[SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

percaboidbox · 2025-07-19 20:57:45

Subject line is way too little to describe what is the issue here. I've been using Linux for the almost half a decade without (almost) any issues like this, and anytime I've encountered an issue I've been able to solve it by myself without forum help. However, I am at a complete loss.

I don't know anywhere this would really fall under, so I put it in the "Newbie's Corner".

First of, I haven't tried this with any other game, but it happens to me whilst I am playing "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii". The game has performed fine and has done incredibly well and expected with my hardware. Up until recently however, the game would randomly freeze or something would fail to load (like the progress bar not moving.) My computer would essentially lock up, my console will not respond (i.e, I type a command and it returns "This file exists, but cannot be executed" no matter what I input (regardless if it's an actual program or something I made up), and my desktop environment is either frozen or dysfunctional. Sometimes even, it would just go to a black screen with a blinking underscore "_", and sometimes it's not even a blinking underscore, it's something that I can write in that doesn't output anything. If I try using Dolphin to swap directories Dolphin just crashes. When I forcibly turn off my computer and boot back up, it's like nothing ever happened. If I try swapping terminals with Alt+F(1-12) it just outputs the same blinking underscore.

I've searched for awhile on the internet and it seems like nobody has ever had the same issue as me, which is so weird. When I try to use "journalctl -b -1" to see what happened after I force restart my computer, there is nothing for 4 minutes before the crash. It doesn't output a single message.

The weird thing is that I've actually encountered this issue before, a couple years back. The problem turned out to be my secondary hard drives, them being formatted as exFAT caused issues. I later formatted them to NTFS, and that fixed the issue. If you're asking, I've already dismounted them when playing the game and the problem still occurs. Also, I am currently using the same setup to type this message out, general use and even game development didn't have the same issue.

I ask and thank you for any help any of you guys could give.

If you're wondering, here are some system specifications:
Kernel: 6.15.7-arch1-1
RAM: 32GB DDR4-3200
CPU: Intel i7-9700k
GPU: RTX 2080 (no ti or super)
DE: Plasma (Wayland) (did attempt with X11, issue still occurs)

If you need anything else, just ask.

Last edited by percaboidbox (2025-07-30 23:46:44)

jonno2002 · 2025-07-19 21:37:47

process of elimination

hardware:
-first and easiest thing to do is a memtest
-replug all devices on your motherboard and clean the contacts with a brush/compressed air
-try a different graphics card if you can, run mats/mods on the 2080 to test memory (will need to search for instructions, its not simple but very good for troubleshooting)

software:
-try downgrading packages and see if that helps (takes longer but you will find the actual cause)
-try a different distro (quicker but you wont learn the cause)

good luck

Last edited by jonno2002 (2025-07-19 21:39:07)

percaboidbox · 2025-07-20 17:46:30

Hey! Thanks for the reply, jonno.

I've tried the memtest, and I passed the tests. No surprise there, and I dual-boot with a Windows system on another drive, I played on Windows, on a game that was located in my other hard drive (which means it can't be my HDDs) and played a game for about 4-5 hours straight with no issues. I also don't have a spare graphics card to do stuff with, but I doubt that is the case either. So, hardware is out of the question for me, but what about software?

Well, you say to downgrade packages and that makes sense. Except, when I first got this issue, I hadn't done a system update in about I'd say a month or so? Meaning, the software causing problems only caused it after awhile, so I decided to do a system upgrade the day I got this issue, to see if it would fix it. Nothing changed. So, I also doubt that it is my packages that are installed, as the downgraded version and updated version had the same issue. As for the last solution, you're just essentially asking me to do a fresh reboot. That's the nuclear option for me, I want to exhaust my available options before doing so. I'd like to know if you have anything else and/or anyone else has something that can help!

Thank you once again.

jonno2002 · 2025-07-20 21:17:48

ok so its not the hardware as it works fine with windows, what about the hdd/ssd that arch linux is on ? that could be at fault ? check it with smartctl
also try re-install all your packages as something may have got corrupted

its hard to guess what your issue is knowing so little, you just have to emilinate all possible problems

percaboidbox · 2025-07-22 17:21:10

Hey! So, I tried reinstalling all of my packages (once normally, once with --override), and the result was the same. Also, I am terribly sorry but I forgot to mention I've already checked my arch drive with smartctl, it's a NVMe and presented no issues. I am at a loss here, too. Is there some system information that could perhaps help you better? Like a specific log, or something? Or do I have to do the nuclear option?

seth · 2025-07-22 18:22:51

once with --override

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … n_commands

I've tried the memtest, and I passed the tests. No surprise there, and I dual-boot with a Windows system on another drive, I played on Windows, on a game that was located in my other hard drive (which means it can't be my HDDs)

I've already checked my arch drive with smartctl, it's a NVMe and presented no issues.

1. meaningful memtest86+ runs are counted in *days* - if you ran one cycle, that essentially tells you nothing. You'd at least run it over night (16+h). However

2. See the 3rd link below. Mandatory.
Disable it (it's NOT the BIOS setting!) and reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.

3. Of course it can be *one* of your drives, notably the linux root partition (since you seem to be unable to run anything out of /usr/bin) which will not be used by windows?

