[SOLVED] LightDM fails to start XMonad

Yann21 · 2020-10-26 14:10:33

Resolution
`~/.xsession-errors` crashed the entire thing.

After rebooting my computer yesterday evening, I found that I couldn't reach my windows manager anymore. There was black screen with a blinking cursor.

My windows manager xmonad is not to blame because the same happens with i3 or gdm. X11 seems to be working fine when I run startx, so does my graphics card and nothing out of the ordinary happened while I was investigating in the TTY.

I went through the kernel, systemd and pacman logs and didn't find anything suspicious apart from a pacman cron update that included a firmware. I've tried to downgrade it but I don't think I'm looking in the right direction. Let me know if you find anything that jumps out and thanks for your help.

pacman logs (yesterday):

[2020-10-25T09:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] Running '/usr/bin/pacman -Syu --noconfirm'
[2020-10-25T09:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2020-10-25T09:00:18+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2020-10-25T09:00:22+0100] [ALPM] transaction started
[2020-10-25T09:00:23+0100] [ALPM] upgraded python-pygments (2.7.1-1 -> 2.7.2-1)
[2020-10-25T09:00:24+0100] [ALPM] transaction completed
[2020-10-25T09:00:24+0100] [ALPM] running '10-pacwall.hook'...
[2020-10-25T09:00:24+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-update.hook'...

[2020-10-25T12:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] Running '/usr/bin/pacman -Syu --noconfirm'
[2020-10-25T12:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2020-10-25T12:00:05+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2020-10-25T12:01:11+0100] [ALPM] transaction started
[b][2020-10-25T12:01:12+0100] [ALPM] upgraded linux-firmware (20200916.00a84c5-1 -> 20201023.dae4b4c-1)[/b]
[2020-10-25T12:01:18+0100] [ALPM] transaction completed
[2020-10-25T12:01:18+0100] [ALPM] running '10-pacwall.hook'...
[2020-10-25T12:01:20+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-tmpfiles.hook'...
[2020-10-25T12:01:20+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-update.hook'...

[2020-10-25T12:20:36+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -S imagemagick'
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] running '05-etckeeper-pre-install.hook'...
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] [main c9d1641] saving uncommitted changes in /etc prior to pacman run
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] transaction started
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] installed imagemagick (7.0.10.34-1)
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] transaction completed
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] running '10-pacwall.hook'...
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-update.hook'...
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] running 'detect-old-perl-modules.hook'...
[2020-10-25T12:20:38+0100] [ALPM] running 'zz-etckeeper-post-install.hook'...
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] [main 205091b] committing changes in /etc made by "sudo pacman -S imagemagick"
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  11 files changed, 1975 insertions(+)
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/colors.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/delegates.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/log.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/mime.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/policy.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/quantization-table.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/thresholds.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/type-dejavu.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/type-ghostscript.xml
[2020-10-25T12:20:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]  create mode 100644 ImageMagick-7/type.xml

[2020-10-25T15:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] Running '/usr/bin/pacman -Syu --noconfirm'
[2020-10-25T15:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2020-10-25T15:00:05+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2020-10-25T17:53:09+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Syu'
[2020-10-25T17:53:09+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2020-10-25T17:53:51+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2020-10-25T17:54:32+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Syu'
[2020-10-25T17:54:32+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2020-10-25T17:54:33+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2020-10-25T18:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] Running '/usr/bin/pacman -Syu --noconfirm'
[2020-10-25T18:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2020-10-25T18:00:01+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2020-10-25T18:01:06+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Syu'
[2020-10-25T18:01:06+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2020-10-25T18:01:06+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade

######### The moment I rebooted my computer and realized there was a problem #############
[2020-10-25T18:07:39+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -R imagemagick'
[2020-10-25T18:07:54+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Rs imagemagick'
[2020-10-25T18
[...]
[2020-10-25T20:19:15+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-tmpfiles.hook'...
[2020-10-25T20:19:15+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-update.hook'...

lightdm startup logs:

[+0.00s] DEBUG: Logging to /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Starting Light Display Manager 1.30.0, UID=0 PID=1049
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Loading configuration dirs from /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Loading configuration dirs from /usr/local/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Loading configuration dirs from /etc/xdg/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Loading configuration from /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Registered seat module local
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Registered seat module xremote
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Using D-Bus name org.freedesktop.DisplayManager
[+0.00s] DEBUG: _g_io_module_get_default: Found default implementation local (GLocalVfs) for ‘gio-vfs’
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Monitoring logind for seats
[+0.00s] DEBUG: New seat added from logind: seat0
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Loading properties from config section Seat:*
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Seat seat0 has property CanMultiSession=no
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Starting
[+0.00s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Creating user session
[+0.04s] DEBUG: Loading users from org.freedesktop.Accounts
[+0.04s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User1000 added
[+0.18s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Creating display server of type x
[+0.19s] DEBUG: Using VT 7
[+0.19s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Starting local X display on VT 7
[+0.19s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Logging to /var/log/lightdm/x-0.log
[+0.19s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Writing X server authority to /run/lightdm/root/:0
[+0.19s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Launching X Server
[+0.19s] DEBUG: Launching process 1055: /usr/bin/X :0 -seat seat0 -auth /run/lightdm/root/:0 -nolisten tcp vt7 -novtswitch
[+0.19s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Waiting for ready signal from X server :0
[+0.19s] DEBUG: Acquired bus name org.freedesktop.DisplayManager
[+0.19s] DEBUG: Registering seat with bus path /org/freedesktop/DisplayManager/Seat0
[+0.94s] DEBUG: Got signal 10 from process 1055
[+0.94s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Got signal from X server :0
[+0.94s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Connecting to XServer :0
[+0.94s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Display server ready, starting session authentication
[+0.94s] DEBUG: Session pid=1063: Started with service 'lightdm-autologin', username 'yann'
[+1.06s] DEBUG: Session pid=1063: Authentication complete with return value 0: Success
[+1.06s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Session authenticated, running command
[+1.06s] DEBUG: Registering session with bus path /org/freedesktop/DisplayManager/Session0
[+1.06s] DEBUG: Session pid=1063: Running command /etc/lightdm/Xsession xmonad
[+1.06s] DEBUG: Creating shared data directory /var/lib/lightdm-data/yann
[+1.06s] DEBUG: Session pid=1063: Logging to .xsession-errors
[+1.07s] DEBUG: Activating VT 7
[+1.07s] DEBUG: Activating login1 session 11
[+1.07s] DEBUG: Seat seat0 changes active session to 11
[+1.07s] DEBUG: Session 11 is already active
[+1.09s] DEBUG: Session pid=1063: Exited with return value 1
[+1.09s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Session stopped
[+1.09s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Stopping display server, no sessions require it
[+1.09s] DEBUG: Sending signal 15 to process 1055
[+1.09s] DEBUG: Seat seat0 changes active session to 
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Process 1055 exited with return value 0
[+1.32s] DEBUG: XServer 0: X server stopped
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Releasing VT 7
[+1.32s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Removing X server authority /run/lightdm/root/:0
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Display server stopped
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Active display server stopped, starting greeter
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Creating greeter session
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Failed to find session configuration lightdm-gtk-greeter
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Stopping; failed to start a greeter
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Stopping
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Stopped
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Required seat has stopped
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Stopping display manager
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Display manager stopped
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Stopping daemon
[+1.32s] DEBUG: Exiting with return value 1

Last edited by Yann21 (2020-10-30 13:03:03)

Trilby · 2020-10-26 15:04:52

Consider updating your title to specify your issue is specifically with lightDM failing to start as that will be better at drawing the attention of those who are equipped to help. Perhaps "LightDM fails to start - black screen blinking cursor".

Also posting the content of .xsession-errors would likely be helpful.

Last edited by Trilby (2020-10-26 15:06:02)

Arch Linux

#1 2020-10-26 14:10:33

[SOLVED] LightDM fails to start XMonad

#2 2020-10-26 15:04:52

Re: [SOLVED] LightDM fails to start XMonad

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