GNU bug report logs - #76891
GNOME session fails to start with uk_UA.utf8 system locale

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Roman Riabenko <roman <at> riabenko.com>
To: bug-guix <at> gnu.org
Subject: GNOME session fails to start with uk_UA.utf8 system locale
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2025 16:55:41 +0200

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Hello.

I was trying to upgrade a Guix System with GNOME this week, but it
was resulting in blank screen after reboot. I found that replacing
uk_UA.utf8 with en_US.utf8 in the locale field in the system
configuration allows to work around this issue and login as usual. I
also tested in a virtual machine that setting the locale to uk_UA.utf8
in the system configuration reproduces the issue.

I looked at /var/log/messages but found no unusual messages. A line
similar to the following one shows up in the working installation. But
it does not appear in the affected installation when the above issue
happens.

2025-03-09 15:50:16 localhost gnome-session-binary[263]:
CODE_FILE=../gnome-session-46.0/gnome-session/gsm-manager.c:CODE_LINE=1404:start_phase:Entering
running state

$ guix describe
Generation 14	Mar 09 2025 00:25:50	(current)
  guix a525694
    repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
    branch: master
    commit: a5256944a35e91be71b1348e805a341fe06cbb8d

Roman

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Message #8 received at 76891 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Roman Riabenko <roman <at> riabenko.com>
To: 76891 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: GNOME session fails to start with uk_UA.utf8 system locale
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:48:05 +0200

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I tried installing the latest Guix System in a virtual machine in GNOME
Boxes. I can select Ukrainian during installation, which changes the
language to Ukrainian and results in uk_UA.utf8 locale in the
configuration file. The installation goes and completes as expected. I
can reboot into the newly installed system. However, after entering the
user password in GDM, the progress wheel to the right of the password
field spins indefinitely.

I used this installation image:
https://ci.guix.gnu.org/build/9583805/details

Roman

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Message #11 received at 76891 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Roman Riabenko <roman <at> riabenko.com>
To: 76891 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: GNOME session fails to start with uk_UA.utf8 system locale
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2025 08:35:40 +0200

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On Sun, 2025-03-16 at 12:48 +0200, Roman Riabenko wrote:
> I tried installing the latest Guix System in a virtual machine in
> GNOME
> Boxes. I can select Ukrainian during installation, which changes the
> language to Ukrainian and results in uk_UA.utf8 locale in the
> configuration file. The installation goes and completes as expected.
> I
> can reboot into the newly installed system. However, after entering
> the
> user password in GDM, the progress wheel to the right of the password
> field spins indefinitely.

This is still consistently reproducible with the newer image:
https://ci.guix.gnu.org/build/9724967/details

Roman

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Message #14 received at 76891 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Noé Lopez <noe <at> xn--no-cja.eu>
To: 76891 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Cc: Roman Riabenko <roman <at> riabenko.com>
Subject: Re: GNOME session fails to start with uk_UA.utf8 system locale
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:43:14 +0100

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> On Sun, 2025-03-16 at 12:48 +0200, Roman Riabenko wrote:
> > I tried installing the latest Guix System in a virtual machine in
> > GNOME
> > Boxes. I can select Ukrainian during installation, which changes the
> > language to Ukrainian and results in uk_UA.utf8 locale in the
> > configuration file. The installation goes and completes as expected.
> > I
> > can reboot into the newly installed system. However, after entering
> > the
> > user password in GDM, the progress wheel to the right of the password
> > field spins indefinitely.
> 
> This is still consistently reproducible with the newer image:
> https://ci.guix.gnu.org/build/9724967/details
> 
> Roman
> 

Hi Roman,

I was able to reproduce this in a VM using GDM, even switching to tty2
and trying to login as root doesn’t work.

I thought this might be an issue with the bash startup but even
switching the login shell to tcsh I can’t login.

Even connecting or starting a command through ssh doesn’t work! 

Adding and removing the gdm-service-type seems to trigger it, so here is
a temporary fix you can apply (adapt to your config):

  (services
   (append (list
	    (service sddm-service-type))
	   (modify-services %desktop-services
	     (delete gdm-service-type))))

We still have to wonder why and how gdm-service-type soft locks the
system though…

Have a nice day,
Noé

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