[SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

arash28134 · 2024-08-24 21:23:55

I have a three monitor setup that works just fine in Windows. I'm using the latest nvidia proprietary driver (not nvidia-dkms) and my gpu is GTX 1060. When I connect the third monitor (which by the way, is connected with a DP-to-VGA converter to my gpu; as well as the 2 other monitors which is one connected the same way and another using a HDMI-to-VGA converter), grub loads and when I select arch, it prints the following lines and then nothing happens: (I can't even enter tty2/3/4...) (I don't use any display manager. just tty and after logging in, start x/hyprland)

[    0.159411]
:: running early hook [udev]
Starting systemd-udevd version 256.5-1-arch
[    1.500429]

journald log of that failed boot

As soon as I disconnect the third monitor, arch boots up. and even if I connect the third monitor after logging in (both X and Wayland). everything works normal and third monitor has no issues. so it's really just that disconnecting and then connecting the third monitor once again which bothers me.

Note: third monitor is 1024x768 while the other two are 1920x1080

Last edited by arash28134 (2024-09-03 07:09:43)

arash28134 · 2024-08-25 08:15:24

Update: I've rebuilt initramfs as well as reinstalled grub a couple of times - no difference

seth · 2024-08-25 08:43:53

Don't reboot the failing system w/ teh power button, use https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Keyboa … el_(SysRq)
Also see whether you can blindly log in and run "startx" and what happens then.

Edit: and/or ssh into the system

Last edited by seth (2024-08-25 08:44:08)

arash28134 · 2024-08-30 16:26:37

seth wrote:

Don't reboot the failing system w/ teh power button, use https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Keyboa … el_(SysRq)
Also see whether you can blindly log in and run "startx" and what happens then.
Edit: and/or ssh into the system

I am not. Also I can't run startx or start a tty, arch simply does not boot.

Last edited by arash28134 (2024-08-30 18:06:44)

seth · 2024-08-30 18:52:24

I am not.

Then how do you reboot? The provided journal ends after flushing it after the initramfs, whatever happened afterwards was not written to disk, indicating an unclean shutdown.

As soon as I disconnect the third monitor, arch boots up

Does this mean that as soon as you remove the monitor, the boot continues or do you have to push the power button to reboot after removing the output?

There's almost not way that attaching an output can actually break the boot - you GUI target config, sure, but not the system.
Try to boot the multi-user.target (2nd link below) and if that doesn't work along the "nomodeset" kernel parameter.

arash28134 · 2024-09-01 15:41:26

seth wrote:

Then how do you reboot? The provided journal ends after flushing it after the initramfs, whatever happened afterwards was not written to disk, indicating an unclean shutdown.

In that specific log yes I intentionally rebooted using power button but I usually just disconnect the third monitor and when it boots up I do

reboot

although good idea, from now on I'll be using SysRq as it seems a much better approach to rebooting in these cases.

Yes, when it gets stuck during boot as soon as I remove the third monitor's vga cable it continues the boot process and everything works fine. After that I can connect the third monitor and easily use X or Wayland, and all three monitors display normal in both (X/Wayland).

Nope, neither multi-user, nor nomodeset and not even both fix that issue. This is really weird

Last edited by arash28134 (2024-09-01 15:43:30)

seth · 2024-09-01 16:04:25

Yes, when it gets stuck during boot as soon as I remove the third monitor's vga cable it continues the boot process and everything works fine. After that I can connect the third monitor and easily use X or Wayland, and all three monitors display normal in both (X/Wayland).

Please post your complete system journal for such boot:

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

for the current one.

arash28134 · 2024-09-01 16:13:47

seth wrote:

Yes, when it gets stuck during boot as soon as I remove the third monitor's vga cable it continues the boot process and everything works fine. After that I can connect the third monitor and easily use X or Wayland, and all three monitors display normal in both (X/Wayland).
Please post your complete system journal for such boot:
sudo journalctl -b | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st
for the current one.

https://0x0.st/XvRS.txt

seth · 2024-09-01 16:24:17

Sep 01 15:35:19 arash kernel: Linux version 6.10.7-arch1-1 (linux@archlinux) (gcc (GCC) 14.2.1 20240805, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.43.0) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu, 29 Aug 2024 16:48:57 +0000
…
Sep 01 15:35:21 arash systemd[1]: Reached target Graphical Interface.
…
Sep 01 16:10:36 arash systemd-logind[499]: New session 1 of user viper.

You pretty much immediately reach the graphical target and then much, MUCH later log in.

The boot doesn't stall, you just don't get to see anything.