4. Post the actual "smartctl -a" output for all drives, though this might easily be rather a bus issue, which is why

5. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Solid_ … leshooting -

nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=0 pcie_aspm=off pcie_port_pm=off iommu=soft

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel_parameters

my console will not respond (i.e, I type a command and it returns "This file exists, but cannot be executed" no matter what I input … tried the memtest … presented no issues …

6. please don't paraphrase errors, make an effort to present them verbatim or describe your actions as precisely as possible, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=57855

percaboidbox · 2025-07-23 17:20:53

Hey Seth! Thank you very much for responding. Thanks for the headsup on the "--override" command, it is appreciated. Before you sent your message I ran "sudo dmesg -w" while playing a game that caused it to have the issue almost immediately. It would appear you are right... the only errors that appears in dmesg, is of that of my NVMe. Like you said, I will say some of them verbatim (I took a quick picture of the terminal before my computer crashed.).

"nvme nvme0: controller is down; will reset: CSTS=0xffffffff, PCI_STATUS=0x10" "Does your device have a faulty power saving mode enabled?" "Try "nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=0 pcie_aspm=off pcie_port_pm=off and report a bug"

So, the kernel parameters you gave me would appear to be the same, aside from "iommu=soft". Regardless, I tried your kernel parameters, I thought it would honestly work considering my NVMe is a Samsung drive. It didn't, the issue persisted. But now, I am aware that the issue stems from my NVMe, since no other errors were reported. But this is... odd, considering before all this I did a short and long extended test on my NVMe using smartctl, which you asked for the full outputs of for each drive in my system. I'll happily provide them right now.

https://bpa.st/PSFA

I've also done the removal of fast start and hibernation for Windows, as for booting without GUI and fixing my xinitrc, those links haven't helped me much. As for the memtest, I will run it tonight and let it run for awhile and report back, during of which I will possibly buy myself another NVMe (one of Crucial's products, cheap and they haven't had any reported issues with Arch like this, I think.) and copy the install on this one to that NVMe, see if the issue still occurs.

Thank you for the help, Seth!

seth · 2025-07-23 20:10:04

as for booting without GUI and fixing my xinitrc, those links haven't helped me much

that's my signature

But after disabling windows fast-start, reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.
Assuming that's not the cause, please post your complete system journal for a boot:

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

Maybe other issues on the bus emerge

Edit: the ADATA SU650 is falling apart!
The other disks look uncritical though. Toshiba faced likely a bus or power problem, but looooong ago.

Last edited by seth (2025-07-23 20:17:24)

percaboidbox · 2025-07-24 01:53:36

Hey Seth! I forgot to mention I've already restarted Windows and Linux quite a couple times after disabling fast-start, I am really sorry about that. Today I played exclusively on Windows and had no issues, I am sitting around for the NVMe to arrive and duplicate it, to see if it is really my hardware or not. (I got a upgraded NVMe in case its a software one, so I don't really lose anything.) Thanks for the headsup on my Windows drive however, it's barely used and has been in my computer for about 4-5 years, quite expected.

As requested, here is my system journal: https://0x0.st/8n0y.txt

Thank you once again!

seth · 2025-07-24 05:42:51

your juornal wrote:

nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=5500

Ahemm…

the wiki and the kernel and some irrelevant dude on the internet, part-time god of the desert wrote:

nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=0

⌘ < Hey, LousyAI! Is 0 the same as 5500?
⌘ > Finish school and learn to think for yourself before using the internet again.

percaboidbox · 2025-07-24 06:19:50

Ah! So sorry, I have a really bad detail for omitting things.

I did 0, had it on for a while, and went deeper into the reports concerning the ASPT. There were people using different values and 5500 was one of them. Terribly sorry for omitting this, I have quite a bad memory and I forget these things matter. But yes, I did use 0, several times, no effect, and 5500 had no effect either.

seth · 2025-07-24 10:14:48

Could you preserve any logs preceding "nvme nvme0: controller is down"?

percaboidbox · 2025-07-24 17:19:58

No, every time the system does that I lose write access (it remounts in read-only), but I mentioned earlier I took some pictures of the dmesg -W while it occurred, I can provide you with those if you'd like.

Edit: I should clarify that because of the loss of access I can't just copy paste anything, I've tried.

Last edited by percaboidbox (2025-07-24 17:46:26)

seth · 2025-07-24 18:52:39

pictures of the dmesg -W while it occurred, I can provide you with those if you'd like

Yup, w/o kdump that's pretty much the only thing you'll ever get (and even then not more if it's a genuine HW problem)

percaboidbox · 2025-07-30 11:52:52

Hey Seth! I wanted to thank you a lot for your assistance and apologize for the late reply as I was testing things out and making sure of things.

But, I got my new NVMe, and to be extra sure I didn't mess up anything, I installed EndeavourOS onto it, while I recycled the old NVMe as a new Windows drive. Now you're not gonna believe what happened, but it turns out that my game would randomly freeze on Windows then boom: BSOD. So yeah, it turned out to by my NVMe the entire time, and it wasn't some incompatibility with linux or something, just looks like something went wrong.

Take care, Seth! And of course, thank you as well for helping earlier Jonno.

seth · 2025-07-30 13:58:02

\o/

In any event, please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-07-19 20:57:45

[SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#2 2025-07-19 21:37:47

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#3 2025-07-20 17:46:30

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#4 2025-07-20 21:17:48

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#5 2025-07-22 17:21:10

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#6 2025-07-22 18:22:51

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#7 2025-07-23 17:20:53

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#8 2025-07-23 20:10:04

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#9 2025-07-24 01:53:36

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#10 2025-07-24 05:42:51

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#11 2025-07-24 06:19:50

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#12 2025-07-24 10:14:48

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#13 2025-07-24 17:19:58

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#14 2025-07-24 18:52:39

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#15 2025-07-30 11:52:52

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

#16 2025-07-30 13:58:02

Re: [SOLVED]Arch freezes and loses read/write access while playing a game.

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