Arch Linux

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 212

I cannot avoid screen/font change when using sd-crypt

Edit: The original post wrongly assumed my custom fonts/terminal settings were the problem. They were not. the mkinit config files are still the same as mentioned here, but i now have a clean install and the same thing happens, without any terminal/font settings. See bellow for screenshots.

Already testing lots of things (but didn't document them very well)

My boot right now sets the terminal font early, but reverts when it gets to the point where it is waiting for the root FS password.

#mkinitcpio.conf

HOOKS=(base systemd autodetect modconf kms block keyboard sd-vconsole sd-encrypt lvm2 filesystems fsck)

It boots flawlessly, almost nothing is shown before sd-vconsole and it's custom font. it even get to the point of asking my luks cryptdm password, and stay there for what i think is 1s. (will upload a video later). Then it redraws the screen (and loose some lines, including the sd-encrypt prompt, but not the cursor location) and reverts back to the original kernel font. after i confirm my password it will resumes the boot process and the font that was set before is set back again and stays that way.

it is not the end of the world but is mighty annoying. hence why i put up with this for a while and never documented my half assed attempts to fix it.

$ cat /etc/vconsole.conf 
FONT=iso01-12x22

I don't even care about a custom font, it's just so that the resolution is too big and i can't read anything. So i set a larger one.

Anyone have any idea what might be causing this?

edit:

commented out the custom font on `vconsole.conf` and added `fbcon=font:TER16x32` to my kernel options... it fails differently. Now the larger font (which cuts longer lines even tough my screen still have space left to the right) will be used from boot onwards, but now the actual sd-encrypt prompt (or something that happens on the exact millisecond as far as i can tell from the recorded video) will clear some lines back and then show the prompt (now the prompt is not lost at least as before)

Last edited by gcb (2023-04-15 10:57:05)

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 212

Re: I cannot avoid screen/font change when using sd-crypt

thinking the second failure (no vconsole font, using kernel fb font, console gets changed when showing the sd-encrypt prompt) sd-encrypt prompt not supporting something like bootd's loader `console-mode keep`. it might be always trying to set it to something when showing the prompt?

but don't even have a clue about the original failure (vconsole font set, sd-encrypt prompt shows, 1s later fonts revert and lines are lost on fb, after boot resumes font from vconsole is set again)

Last edited by gcb (2023-03-29 17:57:36)

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 212

Re: I cannot avoid screen/font change when using sd-crypt

Ok, i disabled everything. set bootd to console-mode=keep. removed any vconsole font. removed any kernel font etc... all default. I also have a second laptop, same model, where i have a clean install and never set the font/terminal settings. same happens on both.

Here is the boot progressing with stock configs for terminal, following the instalation guide wiki to the letter:

yet, one second after seeing the sd-encrypt prompt, it will redraw my screen as if it was 1/4 of the size, clipping everything (no resolution or font change, just terminal size)... but i can't even blame it because that one second delay... what can that be?

Last edited by gcb (2023-04-15 11:00:27)

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 212

Re: I cannot avoid screen/font change when using sd-crypt

(deleted)

Last edited by gcb (2023-04-15 10:58:34)

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 212

Re: I cannot avoid screen/font change when using sd-crypt

Anyone have any idea why the mkinit hook `sd-encrypt` causes the screen to forcibly change resolution?

ua4000

Member

Registered: 2015-10-14

Posts: 554

Re: I cannot avoid screen/font change when using sd-crypt

remove "kms" HOOKS in mkinitcpio.conf, and rebuild the initramfs.
This will disable Early KMS start, and use Late KMS start,
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel_mode_setting

gcb

Member

Registered: 2014-02-12

Posts: 212

Re: I cannot avoid screen/font change when using sd-crypt

thanks for forcing me to look into kms again.

I did experiment moving kms to the end of the list, and the same thing happens! so i never doubted it was the one causing it.

turns out, if i completely remove kms, i can even set custom fonts on sd-vconsole and everything works just fine!

reading https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Mkinitcpio i never assumed it was optional.

Last edited by gcb (2023-04-24 14:40:51)