Failed to start Virtual console Setup error message

[newbietolinux]

Hi Aragorn

Unfortunately the message is still there. The boot time is longer.

[Aragorn]

@newbietolinux

Unfortunately the message is still there.

Then I have no idea where it comes from. If you did everything I told you, then that message should not be there anymore.

On the upside, it’s an irrelevant message and you can safely ignore it.

@newbietolinux

The boot time is longer

That should not have happened either, and may simply be down to some hardware-related randomness.

The only other advice I could give you — which in theory should speed up the boot process by about a second — is to modify the HOOKS line in your /etc/mkinitcpio.conf to a more modern one, using systemd instead of udev. The one with udev is actually an older and conservative configuration.

Currently, you have this…

HOOKS=(base udev autodetect modconf kms block keyboard keymap filesystems fsck)

I would change that to…

HOOKS=(systemd autodetect microcode modconf kms keyboard sd-vconsole block filesystems fsck)

… and then run…

sudo mkinitcpio -P

… again.

---

P.S.: I strongly suspect that you’ve got a whole bunch of unattended .pacnew files lingering about on your system, given that the microcode HOOK was introduced at least three months ago, and your own /etc/mkinitcpio.conf doesn’t have it yet. And this then prompts me to recommend that you’d read the following short essay…

[Consideration] Is Manjaro the right distribution for you?

Manjaro is NOT suitable for absolute beginners No, it’s not. And we — as the helpful community members of this forum — regularly have to explain this to the newcomers. Or at least, if we get the chance, because it is not exactly unheard of that a vocal newbie throws it out there themselves in a fit of frustration — if not arrogance or entitlement, because there’s a lot of that going round as well. So why is Manjaro not a distribution for absolute beginners? 1. Manjaro is a rolling-release d…

[Nachlese]

@newbietolinux

cat /etc/vconsole.conf
KEYMAP=za
FONT=
FONT_MAP=

As far as I could find out, there is no such keymap:
za

it doesn’t show up with:

localectl list-keymaps

I’d say:
remove the
za
and it will default to english querty, with no error
or set a valid one

for example - this is mine:

KEYMAP=de-latin1-nodeadkeys
FONT=
FONT_MAP=

It allows me to use the german layout with all umlauts and several keys labelled differently than on a standard english keyboard

Here is how you can change it without directly editing the file yourself:

Linux console/Keyboard configuration - ArchWiki

under “persistent configuration”

[newbietolinux]

Thanks for your input, Aragorn. I’m grateful. i don’t know what i’m doing wrong or why this message keeps returning. However, it isn’t really affecting much.

Could I maybe try revert everything to how it was using Timeshift? I will just accept the message as noise.

[Aragorn]

@newbietolinux

Could I maybe try revert everything to how it was using Timeshift?

That would be completely beside the point. Whatever triggered that error, sooner or later you’re going to have to update your system again — we cannot support systems that are not up to date or in a state of partial upgrade.

[Mirdarthos]

@Aragorn

KEYMAP=za
# FONT=
# FONT_MAP=

I also had that. AFAICT there’s no such keymap. We, in South Africa use the us keymap. This is mine now:

$ cat /etc/vconsole.conf
KEYMAP=us
FONT=
FONT_MAP=

[newbietolinux]

Hi Mirdarthos

So i can get rid of the message by changing to keymap=us?

[Mirdarthos]

I think so, not sure, though.

[Nachlese]

Yes - it would be a valid keymap and the error will be gone.
However:
it might not be the correct key map for you - that is something we don’t know.
Check my post above - I’ve added to it.

[Mirdarthos]

I think he’d be safe:

@Mirdarthos

We, in South Africa use the us keymap.

[newbietolinux]

Thanks, Nachlese. Can I make the change directly in the nano editor?

[Nachlese]

yes - use of sudo is required (as you likely know)

[newbietolinux]

Thank you to Soundofthunder, Aragorn, Nachlese and Mirdarthos for taking the time to help me with my query. Much appreciated.

The problem is solved by changing the keymap to =us. As Mirdarthos noted, the US keymap works fine for South Africa.

Thank you Aragorn, I changed those HOOKS= settings and they work better for booting.

I am grateful for all your assistance.