Arch Linux

hack.augusto

Member

From: Brazil

Registered: 2008-08-28

Posts: 127

[Resolved] No getty on a fresh system

I'm a bit on a loss with this one. It is a fresh system with

• systemd-boot as a boot manager

• mkinitcpio to generate UKI image (using the sytemd/sd-encrypt/sd-vconsole)

• LVM on LUKS

Otherwise it is just a standard installation boostrapped with:

pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware amd-ucode lvm2 btrfs-progs man-db man-pages texinfo base-devel git neovim sudo mkinitcpio openssh iwd

It seems everything works until the point where I should get an agetty, but I don't get anything. I'm not sure if it is my keyboard, but I also can't use CTRL+ALT+F2 to change to another PTY (I have edited `/etc/systemd/logind.conf` and made sure `NAutoVTs=6` was not commented). I also tried changing the default target with something like:

cd /etc/systemd/system/
ln -s /usr/lib/systemd/system/multi-user.target default.target

(I also gave a try to the getty and basic targets just to see what happens, didn't change much). I did manage to get to a rescue shell by not supplying the correct LUKS password a few times, that one also fails and prints a message about root not being allowed to login, so I also tried adding a new user and setting up getty auto login.

Maybe I'm missing something simple, tips / ideas would be appreciated!

Last edited by hack.augusto (2025-09-19 11:48:15)

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 69,096

Re: [Resolved] No getty on a fresh system

tried changing the default target with something like

in what context if you don't getty?
The photo shows the graphical.target being started.

Try to use the kernel commandline parameter from the bootloader (2nd link below) and if that doesn't work also add "nomodeset"
If you can, reboot the (failing) system by frenetically pressing ctrl+alt+del or uing sysrq+REISUB, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Keyboa … el_(SysRq)
Then please post your complete system journal for the boot:

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

in doubt using https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … al_to_view

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

hack.augusto

Member

From: Brazil

Registered: 2008-08-28

Posts: 127

Re: [Resolved] No getty on a fresh system

in what context if you don't getty?

I re-booted on the live usb and remounted the new system.

Thanks for the idea of looking at the journal, I read the logs of a boot but saw nothing suspicious. Only found that systemd wasn't able to mount the `/efi` partition without fstab, so I generated that, and a few warnings over usb hub and acpi. But I did managed to get a TTY, the problem wasn't with installation but the user, I'm using a magic keyboard and I didn't notice the keys were working as function keys, using Fn+Alt+F2 gave me a TTY. Not sure what is going on TTY1 but now I can move on and investigate further. Thank you!

Webbeh

Member

Registered: 2012-07-08

Posts: 51

Re: [Resolved] No getty on a fresh system

Hey everyone.

Just dropping that I created a new VM with basically nothing installed (base, base-devel and vim) following the install guide with the latest arch iso (september), and I got stuck at the "/dev/sda2: clean" screen. After disabling the quiet flag, it stopped at the "reached graphical target" as well.

It seems that the setup from the latest arch ISO is not enabling the getty@tty1.service by default, so if you can CTRL+ALT+F2 to get to tty2, simply `systemctl enable --now getty@tty1.service` and you should be good back to TTY1 now and after reboot.

Last edited by Webbeh (2025-09-19 12:08:09)

defragmenteur

Member

Registered: 2022-04-23

Posts: 18

Re: [Resolved] No getty on a fresh system

Hey everyone.

Just dropping that I created a new VM with basically nothing installed (base, base-devel and vim) following the install guide with the latest arch iso (september), and I got stuck at the "/dev/sda2: clean" screen. After disabling the quiet flag, it stopped at the "reached graphical target" as well.

It seems that the setup from the latest arch ISO is not enabling the getty@tty1.service by default, so if you can CTRL+ALT+F2 to get to tty2, simply `systemctl enable --now getty@tty1.service` and you should be good back to TTY1 now and after reboot.

systemctl commands fail in chroot since systemd 258 update

Webbeh

Member

Registered: 2012-07-08

Posts: 51

Re: [Resolved] No getty on a fresh system

Thanks!

hack.augusto

Member

From: Brazil

Registered: 2008-08-28

Posts: 127

Re: [Resolved] No getty on a fresh system

Awesome, can confirm, enabling the getty@tty1.service worked and I got auto login :tada:. Thanks!