Kernel errors connecting newer android cell via USB-A to C

Support
1

So recently I acquired a newer android (2024) on sale at costco and was floored when I connected it via a working USB-A to C cable and plasma never prompted a notification that a new device was plugged in… nor did the phone prompt for what mode USB should be in… although the phone did indicate that it was charging (as if I had plugged via a charging only cable).

checked the journal and found two types of entries (typically repeating while the phone was connected)…

kernel: usb 1-2.3: device not accepting address 107, error -71
kernel: usb 1-2.3: device not accepting address 108, error -71
kernel: usb 1-2.3: device not accepting address 109, error -71
kernel: usb 1-2.3: device not accepting address 110, error -71
kernel: usb 1-2-port3: unable to enumerate USB device

or

kernel: usb 1-2-port3: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
kernel: usb 1-2-port3: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
kernel: usb 1-2-port3: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
kernel: usb 1-2-port3: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?
kernel: usb 1-2-port3: unable to enumerate USB device

I’d been connecting my older phone without issues via the same cable… so this had me confused. Issue repeated even when using the USB-A to C cable that came bundled with the phone.

tried on my Mrs Laptop (also using Plasma Manjaro)… same result

tried on my ancient Win10 laptop… and windows and the phone got along just fine?!

On a lark, I thought I’d pull out a USB-C to C cable to see what would happen… and wouldn’t you know the phone and Manjaro were getting along just fine… plasma popped the device connected notification and phone prompted for USB type.

So on one hand I was glad that worked (even confirmed via a 2GB transfer over USB-C)… but why didn’t it work with my (or the phone bundled) USB-A to C cable?

Are some phones expecting pure USB-C to now? Maybe the phones are getting a little bit hungrier (out of spec) for USB-A voltages? I know a good USB-C cable can handle much more power.

Anyone else experienced anything like this? I was almost on my way to return/exchange the phone until the Win10 laptop worked fine with it… knowing if they plugged it in to test it would be on a windows PC.

2

One guess is that not all connecting wires is provided using the A to C cable.

And don’t say it worked with Windows - because that is not a quality stamp in itself.

I have a USB-C Western Digital My Passport disk with a C to A converter where the C connector cable only work when connected correct.

If it doesn’t work the first time - rotating the C connector on the A side will make it work. The original cable can only connect one way but I wrecked it so now I use a standard C-C cable.

3

It has always worked fine for me.

You may have to tap on the notification once you connect your phone. If you want to do stuff like file transferring, try the older PTP option.

(If it’s not the cable.)