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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Still trying to figure out this Lemmy ordeal. lots of overlapping and not enough specific groups, so I feel this should belong here (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by borzthewolf@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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So I'm struggling to understand all the different types of usb standards like 2.0, 3.1, 3.2, 4.0, etc. I am interested in only USB c to USB c. I've read about higher data transfer speeds? I'm confused by what that actually means. Is that like transferring files from your laptop to an external drive? Basically sending files between devices in the network? I've read you can get 8k video resolution? I have no need for that.I just don't quite know what is best for me.

I have a dell xps 13 9310 laptop and the only two ports on the laptop are usb c. I've had major connectivity issues after the years of wear and tear. I just had a shop replace one port, so the major plan is to get a docking station with pass through charging capabilities.

But for now, I feel so foolish I don't even know what standard or protocol cables I need. Since all of the fancy features like video display don't appeal to me and I never do file transfers via usb, does that mean all I need is simple usb 2.0 cables for power delivery? Do the newer 3 series standards provide more power and or helpful features? What is the best sort of cable to link my main device, my laptop, to a docking station? I need to start there to reduce wear and tear on the new usb c ports on my laptop.

Any pointers would be great, thanks I RUN LINUX BTW SO THATS WHY I POSTED HERE lol

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[–] _cnt0@lemmy.villa-straylight.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Type A to C (almost) only describe the physical dimensions of the sockets/connectors. There is a (non-standard) color coding for A sockets that let's you see at one glance which USB version is supported (look for "Usual USB color-coding" here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_hardware). Color coding is rare on laptops, though. The best kind of cable is one that can be plugged in without force on both ends (/s). If you want to use a docking station, more important is, what protocols are supported on which port of your laptop. What you want/need is DisplayPort over USB-C (DP Alt Mode) or Thunderbolt. There is no easy command to check if you have it, and the most common advice to look for certain emblems next to the socket isn't really reliable. A quick google search suggests, that your machine can speak DisplayPort 2.0 and Thunderbolt 4. You should look into the technical specifications of your machine to be sure.

[–] borzthewolf@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

My laptop does support thunderbolt 4 and I have heard about alt mode but haven't quite dug in enough to understand it yet. Thanks