Issues with external monitor and audio interface after switching to EndeavourOS

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 4:43pm

Reposting from Reddit just in case I can get help a bit faster:

I’m about a week into switching to Linux from Windows 10 on my laptop and I’ve been having a great time with it. Started off with Linux Mint and quickly realized I wanted more control over how everything worked. So I switched over to Endeavour, since I heard people say it was more straight forward than Arch.

So far, I’ve been able to solve problems either on my own by reading manuals or by looking through Reddit and other forums. But now I’ve run into two problems that have stumped me:

If I turn on my computer with my external monitor plugged in, it will just freeze before I even get to the login screen. In order to successfully use my computer, I must first unplug the HDMI cable, wait for the login screen and then plug it back in. Everything works fine from there. It’s not a major problem, but it would be great if I didn’t have to do this every time.
This one is bizarre to me. I use a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 (2nd Gen) for audio. Worked fine on Windows 10 and Mint. But now if I plug it directly into any of the USB ports on my laptop, all I get as output is loud, glitchy white noise. If I plug it into my USB hub though, it works perfectly! The hub itself can be plugged into any of the ports with the same result. Every other USB device I have tested so far has worked fine when plugged straight into the laptop as well.

Any ideas on what could be causing these problems?

thefrog · July 28, 2025, 5:11pm

We are going to need some more information about your system.
what are the results of
inxi -Faz --no-host

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 5:28pm

Thanks for the quick reply!
Here’s the result:

System:
  Kernel: 6.15.7-arch1-1 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.1.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: initrd=\19758bce5945416f918ec370363015c6\6.15.7-arch1-1\initrd
    nvme_load=YES nowatchdog rw
    root=UUID=f1f70a29-cc9e-490f-9550-6d997f7a54ac
    resume=UUID=ded9cf36-110b-4003-9af7-c20dbd066580 nvidia_drm.modeset=1
    systemd.machine_id=19758bce5945416f918ec370363015c6
  Desktop: Sway v: 1.11 with: waybar vt: 2 dm: N/A Distro: EndeavourOS
    base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Notebook product: P65xHP v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Notebook model: P65xHP serial: <superuser required>
    uuid: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: 1.05.03
    date: 01/06/2017
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-7700HQ bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Kaby Lake
    gen: core 7 level: v3 note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 9 microcode: 0xF8
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 4 cores: 4 threads: 8 tpc: 2
    smt: enabled cache: L1: 256 KiB desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB
    desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 6 MiB desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 3533 min/max: 800/3800 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 3533 2: 3533 3: 3533 4: 3533 5: 3533 6: 3533
    7: 3533 8: 3533 bogomips: 44798
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: ghostwrite status: Not affected
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: Split huge pages
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT
    vulnerable
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: IBRS; IBPB: conditional; STIBP: conditional;
    RSB filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsa status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GP106BM [GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile 6GB] vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK
    driver: nvidia v: 575.64.05 alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm
    non-free: 550-570.xx+ status: current (as of 2025-04; EOL~2026-12-xx)
    arch: Pascal code: GP10x process: TSMC 16nm built: 2016-2021 pcie: gen: 3
    speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 ports: active: none off: HDMI-A-1,eDP-1
    empty: DP-1,DP-2 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1c60 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Chicony USB 2.0 Camera driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-9:8 chip-ID: 04f2:b5a7
    class-ID: 0e02
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.18 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
    compositor: Sway v: 1.11 driver: gpu: nvidia,nvidia-nvswitch
    d-rect: 4480x1080 display-ID: 1
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 pos: right model: LG (GoldStar) ULTRAWIDE
    serial: <filter> built: 2015 res: mode: 2560x1080 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1)
    dpi: 97 gamma: 1.2 size: 673x284mm (26.5x11.18") diag: 730mm (28.8")
    modes: max: 2560x1080 min: 640x480
  Monitor-2: eDP-1 pos: primary,left model: AU Optronics 0x52ed
    serial: <filter> built: 2016 res: 1920x1080 dpi: 142 gamma: 1.2
    size: 344x193mm (13.54x7.6") diag: 394mm (15.5") ratio: 16:9
    modes: 1920x1080
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: nvidia platforms: device: 0 drv: nvidia device: 2
    drv: swrast gbm: drv: nvidia surfaceless: drv: nvidia wayland: drv: nvidia
    x11: drv: nvidia inactive: device-1
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6.0 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: nvidia mesa v: 575.64.05
    glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060/PCIe/SSE2
    memory: 5.86 GiB
  Info: Tools: api: eglinfo,glxinfo gpu: nvidia-settings,nvidia-smi
    wl: swaymsg x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel CM238 HD Audio vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_avs bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:a171
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP106 High Definition Audio vendor: CLEVO/KAPOK
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:10f1 class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: Focusrite-Novation Scarlett 2i4 USB driver: snd-usb-audio
    type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-2.1.3:19
    chip-ID: 1235:8200 class-ID: 0103
  API: ALSA v: k6.15.7-arch1-1 status: kernel-api
    tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off tools: aucat,midicat,sndioctl
  Server-2: PipeWire v: 1.4.6 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse

