lightdm starts and works, but User Manager service for lightdm fails

[TarsolyGer]

Since a recent systemd update (https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/13277), newly installed Arch Linux has the following issue: when I list all systemd services with systemctl --type=service, I get a failed service called user@974.service, which seems to be the User Manager instance for lightdm.

`$ systemctl status user@974.service

● user@974.service - User Manager for UID 974 Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/user@.service; static; vendor preset: disabled) Active: failed (Result: protocol) since Wed 2019-09-18 01:07:42 KST; 9min ago Docs: man:user@.service(5) Process: 5137 ExecStart=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd --user (code=exited, status=224/PAM) Main PID: 5137 (code=exited, status=224/PAM)

szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 974... szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: pam_unix(systemd-user:account): account lightdm has expired (account expired) szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: PAM failed: User account has expired szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: user@974.service: Failed to set up PAM session: Operation not permitted szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: user@974.service: Failed at step PAM spawning /usr/lib/systemd/systemd: Operation not permitted szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: user@974.service: Failed with result 'protocol'. szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: Failed to start User Manager for UID 974.`

`$ journalctl -b -u user@974.service

-- Logs begin at Sat 2019-09-14 18:58:24 KST, end at Wed 2019-09-18 01:21:39 KST. -- szept 17 22:18:39 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 974... szept 17 22:18:39 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[474]: pam_unix(systemd-user:account): account lightdm has expired (account expired) szept 17 22:18:39 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[474]: PAM failed: User account has expired szept 17 22:18:39 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[474]: user@974.service: Failed to set up PAM session: Operation not permitted szept 17 22:18:39 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[474]: user@974.service: Failed at step PAM spawning /usr/lib/systemd/systemd: Operation not permitted szept 17 22:18:39 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: user@974.service: Failed with result 'protocol'. szept 17 22:18:39 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: Failed to start User Manager for UID 974. szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 974... szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: pam_unix(systemd-user:account): account lightdm has expired (account expired) szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: PAM failed: User account has expired szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: user@974.service: Failed to set up PAM session: Operation not permitted szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[5137]: user@974.service: Failed at step PAM spawning /usr/lib/systemd/systemd: Operation not permitted szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: user@974.service: Failed with result 'protocol'. szept 18 01:07:42 nicemicro-home-pc systemd[1]: Failed to start User Manager for UID 974.`

This issue doesn't seem to affect performance of the system (can't be sure, I installed it less than a week ago), as lightdm.service seemingly runs as expected, and it is possible to log in and log out of the system.

[medioman]

same problem whit archlabs archlabs% systemctl status user@972.service ● user@972.service - User Manager for UID 972 Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/user@.service; static; vendor preset: disabled) Active: failed (Result: protocol) since Tue 2019-10-01 21:32:20 CEST; 25min ago Docs: man:user@.service(5) Main PID: 562 (code=exited, status=224/PAM)

ott 01 21:32:20 archlabs systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 972... ott 01 21:32:20 archlabs systemd[562]: pam_unix(systemd-user:account): account lightdm has expired (account expired) ott 01 21:32:20 archlabs systemd[562]: PAM failed: User account has expired ott 01 21:32:20 archlabs systemd[562]: user@972.service: Failed to set up PAM session: Operation not permitted ott 01 21:32:20 archlabs systemd[562]: user@972.service: Failed at step PAM spawning /usr/lib/systemd/systemd: Operation not permitted ott 01 21:32:20 archlabs systemd[1]: user@972.service: Failed with result 'protocol'. ott 01 21:32:20 archlabs systemd[1]: Failed to start User Manager for UID 972. archlabs%

[frappefries]

Same issue here since last week, lightdm is functional yet

systemctl status user@975.service ● user@975.service - User Manager for UID 975 Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/user@.service; static; vendor preset: disabled) Active: failed (Result: protocol) since Mon 2019-10-07 07:09:35 IST; 12min ago Docs: man:user@.service(5) Process: 508 ExecStart=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd --user (code=exited, status=224/PAM) Main PID: 508 (code=exited, status=224/PAM)

Oct 07 07:09:35 spark systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 975... Oct 07 07:09:35 spark systemd[508]: pam_unix(systemd-user:account): account lightdm has expired (account expired) Oct 07 07:09:35 spark systemd[508]: PAM failed: User account has expired Oct 07 07:09:35 spark systemd[508]: user@975.service: Failed to set up PAM session: Operation not permitted Oct 07 07:09:35 spark systemd[508]: user@975.service: Failed at step PAM spawning /usr/lib/systemd/systemd: Operation not permitted Oct 07 07:09:35 spark systemd[1]: user@975.service: Failed with result 'protocol'. Oct 07 07:09:35 spark systemd[1]: Failed to start User Manager for UID 975.

[eromatiya]

Same issue but I have login loop. I'm using AwesomeWM and ArchLinux.

[3ster]

This issue seems to cause a freeze while waiting for systemd-pam to time out when locking the screen for a second time in a single session. Issue can be worked around by resetting the expiry date of the lightdm user with chage -E -1 lightdm, after this locking works as expected again.

[medioman]

i have given this command

usermod --expiredate= ligthdm

lightdm no longer fails. Shouldn't I do it? Cheers

[johnliu55tw]

My workaround is to make it never expire:

# chage -E -1 lightdm

[MikaelFangel]

Just changed the expiration date with “cage -l lightdm” and the error disappeared.