Cannot enter password to start Ubuntu

Question

I'm running Ubuntu 14.10 with the system disk encrypted with luks. When I start the computer, it shows the Ubuntu logo and asks to enter the password to unlock the disk. However, I cannot enter the password. Nothing happens if I type the password and hit Enter. However, I can hit Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart the computer. The only way to start the computer at the moment is to use the recovery mode.

Any ideas?

Solution 1

I have the same problem. It seems to be an issue with Plymouth not capturing keyboard input, at this step in the boot process

Work Around: update boot parameters in /etc/default/grub and change splash to nosplash. After that you can run update-grub and you will get a console based password prompt instead of the Plymouth one. Not as pretty, but it's doesn't require gyrations to boot.

Diagnostic Synopsis: If I hit Ctrl + Alt + F1 then Ctrl + Alt + F7, the Plymouth graphic screen disappears and it brings me back to a black screen where I can see the text I type echoed, but it doesn't accept the input to unlock the drive.

Solution 2

I share the same problem.

I found the following solution: At splash screen it is not possible to enter the password. If I type ESC to display textual console, it is possible to unlock the disk with the password.

Comments

[user254173]

I mean no other keyboard input has any effect than Ctrl + Alt + Del. If I type in the password and hit Enter, nothing happens as if the keyboard is not connected.

[Camway]

Omg, thank you so much. I know this is a little old, but after months of troubleshooting this finally resolved my issue. You are a godsend.

[Qsiris]

is there a bug report for this?

[Philippe Gaucher]

I had exactly the same problem with one of my PCs and that fixes it !

[st01]

Thanks, this was extremely useful. Extra thanks for adding the diagnostic synopsis. By the way, has this still not been fixed in Plymouth, 2+ years on?

[Chen Levy]

While the workaround works, on my system (Kubuntu 17.10) it makes all the graphics extremely slow as if everything is now using the fb rendering, and since after a failed reboot I get a fall-back dialog that works. So every 2nd reboot I can login. I would like to find a way to trigger this fall-back every time.

[Chen Levy]

Answering myself: I found a solution that do just that.