Zetaphor

Zetaphor / whatcable-linux

Public

A linux/KDE port of whatcable, a tool to tell you what each USB connected cable can do

85
6
100% credibility
Found May 08, 2026 at 85 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
C++
AI Summary

A system tray widget and command-line tool for Linux that displays human-readable details about connected USB devices, including speeds, power consumption, types, and USB-C charging diagnostics.

How It Works

1
🔍 Wonder about your USB cables

You notice your phone charges slowly or USB stick is sluggish and search for a simple way to check what they can really do.

2
📥 Get WhatCable-Linux

You download it from GitHub and follow the friendly guide to add it to your Linux desktop.

3
Pick your favorite way
🖥️
Tray widget

Add a small icon to your desktop toolbar that watches your ports live.

💻
Quick checker

Run a simple tool anytime to scan your connected devices.

4
🔌 Plug in your devices

Connect your charger, phone, or USB gadget and watch the magic happen.

5
📊 See plain English details

Instantly view speeds, power use, device types, and why charging might be slow.

✅ USB mysteries solved

Now you know exactly what your cables and ports can handle and shop smarter next time.

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Star Growth

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AI-Generated Review

What is whatcable-linux?

whatcable-linux is a C++ Linux/KDE port of the macOS WhatCable tool, delivering a KDE Plasma 6 system tray widget and CLI that scans USB connected cables and devices on your machine. It decodes capabilities like negotiated speeds from 1.5 Mbps to 20 Gbps, power draw, USB versions, device types, and full USB-C details including charger PDO profiles, cable e-markers, and charging bottlenecks—all in plain English. No root access needed; it pulls from sysfs for real-time views via CLI commands like `whatcable-linux --watch` or `--json`.

Why is it gaining traction?

Unlike kernel logs or generic `lsusb`, it surfaces actionable insights like "cable limiting to 3A" or active charger profiles, with hotplug updates and topology views. The KDE Plasma integration shines for Arch Linux KDE Plasma GitHub users, while CLI flexibility suits scripting. Developers grab it for instant USB diagnostics without spec-diving.

Who should use this?

KDE Linux GitHub tinkerers on Arch Linux KDE or Porteus Linux KDE debugging slow charges or flaky peripherals. Hardware hackers testing USB-C cables, docks, or custom devices. Laptop users frustrated by opaque power negotiations during multi-device setups.

Verdict

Grab it for KDE setups if USB mysteries plague you—solid docs and easy Arch builds make testing low-risk. At 85 stars and 1.0% credibility score, it's early but promising; watch for hardware variance caveats before production reliance.

(198 words)

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