Bug 2407003 - No GNOME desktop after upgrade to Fedora 43
Summary: No GNOME desktop after upgrade to Fedora 43
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: gdm
Version: 43
Hardware: Unspecified
OS: Unspecified
unspecified
urgent
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Ray Strode [halfline]
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2025-10-29 08:15 UTC by Jan Vlug
Modified: 2025-12-09 09:46 UTC (History)
12 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed:
Type: Bug
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description Jan Vlug 2025-10-29 08:15:10 UTC
Description of problem:
After upgrading from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 my computer did not show the graphical window with users to log in into GNOME any more.

The system was "just hanging" with a black screen.

I still could ssh into the system.

The solution is given here: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-43-upgrade-failed-had-to-manually-reboot-now-gdm-coredumps/170463/3

Which is:
sudo vi /etc/shadow

add a line at the bottom of the file that looks like the following:

gdm-greeter:!:20102::::::

save the file via :wq!

reboot

Comment 1 Jan Vlug 2025-10-29 17:28:15 UTC
This bug happened also on my second Fedora computer.

Maybe it is relevant that I have been upgrading the computers for several years, I think at least since 2017.

Comment 2 David Auer 2025-10-29 22:12:23 UTC
I'm curious what your output of "authselect current" would be. Had a similar issue, also on a system with many upgrades, but a different solution: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/no-login-screen-after-upgrade-to-f43-solved-authselect-was-never-set-up-on-a-system-upgraded-through-many-versions/170594

Comment 3 Jan Vlug 2025-10-29 22:20:00 UTC
On both systems with this bug:

$ authselect current
No existing configuration detected.

Comment 4 henrik.johansson.kank@gmail.com 2025-11-02 21:39:58 UTC
Description of problem:
After upgrading from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 my computer did not show the graphical window with users to log in into GNOME any more.
I tested booting with my old kernels and rescue, the same happened.
Tried to login via Ctrl-alt-f2,f3,f4, I couldn't write usernames on these screens.

I have a deskside computer, that has been running Fedora about 10 years ( upgrade twice a year).

The Gnome-login started, when I saved the shadow file and I could login.
Rebooted and started a normal session.
The work-around did it.

(In reply to Jan Vlug from comment #0)
> Description of problem:
> After upgrading from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 my computer did not show the
> graphical window with users to log in into GNOME any more.
> 
> The system was "just hanging" with a black screen.
> 
> I still could ssh into the system.
> 
> The solution is given here:
> https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-43-upgrade-failed-had-to-
> manually-reboot-now-gdm-coredumps/170463/3
> 
> Which is:
> sudo vi /etc/shadow
> 
> add a line at the bottom of the file that looks like the following:
> 
> gdm-greeter:!:20102::::::
> 
> save the file via :wq!
> 
> reboot

Comment 5 lhalleb 2025-12-01 13:57:28 UTC
I have got this issue to on my Fedora 43 : 
Updating from kernel-6.17.7-300.fc43.x86_64 to kernel-6.17.8-300.fc43.x86_64
And adding this to /etc/shadow fixed it.
gdm-greeter:!:20102:::::: 

---
I see there gdm is coredumping each time and I still have the coredumps if you need.

Comment 6 lhalleb 2025-12-05 13:39:51 UTC
adding this if it helps:

$ authselect current
Profile ID: sssd
Enabled features:
- with-mdns4

Comment 7 Joan Torres López 2025-12-05 16:34:58 UTC
It looks like gdm fails to set up the session of a login screen
because the gdm-greeter dynamic users can't be found. 

Those should be found from systemd-userdbd. From what I've seen 
in related issues, systemd-userdbd might not be properly
set up by sssd.

Is this something known? @ipedrosa

Comment 8 Iker Pedrosa 2025-12-09 09:46:38 UTC
No, I don't think there's any relation between this issue and SSSD, but the problem seems to be related to authselect.

In recent Fedora releases /etc/nsswitch.conf is owned by authselect, and thus this package should be installed and properly configured for the system to provide users coming from systemd-userdbd. I'm assuming that's where gdm-greeter dynamic user is located.


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