Console display session does not wake after screen blank

debo · 2026-01-04 05:57:18

I updated my system to linux-6.18.3 and the console session does not recover after the screen blanks. I went back to the previous kernel linux-6.17.9 and it works again. Seems like it is a kernel / driver problem.

Note that I can ssh into the system, so it is definitely still alive. You can also start up linux consoles using the keyboard, but the graphics remains dead.

The system has a Radeon RX 9070 XT in it.

Any ideas on how to debug it?

skunktrader · 2026-01-04 06:01:07

Does it recover if you switch consoles? For example Alt+2, Alt+3 etc

debo · 2026-01-04 06:03:16

Nope. The display stays dead. I can activate linux consoles using the keyboard, and I can see the getty process running using the ssh session.

debo · 2026-01-04 06:30:15

The display is connected through HDMI.

When you reboot the system using the ssh session, there are no graphics until the kernel comes back up. I tried unplugging the HDMI cable and reattaching it. There are some messages from amdgpu in the journal, but none of them appear to be errors. The display just remains in low power mode until you reboot the system.

seth · 2026-01-04 14:30:41

Do you get the output back when starting a display server, eg. startx?

debo · 2026-01-04 20:54:37

I am running Wayland with gdm on this system.

If I stop and then start gdm, the graphics comes back on until the next time that the graphics goes into low power mode.

Last edited by debo (2026-01-04 21:01:00)

seth · 2026-01-04 21:01:29

I am running Wayland with gdm on this system.

and the console session does not recover after the screen blanks

???
What exactly do you mean by a "console session"?
What blanks the screen and how? The console or GDM?
Does just the console (no GDM) work as expected by itself?

debo · 2026-01-04 21:51:48

By "console session" I meant the graphics session.

>What blanks the screen and how? The console or GDM?

The graphics session blanks the screen after a timeout. The screen gets locked, the display blanks, and then the graphics signal to the display is shut off. This is how it normally operates. With the 6.18.3 kernel, the graphics does not come back on if you hit return on the keyboard. However, if you stop gdm and then restart it, you get a new gdm login session.

>Does just the console (no GDM) work as expected by itself?

Yes, however the linux console does not cut the graphics after a timeout.

It seems likely that this is a problem with the amd graphics driver since it functions as expected with the 6.17.9 kernel and modules.

Bodyash · 2026-01-04 22:21:04

Hi, I also experience issues with amdgpu after upgrading from 6.17 to 6.18.
RX6600M. I have 2 displays connected. I have 15min timeout to screen blank in gnome DE.
When both displays is in sleep mode and I move mouse to wake up them - I have only 1 monitor working, connected to HDMI-1. Second monitor shows black screen for a few seconds and goes back to sleep. There is a few ways to wake second monitor - change setting (I'm changing VRR on/off) or fullscreen anything, like youtube video on this screen, launch game, steam big picture, vlc fullscreen, etc...

IOn 6.17 it's fine, so I think it's amdgpu issue. Just started digging through forums and issue trackers to find what's wrong.

debo · 2026-01-04 22:31:57

>On 6.17 it's fine, so I think it's amdgpu issue. Just started digging through forums and issue trackers to find what's wrong.

Yep, it is likely a driver issue. I have not tried any of the later 6.17 kernels yet, but I plan to build the kernel so that I can try to bisect it.

seth · 2026-01-04 22:38:12

By "console session" I meant the graphics session.

the linux console does not cut the graphics after a timeout.

Ftr,
"Console" generally refers to https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Linux_console (pretty sure the skunk trader was under the impression you were talking about that)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Linux_ … ic_suspend

There is a few ways to wake second monitor - change setting (I'm changing VRR on/off) or fullscreen anything, like youtube video on this screen, launch game, steam big picture, vlc fullscreen, etc...

@debo, can you confirm that and can either of your reproduce the behavior on not-gnome (weston or some X11 session, the latter can be driven into dpms via "xset dpms force off", for weston https://unix.stackexchange.com/question … ith-weston will likely work.
Ideally avoid using GDM for this because it's effectively both gnome as well as the gnome screen locker.

debo · 2026-01-05 00:48:40

Sorry if I was not clear in my messages.

