Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

dkuhlman · 2023-01-30 04:02:07

I have installed Arch Linux using archlinux-2023.01.01-x86_64.iso. But I have several issues:

- I cannot start the Xorg server.
- I cannot play sound/audio through HDMI on my monitor.
- In order to boot, I have to use one of the following boot
parameters: nomodeset or radeon.modeset=0

I have installed the following:

- package xorg
- packages xfce4 and xfce4-goodies
- lightdm and lightdm-gtk-greeter

But, when I try start X windows by using `xinit`, I get
these errors:

    X.Org X Server 1.21.1.6
    X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
    Current Operating System: Linux quail 6.1.8-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Tue, 24 Jan 2023 21:07:04 +0000 x86_64
    Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sdc1 radeon.modeset=0
     
    Current version of pixman: 0.42.2
        Before reporting problems, check [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
        to make sure that you have the latest version.
    Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
        (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
        (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
    (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sun Jan 29 19:43:03 2023
    (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
    (II) [KMS] drm report modesetting isn't supported.
    (EE) 
    Fatal server error:
    (EE) no screens found(EE) 
    (EE) 
    Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
         at [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
     for help. 
    (EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
    (EE) 
    (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.
    xinit: giving up
    xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused
    xinit: server error

I also get errors using `startx`.

Here is info about my video device -- When I do `lspci | grep VGA`,
I see this:

00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8570D]

And when I do `lspci | grep HDMI`, I see:

00:01.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Trinity HDMI Audio Controller

So, a few questions:

- Why can't I start the xorg server?

- Is there a conflict with my use of nomodeset?

- Do I need to try another version of the Linux kernel? If so, how
do I do that?

- Are there additional packages that I need to install?

By the way, on this same (physical) machine, I can boot Manjaro
Linux and then I do not have these problems. Xorg/xfce4 works fine
when I've booted Manjaro.
Sound/audio through HDMI on my monitor is good. That makes me think
that this is *my* problem and that that I have not installed or
configured something correctly.

Suggestions? Thanks in advance for help.

Dave

Last edited by dkuhlman (2023-01-30 15:47:59)

d.ALT · 2023-01-30 07:40:05

Please have a look at the relevant whole WIKI's page for your GPU model.

seth · 2023-01-30 08:24:18

Please use code tags, https://bbs.archlinux.org/help.php#bbcode - edit your post respecitvely.

use one of the following boot parameters: nomodeset or radeon.modeset=0

is the direct cause of

cannot start the Xorg server

Why do you "have" to use them?
Can you boot the multi-user.target w/o them (2nd link below)?

dkuhlman · 2023-01-30 21:58:26

Thank you for your suggestions. I've tried several things from
those links, but still no progress.

I cannot boot without adding either nomodeset or radeon.modeset=0
to the boot parameters.

I have to add them, because if I do not, when I try to boot Arch
Linux, my screen goes black and I see "no input signal" message on
my monitor.

I do not know why they are needed. That is one thing that I'm
trying to learn.

And, after trying several more things, I still cannot run Xorg
server.

I have spent more than two days doing Web searches about this and
trying various things to avoid having to add one of those two boot
parameters.

Still trying ...

I tried running

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

but I still get a black screen when I boot without nomodeset.

By the way, if I boot off my Arch installation USB thumb drive, which
contains the Arch install iso dated 1/1/2023, I still have to
use nomodeset in order to boot, before even starting to do the
installation. I did that a few minutes ago, just to make sure I
remember that correctly.

Could it be a conflict between my machine and this particular
version of the Arch Linux kernel?

I'll welcome any suggestions.

Dave

seth · 2023-01-30 22:02:46

Please don't format the your posts limiting the linewidth.

I do not know why they are needed. That is one thing that I'm trying to learn.

Please post a complete system journal for such boot, eg.

sudo journalctl -b -1 | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

for the previous one.

And, after trying several more things, I still cannot run Xorg server.

As long as you've "nomodset" or "radeon.modeset=0" there, you'll not start a graphical session.

d.ALT · 2023-01-30 22:07:31

seth wrote:

And, after trying several more things, I still cannot run Xorg server.
As long as you've "nomodset" or "radeon.modeset=0" there, you'll not start a graphical session.

@seth but at least shouldn't Linux be capable of getting some (ugly) graphical video output thanks to generic VESA? ... No?...

seth · 2023-01-30 22:14:31

You need to have xf86-video-vesa installed and we'll not even start that madness

Edit: btw, does the LTS kernel work?
https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/linux-lts/

Last edited by seth (2023-01-30 22:21:06)

dkuhlman · 2023-01-31 04:31:16

Seth and others, here are the results from journalctl:

sudo journalctl -b -1 | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

Results of journalctl

And, by the way, I do have xf86-video-vesa installed.

