Problem Description:
I am trying to log in to Lubuntu, but it keeps returning to the login screen. Not being an experienced Linux user, I’m not familiar with logs and other tools to help diagnose the problem.
I installed Lubuntu 24.04 LTS from a USB key – the French version with French Canada keyboard layout, Canadian English for numbers and dates, and the default Generic 105-key keyboard. It is a minimal installation: the disk was erased and the system is encrypted. The disk has two partitions : a 4GiB boot partition and a 299GiB Luks2, disk uses MBR.
After the installation, I could boot and log in normally even though the login screen didn’t show any text. I successfully rebooted and logged in on three subsequent occasions. I ran Lubuntu Update and installed the 434 packages to be updated. This is when is getting problematic. When I boot, I get to the login screen. After entering my password (there is only one user), the system loops back to the login screen.
Relevant System Information:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33GHz
Total memory: 3.8Gi, available: 3.3Gi
Mainboard: Dell 0RY007
Screenshots or Error Messages:
I would need help to find error messages from logs.
What I’ve Tried:
I searched the web and tried numerous solutions, but none of them resolved my issue. When I switch to a TTY (Ctrl+Alt+F3), I can log in and running « startx » brings me to the graphical desktop.
I would switch to a text terminal and login there (ie. Ctrl+Alt+F4), and firstly see if you have sufficient space in $HOME or the user directory.
A GUI (graphical user-interface) session requires working space to operate, and if insufficient space exists in your /home directory (if you don’t have a /home partition it’ll be using your / partition) the login process will stop & you’re logged out (ie. login loop) without message.
A text terminal doesn’t require this working space, so it’ll login if your issue is disk space related, allowing you to explore (df -h to view disk free; the -h because I find the human format easier than big numbers) the issue, and if required, erase some files so you can make sufficient space to login.
If all you did was apply updates, and make no other changes, then disk space is where I’d look. If you did anything else my answer maybe different.
My disk has only two partition. A 4GiB partition mount point /boot and the other partition mount point / is 229GiB and there is 216GIB available space.
I have exactly the same issue after update to 24.04.3 LTS
I have no space issues.
I have tried full install of 24.04.3 LTS as well and get the same issue.
I tried to find a download of 24.04.2 but all the release directories contain the 24.04.3 images irrespective of their path designation, I do not understand why.
You will probably find that the ‘openbox’ session option will work, although it looks like a blank screen you will find a menu on right click.
I expect you will also be able to login via tty as suggested, then try running ‘startx’ and see if you get the lubuntu desktop, that’s what mine does. I would be interested to know if you get the same behaviour?
The reason was that the secureboot keys on these images had to be revoked so they were withdrawn completely to protect you from accidentially using secureboot with insecure keys, see:
I have the same problem after upgrading Lubuntu 22.04 to 24.04 (set to German) on an old netbook with Intel Atom N550, 2GB RAM, 1024*768 display, encrypted disk.
The login screen looks normal. When trying to login, I have the TTY as background with a mouse cursor for a second an then it returns to the login screen.
I created another user and it has the same problem.
However, starting the graphical desktop via TTY/startx works.
Running the Live-USB version works normal.
I tried various things, reinstalling sddm and lubuntu-desktop packages, chown on /home etc.
Initially there were also 90% of the icons missing but that got fixed by deleting the icon cache.
Edit: When booting with resume in recovery-mode the login works, but the display resolution is low.
Confirmed for all 24.04.3 (full, normal and minimum) installs.
This seems to affect old graphics cards that causes xscreensaver to lose the xserver connection.
startlxqt then bombs out.
For those with this problem,
Try disabling xscreensaver from LXQt Session Settings > Autostart
and see if it makes a difference.
You will have to do this from your startx session (I don’t know why it works for startx).
It doesn’t affect the live session because live doesn’t run xscreensaver. It also doesn’t affect modern graphics cards.
Thank you, this solved the login-problem for me.
However, the DPMS display standby doesn’t seem to work. At the set time I just get logged out and the display stays on with the login screen.
Does this rely on xscreensaver - is there a workaround?
I honestly don’t know. Something changed with 20.04.03.
And I’m still scratching my head as why it works with startx
and not startlxqt.
So xscreensaver is only triggering this main problem?
Apparently not.
However, the DPMS display standby doesn’t seem to work.
Does this rely on xscreensaver?
I don’t think so. I think it’s done by lxqt-powermanagemnt.
(I assume you had set the time using lxqt-config-power-management)
One of the first things I do after installs is to turn it
off (autostart) and replace it with xfce4-power-manager.
This one can turn the monitor off without logout. Although
there’s a caveat - Don’t turn off “Display power management”
or it will crash, and you will have to correct it inside
a startx session.
Update:
Both the xscreensaver and lxqt monitor-off problems seems to be fixed in 25.10.