Black screen

hchiper · 2024-08-20 07:23

I'm using Q4OS 4.13 / Plasma.

This morning I switched my laptop on. Boot went well and the login screen was displayed. I entered my password to log in.

Then I saw my desktop with taskbar, wallpaper, mouse cursor and 2 console windows because I run scripts at login time.

Unfortunately, after 1 second or so the whole screen became black, except the mouse and the 2 console windows, waiting I hit Enter to start.

The mouse cursor moves as I move my mouse and the scripts start when I hit Enter and terminate successfully. When I move the mouse in the upper left corner I see a popup saying Megasync is up to date. The widget to switch screens displays correctly when I hit Fn+F5. Yesterday, I switched my laptop off normally.

When I log in with another account that not used for weeks, the same happens, except the scripts and Megasync.

I didn't install any package recently, except gcc-multilib that I installed yesterday to cross-compile 32bit binaries on my 64bit system.
And until very recently Q4OS version was 4.12 instead of 4.13. I is probable that the upgrade happened... yesterday too.

This is the second laptop where I experience a black screen problem with Q4OS 4 / Plasma, but this time I am certain I didn't do something wrong and a hardware problem seems very unlikely, despite the laptop in old.

Any hope to solve this issue? Thanks.

q4osteam · 2024-08-20 08:29

The last Q4OS specific upgrade of Gemini passed 14 days ago, on August 06 2024. We didn't change Q4OS Gemini repository from that date. Moreover, that upgrade was gradual, so that was a small last step with q4os-desktop package upgraded only. The upgrade shouldn't influence Plasma in any way. Our testing systems doesn't evince any problems too.

We would rather suspect some Debian upgrade, or gcc-multilib installation, as it installs some 32-bit libraries.

If you create a new testing user, is he able to log in normally ? In your previous black screen experience it was possible, as far as we know. It would be also helpful if you would provide the following logs:

/var/log/apt/term.log
/var/log/apt/history.log
/var/log/dpkg.log

hchiper · 2024-08-20 11:27

Thanks for your quick response.
The 3 logs are attached in an attachment (logs.tar.gz).
I also attach the output of inxi -Fxxx if it helps. Well, the laptop is 20 years old.

Concerning gcc-multilib, it's true I used it immediately a didn't log out / in. Will try to uninstall and see.
I'll also create a new user and see what happens.
I'll report as soon as it is done.

Edit
No good news, unfortunately.

Part 1

created user test1 from tty2
no reboot
logged in Plasma as test1: OK
logged out and in again: very slow, taskbar only, wallpaper disappeared, app launcher very slow
logged out and in again: like frozen > 5 min on Plasma logo screen (3 dots and > sign)

Part 2

reboot
from tty2: sudo apt autoremove gcc-multilib (successful)
reboot
logged in as test1: very slow, taskbar only, wallpaper disappeared, app launcher very slow
logged out an in again: idem
logged out and in as laurent (my everyday account): desktop with wallpaper and taskbar but no shortcuts flashes for < 1 s, then black screen, although the startup script waits Enter to start and then executes normally

Last edited by hchiper (2024-08-20 12:41)

Attachments:

logs.tar.gz, Size: 7.01 KiB, Downloads: 54

inxiFxxx.txt, Size: 2.79 KiB, Downloads: 53

q4osteam · 2024-08-20 14:29

We see in your logs, that the latest Q4OS specific update has passed on 2024-08-09. The only "q4os-desktop" package has been upgraded to "4.13.1-n1" version. That looks fine, we wouldn't suspect this update from doing anything wrong.

We can see few suspicious actions, what have been proceeded recently:

Start-Date: 2024-08-18  00:37:33 - Commandline: apt install ./XnViewMP-linux-x64.deb
Start-Date: 2024-08-19  08:59:39 - Commandline: apt install gcc-multilib
Start-Date: 2024-08-20  11:54:28 - Commandline: apt install gpm

You could try to remove packages in question subsequently, reboot and see what happens, please make sure you remove them with the "purge" switch:
$ sudo apt --purge autoremove <package>
and post back

Last edited by q4osteam (2024-08-20 14:33)

q4osteam · 2024-08-20 14:52

In addition, are you using Xorg or Wayland server ?

hchiper · 2024-08-20 19:35

q4osteam wrote:

In addition, are you using Xorg or Wayland server ?

