Arch Linux

PlqnctoN

Member

From: Lyon, France

Registered: 2015-07-29

Posts: 8

Intel early KMS and consolefont

Hi!

I've been trying to get the right console font to be displayed at boot without luck. I'm using a DELL XPS 13 9370, which has an integrated Intel GPU and no discrete GPU. I'm also using the standard linux kernel (non-lts), LVM on LUKS and systemd-boot as my UEFI bootloader.

What happen is when the passphrase prompt is shown to unlock the LUKS container, the font is the default console font and only after I enter my passphrase the console font is changed for the desired one (terminus). I've tried to enable early KMS with no luck so far.

Here's what's in '/etc/vconsole.conf':

KEYMAP=us
FONT=ter-u18n

The relevant parts of '/etc/mkinitcpio.conf':

MODULES=(i915)

HOOKS=(base udev autodetect modconf block keyboard keymap consolefont encrypt lvm2 resume filesystems fsck)

Where you can see the the 'consolefont' hook is placed before the 'encrypt' one.

Here's my systemd-boot loader entry:

title Arch Linux Encrypted LVM
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /intel-ucode.img
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options cryptdevice=UUID=<device-UUID>:crypt0 root=/dev/mapper/vg0-root resume=/dev/mapper/vg0-swap quiet loglevel=3 udev.log_priority=3 rw

Here's the output of 'dmesg | grep i915':

[    1.556325] i915 0000:00:02.0: vgaarb: changed VGA decodes: olddecodes=io+mem,decodes=io+mem:owns=io+mem
[    1.556818] [drm] Finished loading DMC firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin (v1.4)
[    1.585122] [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20181204 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0
[    1.591323] i915 0000:00:02.0: fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device
[   17.914815] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: bound 0000:00:02.0 (ops i915_audio_component_bind_ops [i915])

What I've tried up until now:
- Installing 'xf86-video-intel', regenerating the initramfs (I'm not sure if it was required but better safe than sorry) and rebooting but it didn't change the font so I uninstalled it and regenerated the initramfs again.
- That's pretty much it, I've search a lot on this forum, on reddit and on the internet in general but I haven't found something else to try unfortunately

If you have any suggestion or if you want me to upload my journalctl log on pastebin for example please post that would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: Just to clarify a little more, after every change to the mkinitcpio conf file I obviously regenerated the initramfs with the command 'mkinitcpio -p linux'.

EDIT2: I just tried to change the order of the hooks to what's recommended by the wiki in the LVM on LUKS setup section with no luck :

HOOKS=(base udev autodetect keyboard keymap consolefont modconf block encrypt lvm2 resume filesystems fsck)

Last edited by PlqnctoN (2019-03-21 20:22:48)

Lone_Wolf

Member

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,910

Re: Intel early KMS and consolefont

xf86-video-intel only relates to graphics environment and has no effect until X is started.

The file that sets consolefont is by default only processed AFTER real root has been mounted.
Your description suggests that your root partition is encrypted, the password prompt then comes before the real root is mounted.

Try adding /etc/vconsole.conf to the mkinitramfs ( files section in mkinitcpio.conf)

---

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

(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)

PlqnctoN

Member

From: Lyon, France

Registered: 2015-07-29

Posts: 8

Re: Intel early KMS and consolefont

Thanks for chiming in!

xf86-video-intel only relates to graphics environment and has no effect until X is started.

Yeah I know, but someone on the forum said they solved their similar problem by installing xf86-video-nouveau so I tried it anyway just to be sure.

The file that sets consolefont is by default only processed AFTER real root has been mounted.
Your description suggests that your root partition is encrypted, the password prompt then comes before the real root is mounted.

Yes my root partition is encrypted but nowhere is it written that it's a deal breaker. I'm also pretty sure that I've read people having their root partition encrypted and their console font correctly displayed. Also if I understood correctly, the whole point of the mkinitcpio.conf file is to configure the initial ramdisk to include what's needed directly in /boot (which isn't encrypted in my case) and the consolefont hook should take care of including the wanted font in the initramfs.

Try adding /etc/vconsole.conf to the mkinitramfs ( files section in mkinitcpio.conf)

Like I said I was pretty sure it wouldn't work because the consolefont hook should take care of it but I've tried it anyway and it indeed doesn't work

Last edited by PlqnctoN (2019-03-24 11:47:19)

caskale13c

Member

From: Colleyville, TX, US

Registered: 2008-12-29

Posts: 33

Re: Intel early KMS and consolefont

I can't be sure, but what works for me is to have keymap and consolefont way up front.  I have them right after udev and before all the other hooks you have there. Aside from that, your hooks line looks just like mine that is working.

Last edited by caskale13c (2019-03-24 11:47:34)

caskale13c

Member

From: Colleyville, TX, US

Registered: 2008-12-29

Posts: 33

Re: Intel early KMS and consolefont

Oops.  Keymap not keyboard...

PlqnctoN

Member

From: Lyon, France

Registered: 2015-07-29

Posts: 8

Re: Intel early KMS and consolefont

If you see the edit at the end of my first post I changed the order of the hooks and the only difference between yours and mine is autodetect which shouldn't interfere. I've tried to switch it after consolefont anyway but it didn't work. Thanks anyway!

Last edited by PlqnctoN (2019-03-24 12:14:22)

caskale13c

Member

From: Colleyville, TX, US

Registered: 2008-12-29

Posts: 33

Re: Intel early KMS and consolefont

I was thinking that maybe they needed to come before modconf.  Alas....