I think I am going to try to chase the driver angle to figure out what change broke this.

cbirchinger · 2026-01-05 10:25:39

debo wrote:

>On 6.17 it's fine, so I think it's amdgpu issue. Just started digging through forums and issue trackers to find what's wrong.
Yep, it is likely a driver issue. I have not tried any of the later 6.17 kernels yet, but I plan to build the kernel so that I can try to bisect it.

I have the same after updating my RX 7900 XTX system from 6.17 to 6.18.3. Main monitor is DisplayPort and works fine. When my additional display on HDMI gets powered off and on later there is no signal.

This can be recovered by either Ctrl+Alt+Fx to VT text console (display will show signal at that point) and then back to the desktop.
What also works is xrandr for HDMI-A-1 off and on again.

The only relevant component seems to be the Linux Kernel version. 6.17.x works and 6.18.3 is broken.

I've tried multiple linux-firmware (for amdgpu fw) revisions and also tried different Mesa releases but nothing changes the behavior. The only relevant part is the kernel version.

seth · 2026-01-05 13:48:41

Brief sanity check: is anyone here *not* using gnome/GDM?

cbirchinger · 2026-01-05 14:14:59

seth wrote:

Brief sanity check: is anyone here *not* using gnome/GDM?

RX 7900 XTX System runs XFCE and LightDM and Xorg. Pure desktop, no power saving features, even DPMS is off.

seth · 2026-01-05 14:50:08

Possibly related to https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/drm/amd/-/issues/4730
Since you can ssh into the system, from there check

for OUT in /sys/class/drm/card*; do echo $OUT; edid-decode $OUT/edid; echo "================="; done

You'll need https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/v4l-utils/
And then see whether you can revive the output following

change setting (I'm changing VRR on/off) or fullscreen anything, like youtube video on this screen, launch game, steam big picture, vlc fullscreen, etc...

Exporting WAYLAND_DISPLAY and "mpv --fullscreen video.mp4" might do?

even DPMS is off

Errrr… but the subject explicitly states "not wake after screen blank" ie. DPMS as precondition?

Bodyash · 2026-01-09 09:43:55

Yes, mpv --fullscreen helps

VLC also works.

Sometimes I open youtube video and drag browser window on sleeping monitor, then press "F". It also works.

And sometime I open gnome-settings and change refresh rate on second montitor - (actually just changing VRR on/off)

It started a day I've updated from kernel 6.17.9 to 6.18.1

UPD: looks like MPV can wake second monitor if fullscreen on first screen sometimes, so random, I don't understand

Last edited by Bodyash (2026-01-09 21:48:37)

Bodyash · Yesterday 06:46:39

Kernel 6.18.4, bug is still here

Also I've found a new way to wake-up my monitor, just F11 in web-browser (fullscreen)
Works all the time, even if i'm fullscreening it on working monitor, it wakes-up second monitor for some reason

UPD: Issue found and bisected: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/drm/amd/-/issues/4859

Last edited by Bodyash (Yesterday 07:03:01)

debo · Yesterday 23:18:47

I built a 6.18.4 kernel backing out the commit referenced in https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/drm/amd/-/issues/4859, and the issue is resolved.

Arch Linux

#1 2026-01-04 05:57:18

Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#2 2026-01-04 06:01:07

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#3 2026-01-04 06:03:16

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#4 2026-01-04 06:30:15

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#5 2026-01-04 14:30:41

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#6 2026-01-04 20:54:37

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#7 2026-01-04 21:01:29

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#8 2026-01-04 21:51:48

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#9 2026-01-04 22:21:04

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#10 2026-01-04 22:31:57

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#11 2026-01-04 22:38:12

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#12 2026-01-05 00:48:40

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#13 2026-01-05 10:25:39

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#14 2026-01-05 13:48:41

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#15 2026-01-05 14:14:59

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#16 2026-01-05 14:50:08

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#17 2026-01-09 09:43:55

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#18 Yesterday 06:46:39

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

#19 Yesterday 23:18:47

Re: Console display session does not wake after screen blank

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