[SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

arnuld · 2022-06-25 16:01:54

Last week, suddenly when I login-ed into GDM, it kicked me back to its login screen. I thought maybe last night's update caused this. So I waited for a few days and did pacman -Syu every day but it did not help. Then I tried SDDM and XDM and both had the same behavior. So far I am using the tty + ~/.xinitrc to login and have disabled all the display managers but I want the GDM back. Any ideas how to solve this problem?

Last edited by arnuld (2022-06-30 09:13:21)

seth · 2022-06-25 16:05:47

That's typically indicative of your session crashing (ie. not a problem w/ the DM itself), start by looking for the session process errors/segfaults at the system journal.

arnuld · 2022-06-25 16:42:37

Do you mean journalctl --system I should check?

arnuld · 2022-06-25 18:39:01

Since out put from journalctl is long. Here are some snippets I took:

 AT-SPI: Could not obtain desktop path or name
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 gnome-shell[24999]: AT-SPI: Could not obtain desktop path or name
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 at-spi-bus-launcher[24955]: dbus-daemon[24955]: Activating service name='org.a11y.atspi.Registry' requested by ':1.1' (uid=1000 pid=24999 comm="/usr/bin/gnome-shell")
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 at-spi-bus-launcher[25943]: Invalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 key
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 at-spi2-registr[25943]: Could not open X display
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 dbus-daemon[24867]: [session uid=1000 pid=24867] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop'
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 systemd[809]: Started Portal service.
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 at-spi-bus-launcher[24955]: dbus-daemon[24955]: Successfully activated service 'org.a11y.atspi.Registry'
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 gnome-shell[24999]: Can't update stage views actor <overviewGroup>[<StWidget>:0x55b00052f9d0] is on because it needs an allocation.
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 gnome-shell[24999]: Can't update stage views actor <overview>[<Gjs_ui_overview_OverviewActor>:0x55b00109ec20] is on because it needs an allocation.
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 gnome-shell[24999]: Can't update stage views actor <unnamed>[<Gjs_ui_overviewControls_ControlsManager>:0x55b0010a3640] is on because it needs an allocation.
Jun 25 23:59:00 arch64 gnome-shell[24999]: Can't update stage views actor <unnamed>[<Gjs_ui_workspacesView_WorkspacesDisplay>:0x55b00119f2c0] is on because it needs an allocation.

Jun 25 23:56:22 arch64 gsd-media-keys[24557]: Unable to get default sink
Jun 25 23:56:22 arch64 gsd-media-keys[24557]: gvc_mixer_card_get_index: assertion 'GVC_IS_MIXER_CARD (card)' failed
Jun 25 23:56:22 arch64 gsd-media-keys[24557]: gvc_mixer_card_get_index: assertion 'GVC_IS_MIXER_CARD (card)' failed

Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 gnome-shell[24434]: gvc_mixer_card_get_index: assertion 'GVC_IS_MIXER_CARD (card)' failed
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 gnome-shell[24434]: gvc_mixer_card_get_index: assertion 'GVC_IS_MIXER_CARD (card)' failed
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 wireplumber[1028]: can't open control for card hw:0: No such file or directory
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 wireplumber[1028]: [string "alsa.lua"]:344: attempt to index a nil value (local 'device')
                                          stack traceback:
                                                  [string "alsa.lua"]:344: in function <[string "alsa.lua"]:342>
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 wireplumber[1028]: Card can't get card_name from card_index 1
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 systemd[1]: Started Getty on tty3.
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 audit[1]: SERVICE_START pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj==unconfined msg='unit=getty@tty3 comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 kernel: audit: type=1130 audit(1656181584.102:246): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj==unconfined msg='unit=getty@tty3 comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 wireplumber[1028]: can't open control for card hw:1: No such file or directory
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 wireplumber[1028]: dbus[1028]: Attempted to unregister path (path[0] = MediaEndpoint path[1] = A2DPSink) which isn't registered
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 wireplumber[1028]: dbus[1028]: Attempted to unregister path (path[0] = MediaEndpoint path[1] = A2DPSink) which isn't registered
Jun 25 23:56:24 arch64 wireplumber[1028]: dbus[1028]: Attempted to unregister path (path[0] = MediaEndpoint path[1] = A2DPSink) which isn't registered

seth · 2022-06-25 19:45:59

sudo journalctl -b | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

arnuld · 2022-06-26 07:11:28

seth wrote:

sudo journalctl -b | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

http://0x0.st/oSL6.txt

seth · 2022-06-26 07:25:19

Jun 26 12:40:00 arch64 login[614]: LOGIN ON tty1 BY arnuld

Looks like you started gnome via startx/xinit

Jun 26 12:40:03 arch64 gnome-session[945]: gnome-session-binary[945]: WARNING: Could not get session id for session. Check that logind is properly installed and pam_systemd is getting used at login.
Jun 26 12:40:03 arch64 gnome-session-binary[945]: WARNING: Could not get session id for session. Check that logind is properly installed and pam_systemd is getting used at login.