Sorry, no idea. It's the one that came with the install media. I don't remember which one it was; that was some years ago.
Now I have access only to tty; is there some command line I can execute from there to get the answer?

q4osteam · 2024-08-20 20:46

You are likely using Xorg server. Please run the command:
$ dpkg -l | grep wayland > /tmp/gserver.lst
and attach the /tmp/gserver.lst file here

q4osteam · 2024-08-20 20:53

We also see Debian kernel upgrade to linux-image-5.10.0-32 from 2024-08-14 . You could try to boot the previous kernel, just select it from advanced options upon grub boot.

hchiper · 2024-08-20 21:16

q4osteam wrote:

We see in your logs, that the latest Q4OS specific update has passed on 2024-08-09. The only "q4os-desktop" package has been upgraded to "4.13.1-n1" version. That looks fine, we wouldn't suspect this update from doing anything wrong.
We can see few suspicious actions, what have been proceeded recently:
Start-Date: 2024-08-18  00:37:33 - Commandline: apt install ./XnViewMP-linux-x64.deb
Start-Date: 2024-08-19  08:59:39 - Commandline: apt install gcc-multilib
Start-Date: 2024-08-20  11:54:28 - Commandline: apt install gpm
You could try to remove packages in question subsequently, reboot and see what happens, please make sure you remove them with the "purge" switch:
$ sudo apt --purge autoremove <package>
and post back

Thanks for your advice.

Uninstalled XnViwMP as you recommended, with no success. Installed then the previous version that I used several weeks and no success either. I looked at its .deb package. Its structure is like this

XnViewMP-linux-x64.deb
|_data.tar
  |_.
    |_opt
    | |_XnView (with several sub-directories and files)
    |_usr
      |_bin
      | |_xnview (only)
      |_share
        |_applications
          |_XnView.desktop

So, if my guess is correct, its installation cannot break my system. Am I wrong?
I looked at XnView forum and found no message about similar problem.
Also reinstalled previous version, no amelioration.

Uninstalled gcc-multilib (without --purge), but no amelioration. apt list gcc-multilib showed no remaining config.

gpm (to be able to select text with the mouse and center-click to paste in a tty) was installed after the black screen problem happened.

hchiper · 2024-08-20 21:31

I noticed that hitting Win+Esc gave me access to the System Monitor.

I can see the list of the running processes. I also have access to a Tools button, where I can chose to launch a console, htop, and other tools. System Information is in the list, but does not start.

In a console I can type

login-ctl list-sessions
login-ctl terminate-session ID  (ID chosen from the list given by the previous command)

to quit cleanly.

I also noticed that if I hit Win+L I can lock the session and I can see again the background image of the login screen and even login again, but then I get the black screen instead of my desktop.

q4osteam · 2024-08-20 21:35

hchiper wrote:

.... XnViewMP-linux-x64.deb ... deb package. Its structure is like this ... So, if my guess is correct, its installation cannot break my system. Am I wrong?

You are right.

Try to boot previous kernel too and post back, see https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.ph … 276#p27276

hchiper · 2024-08-21 06:07

q4osteam wrote:

You are likely using Xorg server. Please run the command:
$ dpkg -l | grep wayland > /tmp/gserver.lst
and attach the /tmp/gserver.lst file here

OK. gservrer.lst attached.

Important!
Having access to a Konsole using the Tools button in the System Monitor, I tried to launch some applications: dolphin, code (Visual Studio Code), Firefox, soffice (OpenOffice), ... Everything works perfectly. Even copy/paste between apps works. The sidebar (apps switcher) with the apps' thumbnails when I hit Alt+Tab works. So it seems only the Plasma desktop has been broken, and this simultaneously for all users, existing and to be created.

Some applications output error or warnings to the Konsole:

dolphin: "KActivities: FATAL ERROR: Failed to contact the activity manager daemon"
soffice: "(soffice:2336): Gtk-WARNING **: 06:49:51.194: Impossible de trouver le moteur de thème dans module_path : « adwaita »"
no error for code, xnview

If a tool exists to rebuild the users' desktops and the so-called "master desktop" used for newly created users, hopefully the problem might be solved.

Last edited by hchiper (2024-08-21 06:17)

Attachments:

gserver.lst, Size: 2.35 KiB, Downloads: 49

hchiper · 2024-08-21 06:10

q4osteam wrote:

hchiper wrote:
.... XnViewMP-linux-x64.deb ... deb package. Its structure is like this ... So, if my guess is correct, its installation cannot break my system. Am I wrong?
You are right.
Try to boot previous kernel too and post back, see https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.ph … 276#p27276

No difference with 5.10.0.31 instead of 5.10.0.32.

q4osteam · 2024-08-21 07:31

Well, you are using Xorg server. Now we would need the logfile "$HOME/.xsession-errors". By the way, we would recommend to install Xnview from the Flathub repository instead of external .deb file.

hchiper · 2024-08-21 07:44

Even Spectacle works. I could capture the attached screenshot (mouse cursor not included).
The MegaSync popup displays when I move the mouse to the upper left corner of the screen.
All I miss is the desktop and the taskbar. Looks like they have moved screen_width leftwards and screen_height upwards.

Attachments:

Screenshot_20240821_082527.png, Size: 159.02 KiB, Downloads: 46

q4osteam · 2024-08-21 07:52

Another attempt to get some debug information would be:
- start the computer
- switch to tty console with ctrl-alt-f2 key
- login as the first user
- run
$ sudo systemctl stop sddm.service
$ sudo xinit
- root terminal window on xserver will open
- run
# startplasma-x11
- plasma will attempt to start
- check for errors in the terminal window

q4osteam · 2024-08-21 07:56

hchiper wrote:

All I miss is the desktop and the taskbar. Looks like they have moved screen_width leftwards and screen_height upwards.

