[Beta] Fedora 42 KDE – Encrypted password prompt blinks and reappears confusingly during boot

Summary
While booting Fedora 42 KDE (encrypted disk), the LUKS password prompt behaves unexpectedly: after entering the password, the screen briefly goes black, then the prompt reappears for a few seconds (but cannot be typed into), followed by the KDE login prompt. This creates confusion about whether the password was accepted.


Steps to Reproduce:

  1. Install Fedora 42 KDE with full disk encryption (LUKS).
  2. Boot the system normally.
  3. Observe the password prompt behavior during boot.

Expected Behavior
After typing the correct decryption password, the system should proceed smoothly to KDE login without re-showing the password prompt or causing visual glitches.


Actual Behavior:

  • After entering the decryption password, the screen briefly turns black.
  • The same password prompt reappears for a few seconds but doesn’t accept input. As the previous screen shows, KDE finishes loading.
  • Then the KDE login prompt shows up as expected.

System Information

  • Fedora version: Fedora 42 (Beta) KDE Spin
  • Encryption: Full disk encryption (LUKS)
  • Hardware: [Insert CPU, GPU, and laptop model if relevant – optional but helps]

Additional Notes:
This seems to be a visual or Plymouth-related issue during the transition between boot stages. It may confuse users into thinking the password was not accepted or the system has frozen.

Does this issue still persist if you remove rhgb from the kernel arguments?

No, but the Plymouth doesn’t start as usual. Starts in text mode, and if I press esc, it is not the Plymouth as expected, let`s say…I simplified version.

As this is a beta release please raise a bug report so the developers can investigage. See How to file a bug :: Fedora Docs

1 Like

It’s probably this change, Changes/PlymouthUseSimpledrm - Fedora Project Wiki

You could try

sudo grubby --update-kernel=ALL --args="plymouth.use-simpledrm=0"

Ref: Changes/PlymouthUseSimpledrm - Fedora Project Wiki