Last edited by dkuhlman (2023-01-31 04:33:30)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-31 07:02:53

Have you installed the linux-firmware package?

seth · 2023-01-31 08:37:36

You're somehow loading the amdgpu kernel module, radeon is perhaps blacklisted?
The result is that no kernel module is operating the hw.

lspci -k
modprobe -c | grep -v alias | grep -E '(amdgpu|radeon)'

dkuhlman · 2023-01-31 21:19:06

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Have you installed the linux-firmware package?

Yes. linux-firmware is installed

$ pacman -Ss linux-firmware
core/linux-firmware 20230117.7e4f0ed-1 [installed]
    Firmware files for Linux
    o
    o
    o

seth wrote:

You're somehow loading the amdgpu kernel module, radeon
is perhaps blacklisted?

I do not think I have blacklisted anything. I read a little about
blacklisting. There are no "module_blacklist=" in my boot screen
and there are no files in /etc/modprobe.d/.

$ lspci -k
    o
    o
    o
00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8570D]
	Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. [MSI] Device 7721
	Kernel modules: radeon, amdgpu
    o
    o
    o

$ modprobe -c | grep -v alias | grep -E '(amdgup|radeon)'
options radeon modeset=0

If I use boot parameter "nomodeset", then that options line does not
appear.

But, the only way I have been able to boot is to use one of the boot
parameters "nomodeset" or "radeon.modeset=0".
Why does the boot process freeze at that black screen?
Is there another boot parameter that I can use to avoid that?

During installation of Arch, I created a single partition on my
disk, and that is not the one with the MBR (master boot record), I
don't believe. Could either of those be a problem?

So I suppose I'm back to trying to figure out how to boot without
one of those boot parameters.

In the meantime, thanks for help.

Dave

seth · 2023-01-31 21:26:41

Why does the boot process freeze at that black screen?

Because you're loading the amdgpu module, but not the radeon one. And as lspci confirms, nothing drives your GPU.
Blacklist amdgpu, load radeon explicitly (preferably early), remove all "nomodeset" and "modeset=0" stuff and see what happens and post the journal of *that* boot.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … le_loading
Any journal for any boot where you try to mitigate the issue w/ nomodeset/modeset=0 is completely useless to get to the bottom of this.

Another thing you can try first is to "sudo modprobe radeon" (along radeon.modeset=0, that doesn't matter) and see whether
a) it loads w/o errors
b) lspci now shows it being assigned to your GPU

dkuhlman · 2023-02-01 00:36:34

$ sudo modprobe radeon
modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'radeon': Invalid argument

Do I need to install radeon video drivers?
I have installed xf86-video-ati.
And, just now I installed vulkan-radeon.
But, I still cannot boot without "radeon.modeset=0".

Why is this so hard?
Everybody (almost) who installs Arch Linux is able to do this.
There must be something that I'm doing wrong when I install Arch.
But, I have done the installation 3 or 4 times now, and have followed the
instructions as carefully as I can.

Is there a check-list somewhere that I can go through and debug this?

V1del · 2023-02-01 01:06:17

Your card is Terascale but mistakenly detected to potentially be amdgpu compatible because AMD might have reused some VID:PIDs. Remove the radeon.modeset parameter and actually blacklist amdgpu. This really isn't much you're doing wrong here but a wonky assignment policy on AMDs part during the ATI <-> AMD transition phase.

dkuhlman · 2023-02-01 03:00:47

Thank you for your suggestion. But, ...

I added "module_blacklist=amdgpu" to the boot line that begins
"linux /boot/vmlinux ...".

Is that what you meant for me to do?

When I boot with that, I get frozen at a black screen.

seth · 2023-02-01 06:43:10

modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'radeon': Invalid argument

(type modprobe; sudo modprobe -v radeon; pacman -Qs linux; pacman -Qikk linux; lsblk -f; uname -a) | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

d.ALT · 2023-02-01 07:47:14

What's your exact computer model? Is this a desktop one? Or a laptop?
Maybe there are some wrong (?) settings inside your UEFI that are somewhat disabling your iGPU? Did you chek that?

dkuhlman · 2023-02-01 21:54:06

seth wrote:

(type modprobe; sudo modprobe -v radeon; pacman -Qs linux; pacman -Qikk linux; lsblk -f; uname -a) | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

http://0x0.st/oF7o.txt

dkuhlman · 2023-02-01 22:09:40

d.ALT wrote:

What's your exact computer model? Is this a desktop one? Or a laptop?
Maybe there are some wrong (?) settings inside your UEFI that are somewhat disabling your iGPU? Did you chek that?

