System refuses to boot without monitor

mausy5043 · 2019-10-12 09:59:38

I have installed Arch Linux on a Qotom PC and want to use it as a headless server.
When I disconnect the monitor from the server it will refuse to boot.
I have previously used FreeBSD which booted and ran without problems

I've Googled this problem, but no solutions seem to work for me.
The current state of my machine:

/boot/loader/entries/arch-lts.conf:

title   Arch Linux LTS (main)
linux   /vmlinuz-linux-lts
initrd  /intel-ucode.img
initrd  /initramfs-linux-lts.img
options root=UUID=4511ef1a-fbe9-48aa-836f-c08d040cc1f9  rw nomodeset i915.modeset=0

$ lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series SoC Transaction Register (rev 0e)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Graphics & Display (rev 0e)
00:13.0 SATA controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor E3800 Series SATA AHCI Controller (rev 0e)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx, Celeron N2000 Series USB xHCI (rev 0e)
00:1a.0 Encryption controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Trusted Execution Engine (rev 0e)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series High Definition Audio Controller (rev 0e)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Atom Processor E3800 Series PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev 0e)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Atom Processor E3800 Series PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev 0e)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Atom Processor E3800 Series PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev 0e)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Atom Processor E3800 Series PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev 0e)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Power Control Unit (rev 0e)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation Atom Processor E3800 Series SMBus Controller (rev 0e)
01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation I211 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 03)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation I211 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 03)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation I211 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 03)
04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation I211 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 03)

$ systemctl list-unit-files | grep enabled

autovt@.service                                                  enabled
cronie.service                                                   enabled
dbus-org.freedesktop.network1.service                            enabled
dbus-org.freedesktop.timesync1.service                           enabled
dhcpcd.service                                                   enabled
getty@.service                                                   enabled
lighttpd.service                                                 enabled
lm_sensors.service                                               enabled
pihole-FTL.service                                               enabled
rngd.service                                                     enabled
smartd.service                                                   enabled
sshd.service                                                     enabled
systemd-fsck-root.service                                        enabled-runtime
systemd-networkd-wait-online.service                             enabled
systemd-networkd.service                                         enabled
systemd-remount-fs.service                                       enabled-runtime
systemd-timesyncd.service                                        enabled
systemd-networkd.socket                                          enabled
nfs-client.target                                                enabled
remote-fs.target                                                 enabled
fstrim.timer                                                     enabled

In the BIOS, I've disabled IGD (Integrated Graphics Driver).

It will boot fine WITH a monitor attached. It does NOT boot without a monitor.
For a headless system that is very inconvenient.

Last edited by mausy5043 (2019-10-12 10:00:12)

seth · 2019-10-12 14:27:45

You have dhcpcd and systemd-networkd enabled what will most likely break the network setup.
What brings us to the topic: how do you determine that the system doesn't boot when there's no output attached?
What happens/do you see when you attach an output to the system during a failing boot?

mausy5043 · 2019-10-12 15:02:27

Thank you for your assistance.

seth wrote:

You have dhcpcd and systemd-networkd enabled what will most likely break the network setup.

Are you suggesting to disable one of those? Is that related to this issue or is this an unrelated suggestion?

seth wrote:

What brings us to the topic: how do you determine that the system doesn't boot when there's no output attached?

When restarting after disconnecting the monitor, the server does not become available to the network. I cannot ping it or login through SSH. I then attach a keyboard and after a few minutes use Ctrl+Alt+Del to get it to reboot. Then plug in the monitor and watch it boot-up. After that I can login through SSH. To confirm that it did not, sneakily, boot up without a network I inspect journalctl. There is a gap in the logging between the bootup with the monitor detached and the bootup with the monitor attached. To me this is evidence of a failed boot.

seth wrote:

What happens/do you see when you attach an output to the system during a failing boot?

VGA is not a hot-swappable video output. I fear to connect a monitor on-the-fly. So, haven't tried that.

ewaller · 2019-10-12 15:08:58

mausy5043 wrote:

VGA is not a hot-swappable video output. I fear to connect a monitor on-the-fly. So, haven't tried that.

It will not physically hurt anything. It is just that the EDID data won't be read from the monitor when the monitor is plugged in late.

seth · 2019-10-12 15:10:14

You can attach a VGA output anytime. If it's the only output and since you disabled modesetting, you'll most likely see a VGA console.

There is a gap in the logging between the bootup with the monitor detached and the bootup with the monitor attached.

