Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

80HD_82 · Yesterday 01:02:08

Hello,

I have been running an instance of Arch server on Proxmox for several months without any issues, but after rebooting today it no longer starts properly. Limine 12.3.3 loads normally, but once I select Arch it hangs on the Arch splash screen. I am using a UKI but so far, I have tried:

Booting the linux-fallback entry
Booting from a live ISO and rebuilding the UKI with several different kernel options suggested by ChatGPT.
Disabling Secure Boot

None of those attempts have helped. The VM either remains stuck on the Arch splash screen or switches to a completely black screen, with no useful output in the Proxmox console.

At this point, I am at a loss on what to do.

Limine boot paramenters:

protocol: efi
path: boot():/EFI/Linux/arch-linux.efi
cmdline: cryptdevice=PARTUUID=b5b442bd-c031-4d30-b713-3c26a4f6c985:root root=/dev/mapper/root zswap.enabled=0 rw rootfstype=ext4

Last edited by 80HD_82 (Yesterday 01:02:28)

seth · Yesterday 05:05:24

Remove plymouth, add https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Genera … l_messages instead, maybe add "nomodeset"
Does the LTS kernel still boot?

80HD_82 · Yesterday 10:35:02

seth wrote:

Remove plymouth, add https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Genera … l_messages instead, maybe add "nomodeset"
Does the LTS kernel still boot?

I booted into the live Arch iso, installed the LTS kernel and generated an initramfs file, set my Limine boot entry and it's back up, thank you!

I also booted into the mainline kernel (non UKI) but it never prompted me to enter my LUKS passphrase and I get this:

Starting systemd-udevd version 261.1-1-arch
:: running hook [udev]
:: Triggering uevents...
:: running hook [keymap]
:: Loading keymap...done.
:: running hook [encrypt]
Waiting 10 seconds for device /dev/disk/by-partuuid/b5b442bd-c031-4d30-b713-3c26a4fbc985 ...
Waiting 10 seconds for device /dev/mapper/root ...
Waiting 10 seconds for device /dev/mapper/root ...
ERROR: device '/dev/mapper/root' not found. Skipping fsck.
:: mounting '/dev/mapper/root' on real root
mount: /new_root: fsconfig() failed: /dev/mapper/root: Can't lookup blockdev.
dmesg(1) may have more information after failed mount system call.
ERROR: Failed to mount '/dev/mapper/root' on real root.
You are now being dropped into an emergency shell.
sh: can't access tty; job control turned off

Last edited by 80HD_82 (Yesterday 13:31:28)

seth · Yesterday 15:07:10

Check the journal for the last successful boot and which kernel that was, check whether that kernel still works (ie. is this a kernel regression - and between which versions - or is the system misconfigured)

80HD_82 · Yesterday 19:48:52

seth wrote:

Check the journal for the last successful boot and which kernel that was, check whether that kernel still works (ie. is this a kernel regression - and between which versions - or is the system misconfigured)

Here are some new findings. My last known successful boot was on June 22, 2026 using a UKI of kernel 7.0.12-arch1-1. Also, the latest non-UKI kernel 7.0.14-arch1-1 boots just fine so it's definitely not a kernel issue. However, the following still occurs even with Secure Boot still disabled:

UKI of linux-lts 6.18.37-1 (signed)  --> console screen flickers and does nothing when attempting to Boot From File in Proxmox's UEFI. (arch-linux-lts.efi)

UKI of linux-lts 6.18.37-1 (unsigned)  --> Booting From File in Proxmox's UEFI I get a frozen Arch splash screen. (arch-linux-lts-unsigned-test.efi)

UKI of linux-lts 6.18.37-1 (unsigned & nosplash) --> Booting From File in Proxmox's UEFI I get a frozen black screen. (arch-linux-lts-nosplash-test.efi)

Unless I'm missing something it would appear mkinitcpio is not building UKI EFI image files correctly?

seth · Yesterday 20:08:18

The last mkinitcpio update was May 28th, 7.0.12 entered the repos June 10th, 7.0.13 June 23rd - so it's not very likely that anything reg. mkinitcpio has changed.
Do you have/use https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86 … emd-ukify/ ?

80HD_82 · Yesterday 20:33:53

seth wrote:

The last mkinitcpio update was May 28th, 7.0.12 entered the repos June 10th, 7.0.13 June 23rd - so it's not very likely that anything reg. mkinitcpio has changed.
Do you have/use https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86 … emd-ukify/ ?

No, I do not have systemd-ukify installed. I did not previously need this but is it needed now?

seth · Yesterday 20:48:21

No, just trying to figure what changed and broke the UKI generation.
Are there any errors/warnings when building the UKI?

Do the systemd hoks still work, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Mkinitcpio#Hook_list ?
NB! https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=310004
The syntax to open the vault changes - https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-cry … d.luks.key

Arch Linux

#1 Yesterday 01:02:08

Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

#2 Yesterday 05:05:24

Re: Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

#3 Yesterday 10:35:02

Re: Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

#4 Yesterday 15:07:10

Re: Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

#5 Yesterday 19:48:52

Re: Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

#6 Yesterday 20:08:18

Re: Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

#7 Yesterday 20:33:53

Re: Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

#8 Yesterday 20:48:21

Re: Stuck at Arch Splash Screen

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