Since you can't login as a newly created user, something must be broken at the system level. It looks like Plasma got a severe corruption.

hchiper · 2024-08-21 07:59

q4osteam wrote:

Well, you are using Xorg server. Now we would need the logfile "$HOME/.xsession-errors". By the way, we would recommend to install Xnview from the Flathub repository instead of external .deb file.

Compressed file attached.

Attachments:

xsession-error.tgz, Size: 47.69 KiB, Downloads: 46

hchiper · 2024-08-21 08:14

q4osteam wrote:

Another attempt to get some debug information would be:
$ sudo systemctl stop sddm.service

Failed to stop sddm.service: Unit sddm.service not loaded.

q4osteam · 2024-08-21 08:25

What display manager are you using ? You just need to stop the display manager.

q4osteam · 2024-08-21 08:26

You can also try to clean kactivity manager cache:
$ rm -rf $OME/.local/share/kactivitymanagerd

hchiper · 2024-08-21 08:30

q4osteam wrote:

It looks like Plasma got a severe corruption.

I think it is the case (as it was the case some months ago).
How it happened this time is a complete mystery.
Apart from some "sudo apt install | remove..." I didn't sudo any command. And during the last days, the only programs I used were Firefox, Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, Kwrite, QT Linguist, git, XnView, Okular. In Firefox I had just installed a plugin (https://authenticator.cc/docs/en/quickstart). I didn't modify or delete any hidden file or directory in my $HOME directory (at least not intentionally). And even if I did, that should not have impacted a newly created user.

Last edited by hchiper (2024-08-21 08:30)

q4osteam · 2024-08-21 08:35

hchiper wrote:

I didn't modify or delete any hidden file or directory in my $HOME directory (at least not intentionally). And even if I did, that should not have impacted a newly created user.

True, the newly created user would log flawlessly in.

hchiper wrote:

... as it was the case some months ago ...

We don't think so. In the previous case the newly created user worked fine, if we recall correctly, so it would be failure at user level only. In anyway, we can see from the logs, that kactivity manager is involved some way in.

Last edited by q4osteam (2024-08-21 08:52)

hchiper · 2024-08-21 09:10

q4osteam wrote:

You can also try to clean kactivity manager cache:
$ rm -rf $OME/.local/share/kactivitymanagerd

T H A T W O R K E D ! H A P P Y - H A P P Y - H A P P Y - T H A N K S !

I had to do it for al user individually.
It seems that login and logout are a little slower, not sure.
The desktop scale is slightly different: icons stayed at their place relative to each other but the text of those near the bottom of the screen is party hidden by the taskbar (or the taskbar size is bigger).
The main difference I see for the moment is in the app launcher: all Favorite icons have disappeared.

~~Still have to test what happens for a newly created user.~~
That works for newly created users too. Things happen as if something (including errors, if any) from my own config was copied to create the new user's one...

So many thanks for our help.

Note:
The last time, kactivitymanager was already a problem:
https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.ph … 644#p26644
https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.ph … 645#p26645

Last edited by hchiper (2024-08-21 09:23)

q4osteam · 2024-08-21 09:30

We have found some resources connected:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=236540
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=235678

hchiper wrote:

It seems that login and logout are a little slower, not sure. The desktop scale is slightly different: icons stayed at their place relative to each other but the text of those near the bottom of the screen is party hidden by the taskbar (or the taskbar size is bigger).The main difference I see for the moment is in the app launcher: all Favorite icons have disappeared.

All of that could be connected to clearing kactivitymanager cache.

Q4OS Forum

#1 2024-08-20 07:23

Black screen

#2 2024-08-20 08:29

Re: Black screen

#3 2024-08-20 11:27

Re: Black screen

#4 2024-08-20 14:29

Re: Black screen

#5 2024-08-20 14:52

Re: Black screen

#6 2024-08-20 19:35

Re: Black screen

#7 2024-08-20 20:46

Re: Black screen

#8 2024-08-20 20:53

Re: Black screen

#9 2024-08-20 21:16

Re: Black screen

#10 2024-08-20 21:31

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#11 2024-08-20 21:35

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#12 2024-08-21 06:07

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#13 2024-08-21 06:10

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#14 2024-08-21 07:31

Re: Black screen

#15 2024-08-21 07:44

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#16 2024-08-21 07:52

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#17 2024-08-21 07:56

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#18 2024-08-21 07:59

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#19 2024-08-21 08:14

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#20 2024-08-21 08:25

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#21 2024-08-21 08:26

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#22 2024-08-21 08:30

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#23 2024-08-21 08:35

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#24 2024-08-21 09:10

Re: Black screen

#25 2024-08-21 09:30

Re: Black screen

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