Black screen after installation starts

Support
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Hi, long time Manjaro user here. I am using Manjaro on my base Desktop machine, and on my raspberry pi 4. Now I want to install it on my new mini pc (Dell Optiplex 3070 micro) and I am have problems with installation.

I am experiencing very strange bug. When I start installation from usb, I just got black screen. I have tried boot with proprietary drivers, or opensource, kde, xfce… Result is always same. I have tried to open different tty, but i cannot change it.
Strange part it is when I disable m.2 drive in bios, then installation works as expected…

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Hi @lordofinsomnia,

Thaaat makes it sound like a boot order setting…

3

I know. I sad it was strange :slight_smile: I got installation menu

image
image1024×768 29.5 KB

but as soon as I choose Boot <> drivers it goes black.

4

It goes blackscreen right there or only after you login from SDDM?

And you want to install Manjaro exactly under the disabled m.2 drive?

5

It goes directly to black screen, just as I hit enter on menu item on boot menu.

No, of course not. :smiley: I am just suggesting that m.2 drive is interfering.

I have installed without any issues nixos on that machine with that exact m.2 drive.

Moderator edit: Remove redundant screenshot already posted above.

6

Well this sounds like a important info, wouldn’t hurt to include that in the Topic :wink:

What also can make a difference is, which Bootcreation tool are you using?

Ventoy or something other and which Iso version’s.

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I have used dd. I will try with different tool tomorrow. I have tried with Kde and xfce both x64 iso’s

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I would recommend creating a Ventoy USB instead. The beauty of using Ventoy is that nothing else is needed. Simply copy/drag any ISO to the Ventoy USB, and you’re done. :eyes:

These are the procedures I personally use in creating a Ventoy USB;

  • An 32GB capacity USB should allow ample space to store several ISOs of your choice, however; anything less than 8GB capacity should probably not be considered.

Using the examples below, you will install the Ventoy system to a clean USB with:

  • a GPT partitioning scheme (required for UEFI)
  • Secure Boot disabled (required for Manjaro)

Ventoy is available from the official Manjaro extra repository:

sudo pacman -S ventoy

Type ventoy (without arguments) to see usage information:

Usage:  Ventoy2Disk.sh CMD [ OPTION ] /dev/sdX  
 CMD:  
  -i  install Ventoy to sdX (fails if disk already installed with Ventoy)  
  -I  force install Ventoy to sdX (no matter if installed or not)  
  -u  update Ventoy in sdX  
  -l  list Ventoy information in sdX  
  
 OPTION: (optional)  
  -r SIZE_MB  preserve some space at the bottom of the disk (only for install)  
  -s/-S       enable/disable secure boot support (default is enabled)  
  -g          use GPT partition style, default is MBR (only for install)  
  -L          Label of the 1st exfat partition (default is Ventoy)  
  -n          try non-destructive installation (only for install)

Creating the Ventoy USB:

Write the Ventoy system to an empty USB drive;
use /dev/sdX to target the device itself, and not a partition:

sudo sh ventoy -i -r 100 -S -g -L VOLUME /dev/sdX
  • Enable -s or disable -S Secure Boot.
  • Substitute VOLUME for a volume label name to use.
  • Substitute /dev/sdX for the location of your USB device.
  • Preserve some space on the target device (example allows 100mb).

Updating the Ventoy USB:

Update the Ventoy system on an existing Ventoy USB;
ensure the updated Ventoy version is available in Manjaro; and then:

sudo ventoy -u /dev/sdX
  • The Ventoy USB update process is non-destructive.

I hope this is useful. Cheers.

1 Like
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I have tried Ventoy (cool tool, never used it before, thanks for recommendation!), UNetbootin, dd, BalenaEtcher. Result is the same. I have made a video so it’s easier for you to see what is happening.

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Most welcome. I wish I’d had this years ago.

Is it possible that the M.2 is connected to a shared port? With some mainboards there may be for example an M.2 connector and a SATA connector using the same pathway: but you can only use one of the connectors at a time; either the M.2 or the SATA.

When you disconnect the M.2 that might free that pathway for another device connected to the same pathway, which could explain why it seems to work with the M.2 disconnected. You would need to consult your mainboard manual to verify whether (or not) this might be the case.

1 Like
11

When this is the case, as far as I know, the disc won’t be detected as a NVMe, but SATA. Because the disk motherboard might have an M.2 connector, but that connector is wired to the SATA bus.

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The switching takes place automatically on most boards; some might have a manual toggle, but I’ve never seen one; whichever one of the two connectors is connected will just work. The takeaway is (if this is indeed the case) that two devices must not be used simultaneously. One should be moved to another port (most likely a SATA disk as it’s easiest to move). His manual should reveal all.

If it’s not the case, then it’s back to square one; testing any other possibilities.

1 Like
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As I sad, I have installed NixOS successfully on same machine, with same usb.
Is there any way to see logs during boot sequence? I have tried to change try, but it doesn’t respond to keyboard inputs.

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journalctl --boot=-1 --priority=3 --catalog --no-pager

That should do it.

…which doesn’t explain why it works when you disconnect the M.2. From your description, what I mentioned might have. However, I had to look myself to test that theory, and found nothing conclusive:

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Ok. But how to access it if I cannot login to different try? It doesn’t respond to ctrl+alt+f<1-12>

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TTY? It shouldn’t be necessary. I just had a thought, though…

When exactly do you get this black screen? Is it consistently after 5 minutes, for example?

Are you sure this isn’t the screen blanking… if so, you could likely just change the timeout while in the Live Environment. Does it actually freeze?

I keep returning to this:

Maybe this is your workaround in the meantime - disable the M2 - and once installed, then look at whatever issue is caused by enabling the M.2.

Does the M.2 have any partitions on it; or even a partition table;
or is it a new empty device?

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When exactly do you get this black screen? Is it consistently after 5 minutes, for example?

I have left it for half and hour, nothing happen.

Are you sure this isn’t the screen blanking… if so, you could likely just change the timeout while in the Live Environment. Does it actually freeze?

It responds to num lock, but it does not respond to ctrl+alt+del.

Maybe this is your workaround in the meantime - disable the M2 - and once installed, then look at whatever issue is caused by enabling the M.2.

That m.2 drive is only drive in mini pc.

Does the M.2 have any partitions on it; or even a partition table;
or is it a new empty device?

I have wiped whole drive, just to be sure that is not a problem. But it did not help.

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I’m still confused by: when I disable m.2 drive in bios, then installation works as expected

How does the installation work as expected?
Or, were you trying to say the Installer screen doesn’t go black?

So, it goes black after half an hour?

Actually, I don’t know what to suggest here. I’ll just have to wish you good luck. Let’s see if anyone else might have some insight.

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How does the installation work as expected?
Or, were you trying to say the Installer screen doesn’t go black?

Works as expected means that live environment is booted. (I got KDE desktop)

So, it goes black after half an hour?
No, it just stays black infinity.

@soundofthunder Thanks for your efforts. :slight_smile:

My apologies. I am not English native speaker.

20

Most welcome.

As you can at least boot the Live environment, maybe the output from the following commands might help someone:

inxi --admin --verbosity=8 --filter --no-host --width

and

journalctl --boot=-1 --priority=3 --catalog --no-pager

You can possibly pipe the outputs to a text file if you can’t access the forum directly from the Live Environment. Something like:

echo inxi --admin --verbosity=8 --filter --no-host --width > ~/myoutput.txt

if that helps.

I hope you find a solution. Cheers.