Added guide to recover Arch Linux from black screen boot without live USB

Author: iniridwanul

content/posts/linux/recovering-arch-linux-from-a-black-screen-boot-without-a-live-usb.md

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+---
+cover:
+ image: /images/grub_shell.jpg
+ alt: Recovering Arch Linux from a Black Screen Boot Without a Live USB
+ relative: false
+title: 'Recovering Arch Linux from a Black Screen Boot Without a Live USB'
+author: 'iniridwanul'
+date: 2025-05-08T15:18:02+06:00
+tags:
+  - Black Screen
+  - GRUB
+  - Shell
+  - TTY
+  - Kernel
+  - Arch Linux
+draft: false
+categories:
+  - Linux
+---
+
+When using Arch Linux, sometimes the system may break in such a way that it boots into a black screen and doesn't even allow TTY (terminal) access using typical key combinations like `Ctrl + Alt + F2`. This can be a frustrating situation especially if you don't have a bootable USB to access a live environment for troubleshooting.
+
+Fortunately, there is a way to recover from this kind of issue using the GRUB bootloader. This article will walk you through how to bypass the graphical boot and access a working terminal by modifying boot parameters directly in GRUB.
+
+## Symptoms
+System powers on, but instead of reaching the login screen, it displays a black screen that blinks or remains completely unresponsive.
+- You are unable to access TTY by pressing Ctrl + Alt + F2, F3, etc.
+- No bootable USB or live environment is available for rescue.
+
+## Cause
+This usually happens due to:
+- Misconfiguration in the display manager (like GDM, LightDM, etc.)
+- Broken graphical drivers (e.g., after a package update)
+- Corrupted graphical target
+
+When the system attempts to boot into the graphical target (graphical UI) and fails, it doesn't automatically fall back to a safe mode or CLI interface.
+
+## Boot into Multi-User Target from GRUB
+Instead of booting into the graphical interface, you can instruct your system to boot directly into the multi-user target, which gives you terminal (TTY) access.
+
+- Reboot your system and enter the BIOS/UEFI boot menu (usually by pressing F12, ESC, or DEL, depending on your system).
+- Select the disk where your Arch Linux system is installed.
+- When the GRUB menu appears, highlight the default boot option (don’t press Enter yet).
+- Press `e` to edit the selected boot entry.
+- You will see a number of lines. Look for the line that starts with linux. It will look something like:
+`linux /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=xxxxxx rw loglevel=3 quiet`
+- At the end of that line, add the following:
+`systemd.unit=multi-user.target`
+The full line might look like:
+`linux /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=xxxxxx rw loglevel=3 quiet systemd.unit=multi-user.target`
+- Press `Ctrl + X` to boot with the modified settings.
+
+## What Happens Next
+Your system will boot into TTY mode (non-graphical terminal).
+
+You will see a login prompt. Use your username and password to log in.
+
+From here, you can troubleshoot the graphical environment or any other system issue.
+
+## Conclusion
+Even without a live USB, it's possible to recover a non-booting Arch Linux system stuck at a black screen. Using GRUB to boot into multi-user.target provides a safe and accessible environment for recovery. This technique is invaluable for system administrators and users who frequently work with minimal or broken systems.