Arch Linux

audiomuze

Member

Registered: 2014-03-31

Posts: 105

LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

I've just installed Arch on a NUC6i5SYH with 8GB ram and a 240GB SSD.  Arch boots fine and everything works as expected...that is until I attempted to get LXDE installed.

Info re video controller:

lspci | grep -e VGA -e 3D
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Iris Graphics 540 (rev 0a)

After having read the Wiki I've installed the following to get LXDE up and running:

pacman -S  xf86-video-intel vulkan-intel openbox lxde lxdm

I then enabled LXDM

systemctl enable lxdm.service
reboot

On booting I'm presented with a blank screen.  Arch is up and I'm able to ssh into the NUC.

If I disable LXDM and reboot

systemctl disable lxdm.service
reboot

I can start it from a terminal window and it fires up as expected.

What am I missing?

Last edited by audiomuze (2017-08-11 11:52:35)

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Linux user #338966

audiomuze

Member

Registered: 2014-03-31

Posts: 105

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

FWIW I installed Gnome and it works so there's no issue with drivers etc. Just for some reason LXDM is writing a blank screen.  Any tips please, I need to install LXDE as it's lightweight and that's what the users are used to.

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Linux user #338966

audiomuze

Member

Registered: 2014-03-31

Posts: 105

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

Anyone, anything?

Last edited by audiomuze (2017-08-11 11:52:52)

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Linux user #338966

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 15,205

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

I assume you are now using GDM ?

If so, try starting an lxde session from GDM .
In case that works, you'll have  a workaround.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
For further troubleshooting :

temporarily re-enable lxdm service , boot , use ssh to access dmesg / journal and post them.
Check wiki for pastebin clients that work from cli .

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2017-08-11 12:49:51)

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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

audiomuze

Member

Registered: 2014-03-31

Posts: 105

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

I got the same result installing antergos and openbox.  So openbox is the culprit.  Reinstalling Arch, will try GDM as a standalone with LXDE

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Linux user #338966

mrunion

Member

From: Jonesborough, TN

Registered: 2007-01-26

Posts: 1,938

Website

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

I don't know your specific issues with it, but trust me -- OpenBox works just fine. You do know a default installation of OpenBox when started is just a blank screen, right? There's no background or anything. Does a right-click menu work?

Also, if Gnome works, OpenBox is GTK-based as well. It should work just fine if Gnome does.

Do what you have to do, but I feel the problem is not any of your DE/WMs.

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Matt

"It is very difficult to educate the educated."

audiomuze

Member

Registered: 2014-03-31

Posts: 105

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

I reinstalled arch from scratch and used gdm rather than lxdm. That worked.

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Linux user #338966

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 15,205

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

So the problem has to do with the displaymanager.

If you're satisified with using gdm, please prepend Solved to the title.

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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

audiomuze

Member

Registered: 2014-03-31

Posts: 105

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

Now I have working machines I can hand over I'll delve into the LXDM issue. A workaround is hardly a solution.

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Linux user #338966

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,696

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

lxdm  or lxdm-gtk3?
do you have librsvg and gnome-themes-standard installed?
checked your journal after starting lxdm (for error messages or warnings)?
what does your /etc/lxdm/lxdm.conf look like?

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

Socal Tom

Member

Registered: 2013-04-09

Posts: 22

Re: LXDE blank screen on startup / reboot

I realize it been over 5 years, but I ran into the same problem using lxdm and lightdm on an RPI.  I solved it by setting type=dbus in the service file.  After checking the status, I believe it was getting hung up waiting for  some input, or PAM or something.   After I told it to wait for dbus it started working consistently, before that it gave me blank screens 4 out of 5 attempts.

Nevermind, worked 3 times in a  row, then I posted this message, so it stopped working.  I hate computers....

Last edited by Socal Tom (2023-06-07 01:36:03)