and also like your xinitrc is broken (last link below)

The journal needs to cover a bad DM login attempt, eg. "sudo journalctl -b -1" for the previous boot.

arnuld · 2022-06-26 09:05:21

Okay, I started the gdm.service and then rebooted. GDM asked for password but, as usual, could not log-in. I went to tty2 and did startx there and ran the command:

http://0x0.st/oS9o.txt

Last edited by arnuld (2022-06-26 09:05:43)

seth · 2022-06-26 14:31:15

Jun 26 14:00:56 arch64 systemd-logind[574]: New session 1 of user arnuld.
…
Jun 26 14:01:11 arch64 sudo[858]:   arnuld : TTY=tty1 ; PWD=/home/arnuld ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/systemctl enable gdm
…
Jun 26 14:01:16 arch64 systemd[1]: Reached target System Shutdown.

That journal is from a boot where you logged in on TTY1, enabled GDM and then shut down - the next boot is probably the one you wanted to post.

arnuld · 2022-06-28 16:58:50

seth wrote:

Jun 26 14:00:56 arch64 systemd-logind[574]: New session 1 of user arnuld.
…
Jun 26 14:01:11 arch64 sudo[858]:   arnuld : TTY=tty1 ; PWD=/home/arnuld ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/systemctl enable gdm
…
Jun 26 14:01:16 arch64 systemd[1]: Reached target System Shutdown.
That journal is from a boot where you logged in on TTY1, enabled GDM and then shut down - the next boot is probably the one you wanted to post.

Okay, let's see. This down here is what you think is right? If not, guide me and I will post a new one.

http://0x0.st/oSgQ.txt

Last edited by arnuld (2022-06-28 17:55:24)

seth · 2022-06-28 20:10:06

Jun 28 22:25:28 arch64 systemd[1]: Started Session 1 of User gdm.
…
Jun 28 22:25:33 arch64 systemd[1]: Started Getty on tty2.
…
Jun 28 22:25:39 arch64 systemd-logind[542]: New session 3 of user arnuld.
…
Jun 28 22:25:39 arch64 systemd[1]: Started Session 3 of User arnuld.
…
Jun 28 22:25:44 arch64 gnome-shell[1306]: Registering session with GDM
…
Jun 28 22:25:43 arch64 chromium[1524]: Theme directory 32@2x/devices of theme Vimix-Beryl has no size field
…
Jun 28 22:25:43 arch64 firefox.desktop[1539]: ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
…
Jun 28 22:25:44 arch64 gnome-shell[1306]: GNOME Shell started at Tue Jun 28 2022 22:25:42 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time)
…
Jun 28 22:25:42 arch64 dbus-daemon[1234]: [session uid=1000 pid=1234] Successfully activated service 'org.gnome.Terminal'
…
Jun 28 22:27:09 arch64 sudo[3260]:   arnuld : TTY=pts/4 ; PWD=/home/arnuld ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/journalctl -b
Jun 28 22:27:09 arch64 audit[3260]: CRED_REFR pid=3260 uid=1000 auid=1000 ses=4 subj==unconfined msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_faillock,pam_permit,pam_faillock acct="root" exe="/usr/bin/sudo" hostname=? addr=? terminal=/dev/pts/4 res=success'

This one shows you logging in from GDM, starting chromium, firefox, … and gnome-terminal and running "sudo journalctl -b" in a PTS (most likely gnome-terminal)
This is somehow not consistent w/ the problem described in your OP?

Though for

Jun 28 22:25:41 arch64 gnome-session[1287]: gnome-session-binary[1287]: WARNING: Could not get session id for session. Check that logind is properly installed and pam_systemd is getting used at login.
Jun 28 22:25:41 arch64 gnome-session-binary[1287]: WARNING: Could not get session id for session. Check that logind is properly installed and pam_systemd is getting used at login.

and TTY2 I assume you had GDM running on TTY1 and then opened TTY2 and ran startx from there?
But there's no trace of an attempt to login from GDM.

arnuld · 2022-06-29 18:45:54

seth wrote:

.. SNIP..
I assume you had GDM running on TTY1 and then opened TTY2 and ran startx from there?
But there's no trace of an attempt to login from GDM.

I tried to login. just now Here is the journal output: http://0x0.st/oS04.txt

EDIT:

Looks like there are many who have been complaining about this since 2020.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=258297 (check post #8)

Found these 2 links. Will read them, maybe it's time to switch to newer methods. Everything is slowly being taken over by systemd:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-homed

https://systemd.io/CONVERTING_TO_HOMED/

Last edited by arnuld (2022-06-29 19:10:25)

V1del · 2022-06-29 21:47:26

nothing about homed will automatically break your session that hasn't been using homed yet. You can ignore the homed service errors, they aren't the cause.