My hardware:

I am using a desktop machine containing an
AMD A8-6600K with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics

I am booting off a 500 GB SSD. The device is /dev/sdc.

On that device, when I installed Arch Linux, I created a single
Linux partition: /dev/sdc1.

On a separte hard disk (/dev/sda), I have Manjaro Linux installed.
I believe that is where the MBR (master boot record) is.
After installing Arch Linux on /dev/sdc, I boot Manjaro linux and I
do "$ sudo update-grub". Then I reboot, press ESC at the BIOS splash
screen, and select Arch (and then I add the radeon.modeset=0, because
if I do not, it freezes with a black screen).

I do not know how to check the UEFI settings.
Perhaps you could give me some guidance on how to learn to do that.
However, when I reboot and enter the BIOS
and enter the boot screen, it says -- "Boot mode select [LEGACY+UEFI]"
Is that what you are asking?

Thank you for taking the time to help.

seth · 2023-02-01 22:13:13

Lol,

% sudo modprobe -v radeon modeset=0
modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'radeon': Invalid argument

"modeset=1" works, the module effectively doesn't accept the disabled modesetting, so you're effectively blacklisting it.

seth wrote:

Blacklist amdgpu, load radeon explicitly (preferably early), remove all "nomodeset" and "modeset=0" stuff and see what happens and post the journal of *that* boot.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … le_loading
Any journal for any boot where you try to mitigate the issue w/ nomodeset/modeset=0 is completely useless to get to the bottom of this.

module_blacklist=amdgpu

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … and_line_2

dkuhlman · 2023-02-01 22:54:43

seth wrote:

module_blacklist=amdgpu

I already tried this.

dkuhlman wrote:

I added "module_blacklist=amdgpu" to the boot line that begins
"linux /boot/vmlinux ...".

I get a black screen and freeze.
See above.

seth · 2023-02-01 22:59:27

You must not use radeon.modeset=0 at that time (or in any other way set that parameter) and regardless of the outcome we'll need to see a system jorunal from that boot.
(Reboot using ctrl+alt+del, boot nomodeset and run "sudo journalctl -b -1 | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st" to post the jorunal of the previous boot)

dkuhlman · 2023-02-01 23:23:48

seth wrote:

(Reboot using ctrl+alt+del, boot nomodeset and run "sudo journalctl -b -1 | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st" to post the jorunal of the previous boot)

Here is the result: http://0x0.st/oF7Y.txt

loqs · 2023-02-01 23:30:08

Feb 01 14:56:08 quail kernel: Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sdc1 radeon.modeset=0

seth wrote:

You must not use radeon.modeset=0

dkuhlman · 2023-02-02 00:40:54

loqs wrote:

seth wrote: You must not use radeon.modeset=0

But, if I do not use either "radeon.modeset=0" or "nomodeset" as a boot parameter, I cannot boot Arch Linux on this machine.
I see a black screen. The machine freezes. It aborts the boot process. It does not boot. I cannot run Linux.
And, therefore, I cannot capture the journal output that seth asked me to.
You are asking me to do something that I cannot do or that I do not know how to do.

Arch Linux

#1 2023-01-30 04:02:07

Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#2 2023-01-30 07:40:05

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#3 2023-01-30 08:24:18

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#4 2023-01-30 21:58:26

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#5 2023-01-30 22:02:46

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#6 2023-01-30 22:07:31

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#7 2023-01-30 22:14:31

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#8 2023-01-31 04:31:16

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#9 2023-01-31 07:02:53

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#10 2023-01-31 08:37:36

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#11 2023-01-31 21:19:06

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#12 2023-01-31 21:26:41

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#13 2023-02-01 00:36:34

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#14 2023-02-01 01:06:17

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#15 2023-02-01 03:00:47

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#16 2023-02-01 06:43:10

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#17 2023-02-01 07:47:14

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#18 2023-02-01 21:54:06

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#19 2023-02-01 22:09:40

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#20 2023-02-01 22:13:13

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#21 2023-02-01 22:54:43

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#22 2023-02-01 22:59:27

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#23 2023-02-01 23:23:48

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#24 2023-02-01 23:30:08

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

#25 2023-02-02 00:40:54

Re: Cannot start Xserver on new install of Arch Linux

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