That seems to be correct (unlimited)
According to this log msg, a core file should be generated. What do you have in,
/var/lib/systemd/coredump
$ ls -la /var/lib/systemd/coredump/
insgesamt 7340
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 20480 16. Jun 00:13 .
drwxr-xr-x 13 root root 4096 18. Apr 22:14 ..
-rw-r-----+ 1 root root 1063910 13. Jun 12:23 core.AppRun.1000.326883e146ca479baa6d8f37e834379d.942.1749810208000000.zst
-rw-r-----+ 1 root root 1066186 11. Jun 16:52 core.AppRun.1000.3381ed34b9944ddc94c38fac84857d78.945.1749653520000000.zst
-rw-r-----+ 1 root root 1063971 14. Jun 12:57 core.AppRun.1000.75afade390a340b0844ceae4ce3e4381.930.1749898669000000.zst
-rw-r-----+ 1 root root 1065369 13. Jun 21:02 core.AppRun.1000.864a784019f040f9acb5d8f4c4dcba90.942.1749841348000000.zst
-rw-r-----+ 1 root root 1063448 14. Jun 12:40 core.AppRun.1000.8fb9ecae112d418484ee4514786ba393.937.1749897636000000.zst
-rw-r-----+ 1 root root 1064860 10. Jun 18:45 core.AppRun.1000.c89f4b50779e4bc58029c5241a67b022.938.1749573955000000.zst
-rw-r-----+ 1 root root 1063420 16. Jun 00:13 core.AppRun.1000.e170d783eaa640bb8d0622e240b44977.967.1750025626000000.zst
Not sure if cinnamon handles sig 6 in this case.
Forget this line, I didn’t see your edited msg above.
" EDIT: If you were looking for the crash dump, that might not be there anymore, since I had to restore to a Timeshift snapshot before the update and crash happened, to get this system working again. But I’ve saved the pacman.log (see above)."
Can you re-produce the problem and see if you can get a core file?
Remember you’re still on X11. Does $HOME/.xsession-errors give you any clues?
.xsession-errors shows no dates, just times. It looks like it only shows today’s info? 7:36 was this morning when I booted this laptop.
gnome-keyring-daemon: no process capabilities, insecure memory might get used
gnome-keyring-daemon: no process capabilities, insecure memory might get used
discover_other_daemon: 1discover_other_daemon: 1[cinnamon-settings-daemon-smartcard] Failed to start: no suitable smartcard driver could be found
[cinnamon-settings-daemon-smartcard] Failed to start: no suitable smartcard driver could be found
dbus-daemon[980]: Activating service name='org.a11y.atspi.Registry' requested by ':1.0' (uid=1000 pid=947 comm="/usr/bin/csd-color")
dbus-daemon[980]: Successfully activated service 'org.a11y.atspi.Registry'
(csd-media-keys:946): csd-media-keys-WARNING **: 07:35:59.168: Unable to get default sink
/usr/bin/cinnamon-launcher:56: DeprecationWarning: This process (pid=1122) is multi-threaded, use of fork() may lead to deadlocks in the child.
self.cinnamon_pid = os.fork()
Gjs-Message: 07:35:59.752: JS LOG: About to start Cinnamon (X11 backend)
Gjs-Message: 07:35:59.850: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Cinnamon.AppSystem.get_default() started in 0 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:35:59.852: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] loading user theme: /usr/share/themes/Arc-Dark/cinnamon/cinnamon.css
Gjs-Message: 07:35:59.865: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] added icon directory: /usr/share/themes/Arc-Dark/cinnamon
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.256: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] NetworkManager agent: enabled
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.260: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Polkit agent: enabled
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.260: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] SSH agent: enabled
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.275: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] loaded at Mon Jun 16 2025 07:36:00 GMT+0200 (Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit)
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.275: JS LOG: Cinnamon started at Mon Jun 16 2025 07:36:00 GMT+0200 (Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit)
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.284: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] ExtensionSystem started in 1 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.284: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] DeskletManager started in 0 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.284: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] SearchProviderManager started in 0 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.354: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet separator@cinnamon.org in 31 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.364: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet favorites@cinnamon.org in 10 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.367: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Role locked: tray
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.370: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet systray@cinnamon.org in 6 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.377: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet removable-drives@cinnamon.org in 7 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.391: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Role locked: notifications
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.442: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet notifications@cinnamon.org in 65 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.465: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet keyboard@cinnamon.org in 22 ms
** (at-spi2-registryd:1044): WARNING **: 07:36:00.465: Failed to register client: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.AlreadyRegistered: Unable to register client
** (at-spi2-registryd:1044): WARNING **: 07:36:00.465: Unable to register client with session manager
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.510: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet printers@cinnamon.org in 45 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.629: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet calendar@cinnamon.org in 119 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.699: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet cornerbar@cinnamon.org in 70 ms
