dock Dell TB16 does not work with XPS 13

[Gingalone]

I have just bought a dock Dell TB16 to connect to my laptop Dell XPS13 9370; dock installing instructions recommend to update BIOS and drivers before to connect the dock to the laptop but on www.dell.com there are no drivers for Ubuntu and only a Windows file(!) (XPS_9370_1.11.1.exe) for BIOS update...
I tried to connect the dock anyway but nothing works, no mouse, no keyboard, no wired network...
Any suggestion? Did anyone get this problem?
Thank you for help.

[oldfred]

Dell now supports UEFI updates from within Ubuntu/Linux.
https://fwupd.org/lvfs/devices/
I see this on the list:
TB16 VMM3320 MST Device Update

https://github.com/rhboot/fwupdate/blob/master/README.md
sudo fwupdmgr get-devices
sudo fwupdmgr get-updates

[Gingalone]

Thank you oldfred, it looks the possible solution involves a "digital" knowledge rather deeper than available (mine!): I don't know what to do with the .cab file provided by Dell (in LVFS site) and what the two commands you suggested do...
I even don't know is my laptop has BIOS or UEFI (how can I see that?) recentely I updated the BIOS though a file provided by Dell in its website where they call it BIOS...
I would need a guide step by step...

[oldfred]

Many companies still call it BIOS, but it has been UEFI since 2012. Microsoft required UEFI with gpt partitioning starting with Windows 8 in 2012.

I do not have a newer Dell, but thought this is all you have to do:

sudo fwupdmgr get-devices
sudo fwupdmgr get-updates

[Gingalone]

I'll try the two commands you suggested oldfred, does the dock need to be connected?

[oldfred]

I would think dock would need to be connected, so it can see it. Not sure how that works with added devices.

[Gingalone]

I did what you recommended oldfred:
sudo fwupdmgr get-devices
sudo fwupdmgr get-updates (I can add the output of the commands if needed) anyway it looks all went well but, alas, the dock still does not work...

[oldfred]

Did it show when you got devices your dock, so it was on list to be updated?

[Gingalone]

Thank you oldfred for the assistance; this is what I got from your suggested commands (done with the dock connected):
XPS-13-9370:~$ sudo fwupdmgr get-devices
[sudo] password for gingus:
XPS 13 9370 Thunderbolt Controller
DeviceId: 798df3df54f1b1b43fc0e9769c50c03255a9fda4
Guid: 4eeb9d07-a96c-56d6-92d3-4a23ee7a6e4a <- TBT-00d407e6
Summary: Unmatched performance for high-speed I/O
Plugin: thunderbolt
Flags: internal|updatable|registered
Vendor: Dell
VendorId: TBT:0x00D4
Version: 33.00
Icon: computer
Created: 2019-11-20

Dell Thunderbolt Cable
DeviceId: ffd20a9e0ee77fe2197c7de5aa7856fb4c886c1e
Guid: b4fd3cdf-4e3a-5090-a583-45367cfd6421 <- TBT-00d4b051
Plugin: thunderbolt
Flags: updatable|registered
Vendor: Dell
VendorId: TBT:0x00D4
Version: 16.00
Icon: audio-card
Created: 2019-11-20

Dell Thunderbolt Dock
DeviceId: cfa51b7ee2e9da6f96f618c66aba87b185f1c11e
Guid: 76cc74d4-f062-5b93-a11c-8d2a58a25848 <- TBT-00d4b054
Plugin: thunderbolt
Flags: updatable|registered
Vendor: Dell
VendorId: TBT:0x00D4
Version: 27.00
Icon: audio-card
Created: 2019-11-20

XPS 13 9370 System Firmware
DeviceId: 8a21cacfb0a8d2b30c5ee9290eb71db021619f8b
Guid: 7ceaf7a8-0611-4480-9e30-64d8de420c7c
Plugin: uefi
Flags: internal|updatable|require-ac|supported|registered|needs-reboot
Version: 0.1.11.1
VersionLowest: 0.1.11.1
Icon: computer
Created: 2019-11-20

KXG60ZNV512G NVMe TOSHIBA 512GB
DeviceId: f954c7acdf5fab61aeaca1cd71d29ea5ade6992f
Guid: 8a412b95-5c07-5ce4-b63a-f9cbf254dd5d <- STORAGE-DELL-107443
Guid: 344c2804-4948-e811-842f-0ed5f89f718b
Serial: Z83A20RJK02N
Summary: NVM Express Solid State Drive
Plugin: nvme
Flags: internal|updatable|require-ac|registered|needs-reboot|no-auto-instance-ids
Vendor: Toshiba America Info Systems
VendorId: NVME:0x1179
Version: 10604103
Icon: drive-harddisk
Created: 2019-11-20

gingus@gingus-XPS-13-9370:~$ sudo fwupdmgr get-updates
No upgrades for XPS 13 9370 System Firmware, current is 0.1.11.1: 0.1.11.1=same, 0.1.10.0=older, 0.1.9.0=older, 0.1.8.1=older, 0.1.6.3=older
gingus@gingus-XPS-13-9370:~$
Still the dock does not work (a part from the external display)

[oldfred]

The update definitely recognized your dock.
But it did not do an update, but it looks like version is very current, by created date.
Shows it needs reboot.
Not sure then if that is a warm reboot or a full cold shutdown, remove all power, hold power switch to drain all power & then reboot, so system updates its hardware list. I would do that with dock plugged in.

Not sure what else to suggest.

[Gingalone]

I did the "full cold shutdown" as you suggested oldfred and now it works! I had to "unlock" Thunderbolt device in the system settings and get both Dell Thunderbolt Dock and Dell Thunderbolt Cable "Authorized".
Now mouse, keyboard, external monitor work, only the wired ethernet connection looks not very stable (wireless is OK)...
Anyway a huge improvement, thank you oldfred!

[oldfred]

Settings in UEFI required for Thunderbolt.
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2433026
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1195666/dell-wd19tb-thunderbolt-dock-failed-to-authorize-device/1196574#1196574