Please post the mentioned journal section (full boots)

Since your only live-indicator of the failure is the missing connection, I'd suggest to clean up the network config. It's mandatory anyway (because the daemons will get into a race over the NIC) but maybe unrelated. We'll see.

Scimmia · 2019-10-12 15:13:08

Without a log, it's hard to say, but I wouldn't be running a headless setup without something like haveged.

seth · 2019-10-12 15:15:49

The theory here would be that the output addition is actually insignificant, but the warm reboot is. That's why I asked for the journal ;-)

mausy5043 · 2019-10-12 16:35:24

ewaller wrote:

mausy5043 wrote:
VGA is not a hot-swappable video output. I fear to connect a monitor on-the-fly. So, haven't tried that.
It will not physically hurt anything. It is just that the EDID data won't be read from the monitor when the monitor is plugged in late.

Okay, I tried this. Re-attaching the monitor while the machine is in the alleged failed state results in a blank/black screen.
So, no help there unfortunately.

mausy5043 · 2019-10-12 16:39:23

Scimmia wrote:

WI wouldn't be running a headless setup without something like haveged.

No idea, what this has to do with the problem at hand.
Anyway, please note I've got rng-tools installed. Hence the rngd.service that is enabled.

mausy5043 · 2019-10-12 16:42:33

seth wrote:

Since your only live-indicator of the failure is the missing connection, I'd suggest to clean up the network config. It's mandatory anyway (because the daemons will get into a race over the NIC) but maybe unrelated. We'll see.

Okay, I've disabled dhcpcd and configured systemd-networkd correctly now.

$ systemctl list-unit-files |grep enabled
autovt@.service                                                  enabled
cronie.service                                                   enabled
dbus-org.freedesktop.network1.service                            enabled
dbus-org.freedesktop.timesync1.service                           enabled
getty@.service                                                   enabled
lighttpd.service                                                 enabled
lm_sensors.service                                               enabled
pihole-FTL.service                                               enabled
rngd.service                                                     enabled
smartd.service                                                   enabled
sshd.service                                                     enabled
systemd-fsck-root.service                                        enabled-runtime
systemd-networkd-wait-online.service                             enabled
systemd-networkd.service                                         enabled
systemd-remount-fs.service                                       enabled-runtime
systemd-timesyncd.service                                        enabled
systemd-networkd.socket                                          enabled
nfs-client.target                                                enabled
remote-fs.target                                                 enabled
fstrim.timer                                                     enabled

The problem remains.

Scimmia · 2019-10-12 16:48:11

mausy5043 wrote:

Scimmia wrote:
WI wouldn't be running a headless setup without something like haveged.
No idea, what this has to do with the problem at hand.
Anyway, please note I've got rng-tools installed. Hence the rngd.service that is enabled.

Missed it in the list. Sorry about that.

As for what it has to do with the problem, lack of entropy will stop sshd (and many other things) from fully starting.

Last edited by Scimmia (2019-10-12 16:49:06)

mausy5043 · 2019-10-12 17:02:03

I've dumped a journal into pastebin

First reboot @ 18:48:00
Reconnect monitor @ 18:49:00
Ctrl+Alt+Del @ 18:49:50

See here: https://pastebin.com/fSfNmvPd

Have fun!

seth · 2019-10-12 20:27:58

There's no journal for the 1st reboot - it would seem you don't even pass the bootloader, maybe even not the UEFI/BIOS (which however would contrast w/ the "FreeBSD worked" claim)
=> Which bootloader in what config? If you add an infinite (or just very long) delay before auto-loading a system, can you connect the output after the BIOS phase into the bootloader and do you get output there?

progandy · 2019-10-12 20:39:10

seth wrote:

=> Which bootloader in what config?

Should be systemd-boot with the /boot/loader/entries/arch-lts.conf

mausy5043, what is in your /boot/loader/loader.conf? You might have to add console-mode keep to prevent systemd-boot from trying to change the graphics mode.
https://www.freedesktop.org/software/sy … .conf.html

latalante1 · 2019-10-12 21:15:37

You are trying too hard. You get a message, don't use "nomdeset" if you don't know what you are doing. Do not do this.

Oct 12 18:50:07 bifrost kernel: You have booted with nomodeset. This means your GPU drivers are DISABLED
Oct 12 18:50:07 bifrost kernel: Any video related functionality will be severely degraded, and you may not even be able to suspend the system 
properly
Oct 12 18:50:07 bifrost kernel: Unless you actually understand what nomodeset does, you should reboot without enabling it

Because of this, he is pushed against the force of efifb.

