Arch Linux

luizSchmidt

Member

Registered: 2024-05-15

Posts: 5

System won't start after loading initramfs

My problem is as follows:
I start up my computer. It first loads into grub and selects Arch automatically. After loading the filesystem, my screen turns off and does not start up again.

I tried editing the startup script by adding nomodeset to the linux line and it actually worked. I don't know what the problem is (and yes, I've searched the wiki and nothing much helped me), but it works fine with that option (except that I have to start my DE by myself).

Also, the very same problem happened when trying to boot from another disk with a separate boot partition (which I proceeded to delete when this problem started, to no avail), and from a fresh new Fedora Workstation USB stick. Exact same event order: boot, GRUB, loading linux..., and screen shutdown.

Does anyone have any idea what could this issue be? I'm starting to fear it's a hardware issue.

Relevant info (feel free to ask for more):

uname -a:

Linux luiz-arch 6.16.3-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat, 23 Aug 2025 15:32:49 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

skunktrader

Member

From: Brisbane, Australia

Registered: 2010-02-14

Posts: 1,674

Re: System won't start after loading initramfs

What video card? What video driver?

ArchEr9

Member

Registered: 2025-03-18

Posts: 39

Re: System won't start after loading initramfs

I would be helpful if you do provide the following pieces of information.

1) What DE, i.e. Desktop environment, are you using? Is it XFCE, MATE, GNOME, KDE or something else.
2) Also will it be possible for you to please give the output of the command given below. That will help in determining what is the hardware configuration that you have.
$ inxi -v 3 -m  --za
Do not forget to enclose the output of the command in the  tags.
This command has to be given from the DE that you are having an issue.

To confirm whether it is a hardware issue, i.e. video driver or GPU or CPU or the monitor, do the following. Burn onto a USB/Flash drive a Arch live ISO or System Rescue CD iso or any other distro that you use. Boot from the flash drive and check if you can get into DE directly without any hiccups. If yes then you can safely rule out a hardware issue related to graphics/video.

Also if you can remember what you did prior to this problem first occurring? Did you by any change update the system, install or uninstall new packages?

Last edited by ArchEr9 (2025-08-27 07:08:28)

luizSchmidt

Member

Registered: 2024-05-15

Posts: 5

Re: System won't start after loading initramfs

My video card is an AMD Radeon RX 6600, running on amdgpu.

I've had this problem with both Hyprland and GNOME, those running on top of SDDM and GDM, respectively.

The output of inxi -v3 -m --za is:

System:
  Kernel: 6.12.43-1-lts arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.2.1
  Desktop: Hyprland v: 0.50.1 Distro: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASRock model: A620M-HDV/M.2+
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: 2.02
    date: 11/17/2023
Memory:
  System RAM: total: 32 GiB available: 30.47 GiB used: 2.14 GiB (7.0%)
  Array-1: capacity: 128 GiB slots: 2 modules: 2 EC: None
    max-module-size: 64 GiB note: est.
  Device-1: Channel-A DIMM 0 type: DDR5 size: 16 GiB speed: 5600 MT/s
  Device-2: Channel-B DIMM 0 type: DDR5 size: 16 GiB speed: 5600 MT/s
CPU:
  Info: 8-core model: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Zen 4
    rev: 2 cache: L1: 512 KiB L2: 8 MiB L3: 32 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 5166 min/max: 400/5389 boost: enabled cores: 1: 5166
    2: 5166 3: 5166 4: 5166 5: 5166 6: 5166 7: 5166 8: 5166 9: 5166 10: 5166
    11: 5166 12: 5166 13: 5166 14: 5166 15: 5166 16: 5166 bogomips: 121420
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
Graphics:
  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Navi 23 [Radeon RX 6600/6600
    XT/6600M] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: N/A arch: RDNA-2 bus-ID: 03:00.0
  Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Raphael driver: N/A
    arch: RDNA-2 bus-ID: 12:00.0
  Device-3: Sunplus IT Co Intelbras CAM HD 720p
    driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo type: USB bus-ID: 5-2.3:5
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.18 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
    compositor: Hyprland v: 0.50.1 driver: X: loaded: amdgpu
    unloaded: modesetting,radeon dri: radeonsi gpu: N/A
    resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: Vulkan Message: No Vulkan data available.
  API: EGL Message: EGL data requires eglinfo. Check --recommends.
  Info: Tools: api: vulkaninfo wl: swaymsg x11: xprop,xrandr
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel bus-ID: 08:00.0
  IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
    vendor: ASRock driver: r8169 v: kernel port: e000 bus-ID: 0a:00.0
  IF: enp10s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: docker0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.59 TiB used: 137.34 GiB (8.4%)
Info:
  Processes: 333 Uptime: 6m Init: systemd
  Packages: 922 Compilers: clang: 20.1.8 gcc: 15.2.1 Shell: Zsh v: 5.9
    inxi: 3.3.38

I believe it is not a hardware issue, since there seems to be nothing wrong with a nomodeset system. I could not reach a DE from a freshly burnt Fedora iso though.

Regarding packages: yes, I had recently ran a full system upgrade, as I do on a daily basis. None other packages had been installed

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 14,962

Re: System won't start after loading initramfs

nomodeset removes majority of your graphics abilities, it should only be used for troubleshooting.

Graphics:
  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Navi 23 [Radeon RX 6600/6600
    XT/6600M] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: N/A arch: RDNA-2 bus-ID: 03:00.0
  Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Raphael driver: N/A
    arch: RDNA-2 bus-ID: 12:00.0

That suggests you are using a hybrid graphics system with 2 GPUs : an integrated amd and a discrete amd.

Please post the output of lspci -knn .

Boot without nomodeset and append systemd.unit=multi-user.target to your kernel bootcommand line.
This should give you a tty login , login as root .

run

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

It will upload your journal to a public hostingsite and output a link.
Post that link .

@ArchEr9 :
inxi typically gives too much info or not enough details. The majority of forum users here prefer asking specific info.

---

Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky