Arch Linux

Captum

Member

Registered: 2025-10-28

Posts: 4

[SOLVED] Screen Flicker during install process

Hello,
  During the install process at some random point after booting into the iso image the screen will start to flicker. The screen flicker will start after I get an error notification that overwrites my prompt, there error is something to this effect " drm *ERROR* CPU pipe A FIFO underrun". It's never at the same point during the install, most of the time I am trying to rush through the commands to get the Wi-Fi, file system and mounts setup. From what I can find in the forums is this was something that would happen after the install but not during. I'm unsure how to proceed with the install.

The ISO I downloaded is:
Current Release: 2025.10.01
Included Kernel: 6.16.8

Another thing that I think is relevant, I am installing Arch on a ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 Laptop.

Last edited by Captum (2025-10-28 18:36:24)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,857

Re: [SOLVED] Screen Flicker during install process

What GPU/CPU? assuming it's just a modesetting hiccup, can you get a stable terminal for the duration of the install if you boot with the "nomodeset" option in the kernel parameters? that will basically disable GPU acceleration, so not something you want to use for the actual system, but this will be sufficient to get you through the install and potentially whatever bug there is might have gotten fixed in newer kernels.

Last edited by V1del (2025-10-28 10:02:34)

Captum

Member

Registered: 2025-10-28

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] Screen Flicker during install process

I believe this is an Intel i7 with an Nvidia GPU. I'm not sure how to confirm that. As I would be trying to do this from the bootable iso, I would be setting the kernel parameters using sysctl? Would you have any advice on how I would do that from the install terminal?

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 69,877

Re: [SOLVED] Screen Flicker during install process

You press "e" in the grub boot loader - waiting until the system has booted is too late.
Click the link  V1del gave you.

You can also try "i915.enable_psr=0"

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

Captum

Member

Registered: 2025-10-28

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] Screen Flicker during install process

Adding nomodeset while in the grub bootloader did it. I was able to complete the install. Thanks!

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 69,877

Re: [SOLVED] Screen Flicker during install process

nb. that you're not gonna be able to use a GUI w/ that parameter, so you'll have to look for another way to prevent the flicker (if that's still the case)

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

Captum

Member

Registered: 2025-10-28

Posts: 4

Re: [SOLVED] Screen Flicker during install process

I am working on setting up Hyprland the screen flicker doesn't appear to be an issue so far, on the recovery ISO it would start within minutes but I have been tinkering with Hyprland for a couple of hours without issue.