eso · July 28, 2025, 6:13pm

ad 1.
The SDDM login screen can be disabled on the HDMI.
sudo nano /usr/share/sddm/scripts/Xsetup

#!/bin/sh
# Xsetup - run as root before the login dialog appears
xrandr --output HDMI-1 --off

( my old HDMI monitor needs 25 secs to finish a long plug&play procedure disturbing the laptop display as well in Plasma.
There is no such unwanted procedure in XFCE, Cinnamon, Budgie etc.)

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 6:41pm

Just tried that and got the same result.
Making sure I’m not being an idiot:
I should put that Xsetup file in /usr/share/sddm/scripts/ and that should work? Or is there anything else I need to do?
I had to create the sddm and scripts directories because they weren’t there initially.

eso · July 28, 2025, 6:52pm

file /etc/systemd/system/display-manager.service

just to see which login manager do you use

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 6:53pm

I’m using Ly

/etc/systemd/system/display-manager.service: symbolic link to /usr/lib/systemd/system/ly.service

eso · July 28, 2025, 6:58pm

I like ly. Good luck with it.

1093i3511 · July 28, 2025, 7:06pm

The usb port doubles as a power supply & the data link, if I’m not mistaken ?

You could try to control its volume via alsamixer and check with qpwgraph, which is a patchbay for pipewire, to check if the signal is routed in a meaningful way when directly connected via usb w/o a hub in between.

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 7:24pm

Is there anything I should be looking for in qpwgraph? It seems like the routing is the same whether I have it plugged in directly or through the hub.

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 7:26pm

So your recommendation is to not use ly? I don’t have a problem with switching to a different login manager, if that helps fixing my problem.

eso · July 28, 2025, 8:17pm

ly simply appears on both monitors. It’s up to you which you prefer.
The default sddm worked on the secondary monitor here. That’s why I suggested
disabling HDMI.

sudo pacman -S sddm
sudo systemctl disable ly
sudo systemctl enable sddm

yay sddm | grep Installed
 endeavouros/eos-breeze-sddm 25.02.1.1-1 (9.5 MiB 9.7 MiB) (Installed)
 extra/sddm-kcm 6.4.3-1 (152.5 KiB 580.6 KiB) [plasma] (Installed)

reboot
if any problem occurs
sudo systemctl restart sddm

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 8:30pm

Alright! Yeah, just switching to sddm fixed that problem. Didn’t even need to disable the monitor in the Xsetup script.
Now only the audio interface problem remains.

Thanks for the help!

thefrog · July 28, 2025, 9:40pm

don’t know if it will help with your audio issue or not but there is
qsixmixer in the aur that may work for your device

icrovt · July 28, 2025, 11:11pm

I installed it using yay, but it won’t even run. Maybe because it’s specifically for the Scarlett 6i6 (according to the package description)?

thefrog · July 28, 2025, 11:14pm

Yeah if its not for your model it probably wont work. It was just a wild shot anyways.

you stated it worked on mint do you know what driver they were using?

icrovt · July 29, 2025, 12:49am

No idea… I didn’t even look at any of that since everything just worked. But it doesn’t make any sense to me why it works through the hub but not straight in.