So, I was trying to use AI tools to help diagnose some issues with my system, and here's what I've got so far. I'm using EndeavourOS, which is Arch-based. At the time of the crash, I had Minecraft, Terraria, Firefox, and Discord running without any previous problems. After a crash while launching Terraria, my system now only boots to a black screen or shows an "unable to connect to display" message.
Here's a breakdown of my situation:
- **OS:** EndeavourOS (single-boot)
- **Issue:** After the crash, the system won't fully boot and sometimes just shows a black screen.
**Things I've Tried:**
1. Used TTY (`Ctrl+Alt+F2`) to restart the display manager (like `gdm` or `sddm`).
2. Edited GRUB to boot into `multi-user.target` (text-only mode), but the boot process hangs on "loading text."
3. Checked GPU info with `lspci | grep VGA` and the loaded drivers using `lsmod`.
4. Looked through logs with `journalctl` for GPU driver errors or display manager issues.
**Current Situation:**
- The system can boot partly in text mode but gets stuck. The last visible lines seem to point to a GPU driver problem or display manager failure.
I'm looking for advice on why my system hangs during text-mode boot. I suspect it could be a GPU driver conflict (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) or an issue with the display manager (GDM or SDDM). Any help with troubleshooting or sharing similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
It sounds like a GPU driver issue, especially since your system hangs during boot. Have you tried booting with a different kernel version? You can select it from the GRUB menu if you hold down Shift during boot. It might help to switch to a more stable or older version of the kernel, just to see if that resolves the issue. Also, consider removing any unnecessary drivers you might have installed, or try booting with an open-source driver if you're currently using a proprietary one.
When posting these kinds of problems, always mention your distro and relevant hardware details. It usually helps others provide better guidance! If your system stalls during boot, you might also want to check if there's a problem with your graphics card or monitor connection. Sometimes it's a hardware issue. Good luck!
Totally agree, I didn't include enough details!
Using AI for troubleshooting isn't the best idea since it might give you misleading info. I suggest looking at the Arch Wiki, especially the troubleshooting section. Changing kernels is a common fix in cases like this, and you can definitely do that from the GRUB screen. Just highlight the kernel you want to boot and hit Enter. If you need specific steps on how to change the kernel, let me know!
Thanks for the tip! I'm trying to gather all the info I can.