Oct 12 18:50:07 bifrost kernel: efifb: probing for efifb
Oct 12 18:50:07 bifrost kernel: efifb: framebuffer at 0xc0000000, using 1876k, total 1875k
Oct 12 18:50:07 bifrost kernel: efifb: mode is 800x600x32, linelength=3200, pages=1

If you have disabled KMS, turn it off.
efifb=off
Kernel does not know such a boot parameter as "text". Maybe you mean mode "vga=normal".

I don't know a Linux based system that wouldn't work without a monitor. The whole world works thanks to servers (Linux) without monitors.

Last edited by latalante1 (2019-10-12 21:16:12)

seth · 2019-10-12 21:20:31

@lalante1, this is from a functional boot - nomodeset is probably a despeate try to deal with the problem, but not the problem at hand. It will deactivate KMS but you'll still get a VGA console.
progandy's comment is more likely relevant.

mausy5043 · 2019-10-13 07:20:12

progandy wrote:

seth wrote:
=> Which bootloader in what config?
Should be systemd-boot with the /boot/loader/entries/arch-lts.conf
mausy5043, what is in your /boot/loader/loader.conf? You might have to add console-mode keep to prevent systemd-boot from trying to change the graphics mode.
https://www.freedesktop.org/software/sy … .conf.html

I'm using systemd-boot

/boot/loader/loader.conf

timeout 5
#console-mode keep
#default c8211fe7077b4c1fab778c94a9b47b10-*
default arch-lts

I'll try with uncommenting the console-mode keep and let you know what happens.

Last edited by mausy5043 (2019-10-13 07:20:31)

mausy5043 · 2019-10-13 07:43:50

latalante1 wrote:

If you have disabled KMS, turn it off.
efifb=off
Kernel does not know such a boot parameter as "text". Maybe you mean mode "vga=normal".

Adding these options has no effect. :-(

latalante1 wrote:

I don't know a Linux based system that wouldn't work without a monitor. The whole world works thanks to servers (Linux) without monitors.

This is a first for me too.

mausy5043 · 2019-10-13 07:44:38

mausy5043 wrote:

I'll try with uncommenting the console-mode keep and let you know what happens.

No effect :-(

seth · 2019-10-13 07:47:49

seth wrote:

If you add an infinite (or just very long) delay before auto-loading a system, can you connect the output after the BIOS phase into the bootloader and do you get output there?

mausy5043 · 2019-10-13 07:48:13

seth wrote:

If you add an infinite (or just very long) delay before auto-loading a system, can you connect the output after the BIOS phase into the bootloader and do you get output there?

Not sure what you mean here

seth · 2019-10-13 07:53:15

You set "timeout 500", boot the system w/o the output attached, wait a couple of seconds until it's safe to say the BIOS phase should have ended and the bootloader being asking you for a selection, then attach the output and check whether you can see the bootloader dialog.

mausy5043 · 2019-10-13 08:07:24

seth wrote:

You set "timeout 500", boot the system w/o the output attached, wait a couple of seconds until it's safe to say the BIOS phase should have ended and the bootloader being asking you for a selection, then attach the output and check whether you can see the bootloader dialog.

The screen is blank after re-attaching the monitor. So, I'm guessing this is a hardware problem?

mausy5043 · 2019-10-13 08:47:53

Maybe I should get one of these: https://www.ebay.com/p/21025379611

seth · 2019-10-13 12:30:34

Maybe. However you suggested this was not a problem using FreeBSD (and probably a different boot loader)?
Maybe also try "console-mode 0".

Arch Linux

#1 2019-10-12 09:59:38

System refuses to boot without monitor

#2 2019-10-12 14:27:45

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#3 2019-10-12 15:02:27

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#4 2019-10-12 15:08:58

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#5 2019-10-12 15:10:14

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#6 2019-10-12 15:13:08

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#7 2019-10-12 15:15:49

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#8 2019-10-12 16:35:24

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#9 2019-10-12 16:39:23

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#10 2019-10-12 16:42:33

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#11 2019-10-12 16:48:11

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#12 2019-10-12 17:02:03

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#13 2019-10-12 20:27:58

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#14 2019-10-12 20:39:10

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#15 2019-10-12 21:15:37

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#16 2019-10-12 21:20:31

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#17 2019-10-13 07:20:12

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#18 2019-10-13 07:43:50

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#19 2019-10-13 07:44:38

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#20 2019-10-13 07:47:49

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#21 2019-10-13 07:48:13

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#22 2019-10-13 07:53:15

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#23 2019-10-13 08:07:24

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#24 2019-10-13 08:47:53

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

#25 2019-10-13 12:30:34

Re: System refuses to boot without monitor

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