Your actual problem is this

 /home/arnuld/.profile: line 1: /home/arnuld/.cargo/env: No such file or directory

you have a broken .profile referencing things that don't exist.

seth · 2022-06-29 22:14:07

Though there's probably worse in there (exit/exec lines, possibly in relation to a console autologin/startx)
If you can't spot the errorneous exit yourself, post that file and also possibly ~/.xprofile

arnuld · 2022-06-30 09:04:14

Both ~/.profile and ~/.xsession_errors had only one line of text in them, the same text you posted above. Also, ~/.xprofile does not exist. I installed Rust programming language once. It did that ".cargo" thing. Later I removed the Rust but looks like not everything went back to normal. I have removed both ~/.profile and ~/.xsession_errors. On next reboot I could login into GDM. I did not know a linen of text in ~/.profile could cause this much of problem.

Many thanks for the help. One good thing that came out from this is I came to know about homed. Will read about it more and switch to it this weekend.

Last edited by arnuld (2022-06-30 09:07:28)

seth · 2022-06-30 12:23:20

OOC, can you say what the line *exactly* was?
I can see where you could pre-emptively terminate the session w/ those files being sourced, but if GDM kills the session because of some random unrelated command failure, that would be good to know.

arnuld · 2022-07-01 05:17:15

seth wrote:

OOC, can you say what the line *exactly* was?
I can see where you could pre-emptively terminate the session w/ those files being sourced, but if GDM kills the session because of some random unrelated command failure, that would be good to know.

It was exactly what @V1del said in post #13 above. My ~/.profile had just one that line in it.

I was taken by a bit of surprise though for I thought one broken line of text can make all Display Managers behave weirdly. Compare that with general thinking that operating systems have become more resilient over time. Do they :-P

Last edited by arnuld (2022-07-01 05:19:39)

seth · 2022-07-01 06:32:12

The line **literally** ***just*** said

/home/arnuld/.cargo/env

?
Because in that case, yes

a bit of surprise though for I thought one broken line of text can make all Display Managers behave weirdly

except "all Display Managers" would more likely be GDM and that behavior idiotic.

A random invalid session setup command should™ not terminate the session.

arnuld · 2022-07-01 17:55:32

All display managers means XDM, SDDM and GDM. I have tested all three. Yes, I do understand that it feels so weird that some piece of random/broken text was causing login failures. It is just that it is true.

seth · 2022-07-01 18:11:38

seth wrote:

The line **literally** ***just*** said
/home/arnuld/.cargo/env
?

What's your users shell?
Is /bin/sh bash?
Did you somehow enable pipefail?

arnuld · 2022-07-02 04:10:01

[arnuld@arch64 ~]$ echo $SHELL
/bin/bash

I don't even know what "pipefail" means. How you want me to check it?

seth · 2022-07-02 06:06:24

set -o | grep pipe

arnuld · 2022-07-03 04:12:35

[arnuld@arch64 ~]$ set -o | grep -i pipe
pipefail       	off
[arnuld@arch64 ~]$

seth · 2022-07-03 06:01:46

Nope.
If you have just one line in ~/.profile that only says "false", does the GDM login still fail?

arnuld · 2022-07-05 12:32:05

I tried with ~/false and with "~/false/env" as the only line of text in ~/.profile but not just GDM but SDDM too logs-in fine now. I wonder why it was causing issue earlier :-\

Arch Linux

#1 2022-06-25 16:01:54

[SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#2 2022-06-25 16:05:47

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#3 2022-06-25 16:42:37

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#4 2022-06-25 18:39:01

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#5 2022-06-25 19:45:59

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#6 2022-06-26 07:11:28

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#7 2022-06-26 07:25:19

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#8 2022-06-26 09:05:21

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#9 2022-06-26 14:31:15

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#10 2022-06-28 16:58:50

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#11 2022-06-28 20:10:06

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#12 2022-06-29 18:45:54

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#13 2022-06-29 21:47:26

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#14 2022-06-29 22:14:07

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#15 2022-06-30 09:04:14

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#16 2022-06-30 12:23:20

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#17 2022-07-01 05:17:15

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#18 2022-07-01 06:32:12

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#19 2022-07-01 17:55:32

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#20 2022-07-01 18:11:38

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#21 2022-07-02 04:10:01

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#22 2022-07-02 06:06:24

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#23 2022-07-03 04:12:35

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#24 2022-07-03 06:01:46

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

#25 2022-07-05 12:32:05

Re: [SOLVED] GDM, XDM, SDDM all kick me back to login screen

Board footer