When I start up with my Manjaro Cinnamon Live USB, I get asked for a password. Entering any password but “manjaro” results in an “invalid password” response.
Entering the correct password turns my screen black for some seconds, after which I am taken back to the log in screen, again asking for my password.
This turns out a common or recurring issue with Manjaro, with Google hits dating back to 2020, but no solutions are presented.
Is there any?
That would be very odd - I have never seen a Manjaro live system booting to a login screen - but always to a desktop session.
You can then log out of it - and log back in, in which case you might need to supply login and password.
I currently have no current Cinnamon Live USB to try and boot to test this.
What is the version of the Live USB you are using?
Which edition?
… you tagged this as “Gnome” - but are referring to the Cinnamon edition in your post
Which one is it?
full or minimal?
I only ever use the minimal edition …
… I’ll download the current edition to see for myself once we are clear and on the same page …
Please provide information about the specific ISO used to create your Manjaro Cinnamon USB.
As @Nachlese suggests, usually there is no login to the Manjaro Installer Live environment; and if there were, it would not require your password. In fact, your password is irrelevant in the ISO/USB Live environment.
I also suggest you describe in detail how you boot into the ISO/USB Live environment; perhaps you are inadvertantly doing something unexpected.
Regards.
Idk how to check which version I have. Suppose I best try to make me a new one then, then I can at least report hat it’s the latest version at he time of writing.
Is there a way to process all updates into the newly loaded image before burning it to the USB, btw? Can I just use chroot for that?
OK. Let’s try it this way. How long is it since you downloaded the ISO and created the USB? Be as specific as possible.
Additionally, please explain what you mean by:
I generally recommend downloading the latest full ISO of your chosen Manjaro edition;
Also, consider creating a Ventoy USB instead;
see the following link for details:
Please also provide your full system information when you are able:
inxi --admin --verbosity=8 --filter --no-host --width
Regards.
How did you create the bootable medium?
The file name, the name of the file you choose to write to the USB, gives it away.
If you simply put in the USB while your actual system is running - the name and date will likely also be shown in the file manager.
My download of the current Cinnamon full edition is 3/4 done - almost finished …
No!
There is no way to add persistent updates to the live system.
The iso is a read only file system.
Choose a recent ISO if you need it to have recent software - not an years old one.
update after the download finished:
booting the current Cinnamon full iso gives a functioning desktop session without having to log in
when I log out and back in, I’m asked for the password of the user “manjaro” -
which is “manjaro” as well
and the desktop session starts again
Just as I’m used to, as I remember it has always been.
I downloaded the ISO now from Products – Manjaro, the x86 build for laptop & workstations. Idk if it’s a full build or a minimal one (hopefully the former).
If I would use it to install Manjaro on my computer, the computer would, at first boot, report that there’s a dozen updates ready to be processed.
If possible, I’d like to run those updates on the downloaded ISO, so that I have the most up-to-date live USB.
One thing that it really should have, for instance, is an e2fsck that is able to check my 18 TB hard disk, which the default version on the LIve USB can’t do.
That is not possible - see above (I added to my previous post).
iso files are read only
yes, it would be nice - no, it is not possible
Choose a recent iso if you want to install from it
If you just want to use it to chroot or something … - any old version will work just as well.
the default - if you don’t change anything - is:
you get redirected to choose which edition.
If you don’t select to want the minimal
(there is the “Download” button and right beside it the “more” button …) -
you get the full version.
And would it be possible - as a work-around - to create my own Live USB somehow?
If so, I could just “tweak” a Live USB into the one that I prefer.
That is not how it works. The ISO, and by extension the USB, is a read-only system; you cannot modify the Installer in the way you imagine.
The best you can achieve is to download the latest ISO and perform an update after you have installed Manjaro to disk.
You’re reading the words but they are not sinking in.
There is no tweaking to be done. Install the OS. Then tweak to your hearts content on the newly installed OS.
… a “work around” for what?
What do you want to work around?
but yes: it is possible to create your own live usb
but: … you don’t want that 
you don’t want to dive into that whole process just to skip some updates in the freshly installed system
you really don’t
Please explain what you really want to do with that live USB ?
Our isos are meant to be used to Install manjaro one a PC. Then to reboot into this manjaro. Then to tweak it.
But there Is also the posibility to create a full usable (writeable) manjaro USB install.
Please explain what do you want to use the live USB for.
I need coffee, already.
Please explain in as much detail as possible just what it is that you’re wanting to achieve.
If we have a better understanding of that, just maybe some practical advice can be offered.
Yes!
the forum doesn’t like me to post just one word “yes” - so here are a couple more