Arch Linux

gribblygook

Member

Registered: 2018-08-12

Posts: 23

[Solved] Remove display manager manually

I've just setup a new arch install on a new computer, after installing I tried installing XMonad which didn't seem to be working as it just loaded an empty black screen after running startx without any terminals no matter what I did. I then installed plasma and sddm to see if that would work however now whenever I boot up my computer, after going through the boot process it loads an empty black screen which makes me think it's probably something to do with the graphics card not working correctly. nvidia 130mx if it helps.

I don't want to install arch all over again just to solve this issue, so I've booted up the computer using an arch USB and mounted my home and root partitions. Now I have access to  the filesystem how can I remove sddm or alter a configuration file so that it doesn't load it when starting up?

Thanks!

Last edited by gribblygook (2018-08-17 21:59:34)

headkase

Member

Registered: 2011-12-06

Posts: 1,976

Re: [Solved] Remove display manager manually

When you installed sddm you would have enabled its systemd unit to start it on boot.  I don't use sddm but I imagine it looked like this:

# systemctl enable sddm.service

To stop sddm from loading the corresponding disable should do the trick:

# systemctl disable sddm.service

Once the unit is disabled then you can remove sddm as it won't be called any longer.

gribblygook

Member

Registered: 2018-08-12

Posts: 23

Re: [Solved] Remove display manager manually

When you installed sddm you would have enabled its systemd unit to start it on boot.  I don't use sddm but I imagine it looked like this:

# systemctl enable sddm.service

To stop sddm from loading the corresponding disable should do the trick:

# systemctl disable sddm.service

Once the unit is disabled then you can remove sddm as it won't be called any longer.

But when I load up the computer I can't see what I'm doing, I could try and guess what I'm doing and try to open up a terminal. If I run the command through booting with usb and mounting the drives it can't find the file

 Failed to disable unit: Unit file sddm.service does not exist.

I've found an executable at /mnt/usr/bin/systemctl/systemctl but running it on that still doesn't work

gribblygook

Member

Registered: 2018-08-12

Posts: 23

Re: [Solved] Remove display manager manually

Solved it thanks! Had to arch-chroot in to the root partition then was able to run the systemctl command!

headkase

Member

Registered: 2011-12-06

Posts: 1,976

Re: [Solved] Remove display manager manually

Right on, you're welcome.