<![CDATA[Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor]]>Hi, MM Community,
I recently installed an Adafruit PIR sensor, and configured it using this MagicMirrorCentral guide (https://www.magicmirrorcentral.com/pir-sensor-raspberry-pi-magic-mirror/), and I rebooted like the instructions said. Instead of my normal desktop showing up, all I get is a black screen with my cursor on it, but there is nothing to click. I can’t even get to the terminal to run any commands. Please help me with this, what have I done wrong, and how can I fix it?

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/11835/black-screen-instead-of-desktop-after-installing-pir-sensorRSS for NodeMon, 13 Apr 2026 04:20:39 GMTSun, 22 Dec 2019 22:25:13 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 30 Dec 2019 05:59:39 GMT]]>I had a simmilar Problem an had to use my old Backup after investigating hours. It seems that there are Problems between versions of node and electron. Do you have a white Window shortly and then the black desktop screen?

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66781https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66781Mon, 30 Dec 2019 05:59:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 30 Dec 2019 02:17:37 GMT]]>I had a similar problem when I used MMM-PIR-Sensor module. Everything had been working for about 6 months then I updated something and it stoped working. I re-installed everything several times and through a process of elimination and google searches it acmes down to this particular module.

I have now got it a working again by finding the latest update from a branched version of MMM-PIR-Sensor module.

I never did find the cause.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66777https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66777Mon, 30 Dec 2019 02:17:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:55:33 GMT]]>@sdetweil Been there, done that, didn’t work. I’ve been searching Google for this issue, and came up short. Didn’t find much results, but I will try some more searching,

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66476https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66476Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:55:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:54:21 GMT]]>@09succotash I might try to change desktop with login

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66474https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66474Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:54:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:52:22 GMT]]>@sdetweil Boot options, and then what?

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66473https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66473Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:52:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:50:52 GMT]]>@09succotash in the terminal window, if u run sudo raspi-config
and look at boot options…

beyond that there are 1 few (hundred) posts about problems like this if u search google

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66472https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66472Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:50:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:40:22 GMT]]>@sdetweil Clicked reconfigure, nothing shows up. Clicked desktop, just shows a list of desktops. Shows 4 desktops. I’ve been through them all, shows the same black screen.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66471https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66471Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:40:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:37:52 GMT]]>@09succotash ok, select Desktops or reconfigure

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66470https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66470Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:37:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:37:01 GMT]]>@sdetweil This is what mine looks like. The white bar at the top of the screen is vnc viewer, not the screen. I’m using vnc viewer on my laptop.
0_1577118980626_fb54c8d6-fef4-4369-b632-05227fd16e62-image.png

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66469https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66469Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:37:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:33:23 GMT]]>@09succotash if u right click, does the popup menu have desktop preferences?
is should

https://forum.lxde.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=31338

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66468https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66468Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:33:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:28:27 GMT]]>@sdetweil This is Raspbian Stretch, yep.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66467https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66467Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:28:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:26:50 GMT]]>@09succotash this is stretch or???

lsb_release -a in the terminal window

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66466https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66466Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:26:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:26:13 GMT]]>@sdetweil Exactly. It seems to be running, but my wallpaper, taskbar, and icons are gone. Black screen shows in its place.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66465https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66465Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:26:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:25:20 GMT]]>@09succotash said in Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor:

by right clicking somewhere on the screen

ok, so desktop is running, even tho u might not be able to see it…

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66464https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66464Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:25:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:24:01 GMT]]>@sdetweil I could only get to terminal, by right clicking somewhere on the screen. I tried stopping MM using pm2, didn’t have any effect.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66463https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66463Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:24:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:21:24 GMT]]>@09succotash but it can’t hurt to stop it…

if you can get to terminal, then its not a desktop problem…

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66462https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66462Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:21:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:21:10 GMT]]>@sdetweil I cannot ssh into it. I am able to access the terminal though. MM is running on pm2, I just setup an autostart script for it. I don’t think MM is causing the issue, because the issue started just when I was setting up the PIR sensor.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66460https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66460Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:21:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:17:29 GMT]]>@09succotash can u ssh into the machine?

is MM running on pm2? do pm2 status, and if not stopped do pm2 stop for each line (use number or name)

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66459https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66459Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:17:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:13:21 GMT]]>@Fozi Ahh, its ok. Thanks for your help, I’ll figure something out.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66458https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66458Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:13:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:09:01 GMT]]>@09succotash As said, copy the whole MM-folder, eg. via scp to another PC and then reinstall Raspbian.
I’m sorry that I can’t provide a more satisfying solution:disappointed_face:

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66456https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66456Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:09:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:08:50 GMT]]>@Fozi I can’t reinstall Raspbian because this is for a science fair project, due in two weeks, and I put too much work into it for me to be able to finish on time if I reinstall. There has to be a way to get my desktop back without reinstalling.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66455https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66455Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:08:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:05:09 GMT]]>@Fozi MagicMirror framework is installed, yes.

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66454https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66454Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:05:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Black screen instead of desktop after installing PIR sensor on Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:43:17 GMT]]>@09succotash Umpf…the last thing that comes to my mind…disconnect the PIR-Sensor from GPIO. Maybe it is not connected to the right pins, which may cause that strange behaviour.

Do you have the MM-software installed? If so, then copy the whole MagicMirror directory to a save place and reinstall Raspbian from scratch. It’s probably the fastest and easiest solution after all, if nothing else is installed on the RPi.

Maybe someone else here in the forum can help? Guys?

]]>https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66445https://forum.magicmirror.builders/post/66445Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:43:17 GMT