7 ms·

Is there something like this for Windows/Linux?

by pogue 1mo ago

delecti 1mo ago
There are options on Linux that you can google up (I don't know enough about any of them to endorse them by linking to one in particular). As I understand it, Windows doesn't expose the necessary low-level hardware information for something like this to be possible.
anticorporate 1mo ago
I came here to ask the same thing. I did find a Linux tool with the same name and purpose but that seems to be an entirely different codebase: https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux I have a handful of wireless keyboards that just absolutely refuse to negotiate for charging with certain cables at all, so I'm hoping this will help me at least figure out what those keyboards are looking for in terms of cable.
- deleted 1mo ago
  [deleted]
haunter 1mo ago
"This is a Linux-native reimplementation inspired by darrylmorley/whatcable" https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux But (hazard guess) it comes with a headless CLI binary (no GUI libraries needed) so probably could be ported to Linux (easily with an LLM?) https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable
- VorpalWay 1mo ago
  There is also https://github.com/Zetaphor/whatcable-linux https://github.com/Zetaphor/whatcable-linux (if you want a KDE UI rather than Gnome) and https://github.com/vzaliva/whatcable-linux-cli https://github.com/vzaliva/whatcable-linux-cli (a fork of the KDE repo, but only leaves the CLI tool).
  - notpushkin 1mo ago
    WhatKable was right there!
duttish 1mo ago
A quick search found https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux, haven't tried it myself though
nedrichards 1mo ago
ChromeOS firmware has a bunch of this built in - it's super cool. https://nelsonslog.wordpress.com/2026/01/05/chromebooks-identify-usb-c-details/ https://nelsonslog.wordpress.com/2026/01/05/chromebooks-iden... and https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/1pyojjd/comment/nwknhii/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/1pyojjd/comme... and https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform2/+/HEAD/typecd/README.md https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform2/+/HEA... is where I found out about it. A lot of the clever capabilities rely on the firmware that you have. Source - having spent a while a few weeks back getting Codex to poke at this topic on my machine https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux/blob/main/docs/framework-13-usb-c-investigation.md https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux/blob/main/doc... since framework do reuse parts of the ChromeOS Embedded Controller in their firmware.
SweetSoftPillow 1mo ago
Check this for more details on Windows (original author's repo) https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable-windows https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable-windows

Is there something like this for Windows/Linux?

by pogue 1mo ago

Is there something like this for Windows/Linux?

There are options on Linux that you can google up (I don't know enough about any of them to endorse them by linking to one in particular). As I understand it, Windows doesn't expose the necessary low-level hardware information for something like this to be possible.

anticorporate 1mo ago

I came here to ask the same thing. I did find a Linux tool with the same name and purpose but that seems to be an entirely different codebase: https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux I have a handful of wireless keyboards that just absolutely refuse to negotiate for charging with certain cables at all, so I'm hoping this will help me at least figure out what those keyboards are looking for in terms of cable.

deleted 1mo ago
[deleted]

haunter 1mo ago

"This is a Linux-native reimplementation inspired by darrylmorley/whatcable" https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux But (hazard guess) it comes with a headless CLI binary (no GUI libraries needed) so probably could be ported to Linux (easily with an LLM?) https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable

VorpalWay 1mo ago
There is also https://github.com/Zetaphor/whatcable-linux https://github.com/Zetaphor/whatcable-linux (if you want a KDE UI rather than Gnome) and https://github.com/vzaliva/whatcable-linux-cli https://github.com/vzaliva/whatcable-linux-cli (a fork of the KDE repo, but only leaves the CLI tool).
- notpushkin 1mo ago
  WhatKable was right there!

duttish 1mo ago

A quick search found https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux, haven't tried it myself though

nedrichards 1mo ago

ChromeOS firmware has a bunch of this built in - it's super cool. https://nelsonslog.wordpress.com/2026/01/05/chromebooks-identify-usb-c-details/ https://nelsonslog.wordpress.com/2026/01/05/chromebooks-iden... and https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/1pyojjd/comment/nwknhii/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/1pyojjd/comme... and https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform2/+/HEAD/typecd/README.md https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform2/+/HEA... is where I found out about it. A lot of the clever capabilities rely on the firmware that you have. Source - having spent a while a few weeks back getting Codex to poke at this topic on my machine https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux/blob/main/docs/framework-13-usb-c-investigation.md https://github.com/nedrichards/whatcable-linux/blob/main/doc... since framework do reuse parts of the ChromeOS Embedded Controller in their firmware.

SweetSoftPillow 1mo ago

Check this for more details on Windows (original author's repo) https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable-windows https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable-windows