Arch Linux

nontriviality

Member

Registered: 2021-05-09

Posts: 17

Can't open display when trying to start a windows manager

I've been using Arch Linux for the past few years but I've installed it on a new system and am having a problem getting the display to work properly when I start a window manager.

If I run hyprland or startx the screen turns blank and I can't do anything until I reset my computer.
If I try to run i3 or brave-browser I get an error like:

``
i3: Cannot open display
dwm: Cannot open display
``

or

``
brave: Missing X server or $DISPLAY
``

I'm using a new computer: ROG zephyrus G16. I installed nvidia-open graphics drivers.
I have a fresh install of Arch using archinstall.

If I try running xinit on its own I get an error that says:

``
[ 1201.873] _XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener: ...SocketCreateListener() failed
[ 1201.873] _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running
[ 1201.874] (EE)
Fatal server error:
[ 1201.874] (EE) Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an X server isn't already running(EE)
[ 1201.874] (EE)
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
[ 1201.874] (EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[ 1201.874] (EE)
[ 1201.874] (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.
``

Also, might be related, but my tty1 and tty2 are blank screens completely. The others tty3, tty4, tty5, tty6 work fine.
I think it's cause I'm running sddm and I get some blank screen on tty2 (if I stop sddm tty2 works).

I have tried manually setting the $DISPLAY variable, with export DISPLAY=:0 but this just changes the error messages to "Can't open display :0".

Thanks for anyone with ideas.

Last edited by nontriviality (2024-12-04 18:32:45)

nontriviality

Member

Registered: 2021-05-09

Posts: 17

Re: Can't open display when trying to start a windows manager

Ok,

I was able to get my tty2 screen to work before logging in by disabling integrating graphics in my bios:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA_Optimus#SDDM

Unfortunately, as soon as I login my tty2 becomes a blank screen with only a cursor. So still need to fix that.

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,197

Re: Can't open display when trying to start a windows manager

Did you generate a config with nvidia-xconfig? You shouldn't have. Also which GPU exactly and please post a xorg log https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xorg#General as well as the output of

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