Cannot register authentication agent: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.Error.Failed: An authentication agent already exists for the given subject
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.719: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet xapp-status@cinnamon.org in 20 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.907: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Role locked: panellauncher
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.907: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Role locked: windowattentionhandler
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.912: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Monitor Watch List updated: [0]
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.913: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet grouped-window-list@cinnamon.org in 193 ms
Nemo-Message: 07:36:00.944: nemo-desktop: session is cinnamon, establishing proxy
Gjs-Message: 07:36:00.990: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet power@cinnamon.org in 77 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.068: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet sound@cinnamon.org in 78 ms
csd-power-Message: 07:36:01.072: gnome-rr not supported for display backlight, using backlight-helper for future calls
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.173: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet network@cinnamon.org in 104 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.393: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Loaded applet menu@cinnamon.org in 220 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.394: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] AppletManager started in 1118 ms
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.400: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Cinnamon took 1648 ms to start
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.478: JS LOG: Unknown network device type, is 32
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.514: JS LOG: Unknown network device type, is 30
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.549: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Adding systray: input-method (16x16px)
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.559: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Adding systray: pamac-tray (16x16px)
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.575: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Adding systray: anydesk (16x16px)
blueman-applet 07.36.01 WARNING PluginManager:153 __load_plugin: Not loading PPPSupport because its conflict has higher priority
blueman-applet 07.36.01 WARNING PluginManager:153 __load_plugin: Not loading DhcpClient because its conflict has higher priority
(cinnamon:1183): XApp-WARNING **: 07:36:01.681: Switcheroo-control doesn't appear to be running, checking for Ubuntu support...
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.759: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] GPU offload supported: false
Gjs-Message: 07:36:01.916: JS LOG: calendar@cinnamon.org: Calendar events supported.
Gjs-Message: 07:36:02.267: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Adding XAppStatusIcon: :1.78 (:1.47/org/x/StatusIcon/Icon)
(pamac-tray:1262): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 07:36:02.622: gdk_window_thaw_toplevel_updates: assertion 'window->update_and_descendants_freeze_count > 0' failed
(anydesk:1285): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 07:36:02.622: gdk_window_thaw_toplevel_updates: assertion 'window->update_and_descendants_freeze_count > 0' failed
Gjs-Message: 07:36:03.199: JS LOG: [LookingGlass/info] Adding XAppStatusIcon: (:1.47/org/x/StatusIcon/Icon_1)
Gjs-Message: 07:36:04.091: JS LOG: Enabling WindowAttentionHandler
** Message: 07:36:30.642: updates_checker.vala:59: check updates
** Message: 08:36:00.634: updates_checker.vala:59: check updates
blueman-applet 09.25.38 WARNING DiscvManager:122 update_menuitems: warning: Adapter is None
Gjs-Message: 09:25:38.783: JS LOG: Removing a network device that was not added
Gjs-Message: 09:25:38.783: JS LOG: Unknown network device type, is 30
blueman-applet 09.25.38 WARNING PowerManager:186 on_adapter_property_changed: adapter powered on while in off state, turning bluetooth on
blueman-applet 14.45.16 WARNING DiscvManager:122 update_menuitems: warning: Adapter is None
Gjs-Message: 14:45:16.955: JS LOG: Removing a network device that was not added
Gjs-Message: 14:45:16.956: JS LOG: Unknown network device type, is 30
blueman-applet 14.45.17 WARNING PowerManager:186 on_adapter_property_changed: adapter powered on while in off state, turning bluetooth on
** Message: 14:46:20.293: updates_checker.vala:59: check updates
** Message: 15:14:46.555: updates_checker.vala:59: check updates
** Message: 15:15:28.295: updates_checker.vala:59: check updates
/usr/share/cinnamon/cinnamon-settings/cinnamon-settings.py:458: DeprecationWarning: Gtk.Window.set_wmclass is deprecated
self.window.set_wmclass(wm_class, wm_class)
Nemo-Share-Message: 15:24:14.724: Called "net usershare info" but it failed: »net usershare« gab den Fehler 255 zurück: Can't load /etc/samba/smb.conf - run testparm to debug it
net usershare: usershares are currently disabled
** Message: 15:46:32.350: updates_checker.vala:59: check updates
Reproduce… Phew. Yes, it was reproducible (tried 2x), this is how I found that it should have been caused by an update, not by a theme I tried before. I’d like to avoid that, doing all the tedious “half-starts” and the terminal work again, if anyhow possible.