My money is on

Sep 01 15:35:19 arash kernel: simple-framebuffer simple-framebuffer.0: [drm] fb0: simpledrmdrmfb frame buffer device

That's the SIMPLYDUMB device, enable https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA … de_setting - use the "nvidia_drm.modeset=1" kernel parameter (modprobe.conf won't do!)
(and remove nomodeset again)

Also please post your Xorg log, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xorg#General

arash28134 · 2024-09-01 16:53:35

Not entirely sure but I think that long delay is the period between when the boot just gets stuck and when I disconnect the third monitor (in which boot continues)

Journal log up until when boot fails, I disconnect the third monitor, reconnect it and startx

Xorg log

seth · 2024-09-01 21:50:34

The xorg log is dated,

[     5.925] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Mon Aug 19 11:07:56 2024

Try to disable the autorandr.service …

arash28134 · 2024-09-02 18:45:26

Sorry, wrong log file. here's the correct one:
https://0x0.st/XwKc.txt

Also I disabled autorandr, yet no difference.

Last edited by arash28134 (2024-09-02 18:46:58)

seth · 2024-09-02 20:05:50

[    84.155] 
[    84.645] (--) NVIDIA(GPU-0): LG Electronics E2240 (DFP-1): connected
[    84.645] (--) NVIDIA(GPU-0): RTK (DFP-4): connected
[    84.650] (--) NVIDIA(GPU-0): Samsung SMBX2231 (DFP-6): connected

The server starts w/ all three outputs connected, but

[    84.181] (II) xfree86: Adding drm device (/dev/dri/card1)
[    84.181] (II) Platform probe for /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0/drm/card1
[    84.183] (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/dri/card1 226:1 fd 13 paused 0
[    84.206] (II) Applying OutputClass "nvidia" to /dev/dri/card1
[    84.455] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[    84.455] (WW) VGA arbiter: cannot open kernel arbiter, no multi-card support
[    84.456] (II) Applying OutputClass "nvidia" options to /dev/dri/card1

nvidia is "card1" - while the simpledrm device doesn't show up, something seems to get in the way and the log doesn't have "nvidia_drm.modeset=1" in the kernel parameters (as the posted journal does)?
(It's also from 2h after the previous journal)

Wrt https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p2192976 - do you have the opportunity (and have you tried) to boot into the "hanging" system?

Also try to setup an autologin/startx chain, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Getty# … al_console & https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Start_X_at_login
This way the X11 server not only should start immediately but also take control over the framebuffer configuration and either "just work" or maybe log some error condition into the xorg log.

arash28134 · 2024-09-03 07:09:01

seth wrote:

[    84.155] 
[    84.645] (--) NVIDIA(GPU-0): LG Electronics E2240 (DFP-1): connected
[    84.645] (--) NVIDIA(GPU-0): RTK (DFP-4): connected
[    84.650] (--) NVIDIA(GPU-0): Samsung SMBX2231 (DFP-6): connected
The server starts w/ all three outputs connected, but
[    84.181] (II) xfree86: Adding drm device (/dev/dri/card1)
[    84.181] (II) Platform probe for /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0/drm/card1
[    84.183] (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/dri/card1 226:1 fd 13 paused 0
[    84.206] (II) Applying OutputClass "nvidia" to /dev/dri/card1
[    84.455] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[    84.455] (WW) VGA arbiter: cannot open kernel arbiter, no multi-card support
[    84.456] (II) Applying OutputClass "nvidia" options to /dev/dri/card1
nvidia is "card1" - while the simpledrm device doesn't show up, something seems to get in the way and the log doesn't have "nvidia_drm.modeset=1" in the kernel parameters (as the posted journal does)?
(It's also from 2h after the previous journal)
Wrt https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p2192976 - do you have the opportunity (and have you tried) to boot into the "hanging" system?
Also try to setup an autologin/startx chain, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Getty# … al_console & https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Start_X_at_login
This way the X11 server not only should start immediately but also take control over the framebuffer configuration and either "just work" or maybe log some error condition into the xorg log.

Instead of setting up an autologin chain, I just used SDDM. now it works out of the box with no issues. Thanks! I'll mark this post solved.

Arch Linux

#1 2024-08-24 21:23:55

[SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#2 2024-08-25 08:15:24

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#3 2024-08-25 08:43:53

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#4 2024-08-30 16:26:37

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#5 2024-08-30 18:52:24

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#6 2024-09-01 15:41:26

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#7 2024-09-01 16:04:25

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#8 2024-09-01 16:13:47

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#9 2024-09-01 16:24:17

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#10 2024-09-01 16:53:35

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#11 2024-09-01 21:50:34

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#12 2024-09-02 18:45:26

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#13 2024-09-02 20:05:50

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

#14 2024-09-03 07:09:01

Re: [SOLVED] Connecting the third monitor causes arch to not boot at all

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