to help you deliver a more polished product, providing a better experience for your users, and ultimately resulting in more product sales.
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Lincoln Lavoie
commented
Hugely agree, I'm very tired of having to re-hack this together after every kernel update / upgrade. Keeping things as a manual upgrade is so far from the current world of Linux, and the agile CI/CD processes.
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Sylvain Bougerel
commented
Agreed. If the compression technology is too proprietary to be released, then make 2 separate modules, one proprietary to load the compression algorithms, one open source so that kernel developers can easily port the module and update with each new kernel, while the compression algorithm remains closed source and proprietary. That way is best of both worlds.
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Iiro Laiho
commented
Derrick Rose: there's no talk of "multiple kernels" but of getting the support to the official, mainline kernel.
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Derrick Rose
commented
I would think having it as a module would be more supportive over multiple kernels. This way you dont have to recompile a kernel for each distro just compile the module for the kernel WHy NVIDIA, AMD and VMWARE do it.
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Marcin Lulek
commented
Is there a chance displaylink could try to add the driver into mainline kernel (except the binary bits ofcourse), this way more distros and users could use it without problems, also community would probably help with development and maintenance.