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Latest macOS Update Disables DisplayLink, Rendering Thousands of Monitors Dead (displaylink.com)

rh2600 writes: Four days ago, Apple's latest macOS 10.13.4 update broke DisplayLink protocol support (perhaps permanently), turning what may be hundreds of thousands of external monitors connected to MacBook Pros via DisplayLink into paperweights. Some days in, DisplayLink has yet to announce any solution, and most worryingly there are indications that this is a permanent change to macOS moving forward. Mac Rumors is reporting that "users of the popular Mac desktop extension app Duet Display are being advised not to update to macOS 10.13.4, due to 'critical bugs' that prevent the software from communicating with connected iOS devices used as extra displays." Users of other desktop extensions apps like Air Display and iDisplay are also reporting incompatibility with the latest version of macOS.

6 of 331 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Why Apple gets away with this bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Paint it anyway you like it, but driver breakage of this level isn't to be expected on such minor update.

    You can call it anti Apple BS, but this incident shows that development at Apple is a bit of a mess.

  2. This is why I run linux on my 2013 MacPro Desktop by jerryjnormandin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I used to run MacOS as my main Desktop OS and run Linux in multiple VMs. When I updated to High Sierra I noticed my MacPro was not as fast as it used to be. With all the hoopla about Apple throttling old iPhones I no longer trusted Apple. I now run Ubuntu 17.10 bare metal on my Macpro. One of my D700's are used for my Virtual machines, the other for the Host OS applications. it's fast! It's a better development environment. I run Simplify3d for my Robo R1+ printer on the native OS. I use my 2nd D700 for a virtual machine that runs Design Spark Mechanical edition. I also use FreeCad natively on Linux. Design Spark really works well. I would like know how to implement an eGPU in Linux on the current 2013 MacPro Black Can hardware. I did a deep dive to analyze how it was done on MacOS, it appears to be a PCI Tunnel passthrough. When implementing eGPU in Linux I get BAR resource errors. Has anyone implemented eGPU in Linux on a 2013 MacPro Black Cylinder Desktop ? I am willing to bet that If your Apple hardware has slowed down after an update, and your hardware checks out fine, chances are Apple is up to no good and trying to encourage you to update your hardware. I'm hoping the Linux Video editing tools evolves to the point where all features take advantage of GPU rendering. Once it does I will be able to sell my Final Cut Pro license and be fully done with Apple.

  3. Re: Why Apple gets away with this bullshit by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Anti Apple is what it should be if they can not BETA Test there OS Better than this they need to Backup and Regroup, Pull The Update till they get it Fixed but I guess they are taking a Page from Microsoft on Updating there OS all USERS are BETA TESTERS!!!!!!!!

    So, just HOW many THIRD PARTY display products SHOULD Apple test with?!?

    THAT's why they have a Beta Test Program. Sounds like the Beta Testers either didn't report this to Apple, or didn't encounter the failure.

  4. Re:Why Apple gets away with this bullshit by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Yeah, I'll have to agree with the previous post. Excoriating Apple because their system doesn't work with some external monitor and saying Debian is better but

    ...now if i could magically find the right kernel options to compile a debian kernel that both boots and supports my video card, i'll be relatively happy. oh yeah, don't use Xfce if you use displayport and want to turn your monitor off and back on; you're welcome.

    is rather self-contradictory. So, the problem with Apple is that it doesn't support some external monitors, and therefore Debian is better except it doesn't support some external monitors.

    Unless that was intended as irony? It does read like irony. On the internet it is hard to tell.

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  5. Re:Dead or just temporarily unusable? by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So you get articles like the one above. So what?

    Apple long abandoned the idea that "bad press" could put a dent into their bottom line. Simply because it does not. They could be proven to kill a newborn baby with every iPhone produced and it wouldn't make a difference.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  6. Re: Why Apple gets away with this bullshit by dgatwood · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Much as I hate to agree with TheFakeTimCook, that's pretty much accurate. Even I can't play devil's advocate here. Their Mac drivers have been crap for many years.

    It is also relatively unsurprising that Apple didn't test their hardware. USB monitors are quite rare, in large part because USB 2.0 just wasn't fast enough to provide a good experience, and USB 3.0 usually shares a port with Thunderbolt, which can carry DisplayPort data without the need for software-based compression or custom drivers. The only place their technology really makes sense is in products designed for use with tablets and smartphones (which lack DisplayPort/Thunderbolt).

    To be blunt, we're rapidly heading towards a future in which the entire concept of tunneling video over USB no longer makes sense, and it already makes no sense when you're talking about computer-based operating systems, making these devices thoroughly legacy hardware. I assume that the chipset manufacturer recognizes this, and won't spend much time or effort trying to improve the quality of the drivers. Thus, we should expect the drivers to degrade more and more until they become completely unsupported/unusable.

    IMO, the best thing they can do for their users would be to open source their entire driver and software stack so that people who still care about maintaining compatibility can continue to hack on it in their spare time. In the meantime, they need to find a new niche if the company wants to stay in business long-term, because this niche is rapidly ceasing to have significant value in the marketplace.

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.