If needed, what would I need to save before restoring an old snapshot again, so I can come back here on a working system?
.xseesion-errors contains logs from current session. Old logs are saved in .save or .old files (I am not running X11, forgot the exact file extension name).
If you wanna try to re-produce, manully snapshot the working system in timeshift first. In case something breaks after the update, you could always go back to where it started.
Yeah, I could also use the “restore point” snapshot I made in Timeshift.
I only have another, horribly slow convertible running Mint available right now, to which I could probably scp some files in the “broken” state. (Like I did with the pacman.log above.)
But which files exactly would I need to save? And would it help debugging, because I’d have to restore this laptop to a working Timeshift snapshot again, before I can come back here?
I really wonder which of the updated packages caused cinnamon to break, because cinnamon itself had no update. If we’d know that, I could temporarily IgnorePkg it, or something.
Or I could uninstall some packages I don’t currently need, like qemu or espanso maybe.
EDIT: Maybe appimagelauncher would be a good first candidate…
I would be surprised if it’s casused by update from cinnmaon itself.
[cinnamon-6.4.9-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst](https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/c/cinnamon/cinnamon-6.4.9-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst) 31-Mar-2025 16:20 2M [cinnamon-6.4.9-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sig](https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/c/cinnamon/cinnamon-6.4.9-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sig) 31-Mar-2025 16:20 310 [cinnamon-6.4.9-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst](https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/c/cinnamon/cinnamon-6.4.9-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst) 23-Apr-2025 15:02 2M [cinnamon-6.4.9-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sig](https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/c/cinnamon/cinnamon-6.4.9-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sig) 23-Apr-2025 15:02 310`
If it happened recently, it must be caused by changes in other packages. Maybe you could use pacman.log to roll back recent changes one by one to isolate the bad guy. You have many packages installed from other sources, such as aur and appimage. It would make the debug process a little complicated. I would try to stay away from those 3rd party sources as much as possible to make your system clean and managable. Good luck.
That’s what I think, too.
Yeah. Only from the AUR, actually, and currently no AppImage on the system, although some AUR packages seem to unpack AppImages, so I’m unsure. Already tried to keep those at a minimum, but some things I need are only in the AUR.
So you’d say I must now go step-by-step remove a suspect, do the updates, see if it crashes, restore if yes, try the next?
Should I remove orphans after each pacman -Rns …, or better leave them untouched?
It’s up to you. I would track down what caused the problem, report it back to arch forum or upstream pkg maintainer, hold them in pacman.conf and wait for further updates from Arch.
Either use pacman.log to isolate the problematic pkg(s). I doube neither Arch nor the upstream woudl accept it without further technical details.
Or, generate a core file and submit the stack trace to them.
Periodically run,
$pacman -Qdtq | sudo pacman -Rns -
and enable “paccache.timer” in your system to make the system clean.
Thanks. That’s what I do from time to time, and the paccache.timer is also active (weekly).
(I dodged a bullet. 3 updates then reboot I got back into Cinnamon fine.)
Here’s how i do pacman -Qtdq:
run it
see list of packages then pacman -Rns
run -Qtdq again I guarantee you will see new packages in the list
remove them again
run -Qtdq until the output is empty of packages
2 cents
Hm. Good you succeeded. To reduce my number of “suspects”, could you give me your pacman -Qm, so I only need to check those you don’t have? (Since your update succeeded.)
My list is above.
pacman -Qm
anoise 0.0.36-5
anoise-gui 0.0.4-4
anoise-media 0.0.17-1
apricity-icons 40.post-3
arc-icon-theme 20161122-4
brother-hll2315dw 3.2.1_1-1
cnrdrvcups-lb-bin 6.10.01-1
etcher-bin 2.1.2-1
freetube-bin 0.23.5-1
gant-icon-theme 1.3-2
gapless 4.4-1
gnome-terminal-transparency 3.56.2-1
humanity-icon-theme 0.6.16-1
kora-icon-theme 1.6.5-1
librewolf-bin 1:139.0.4_1-1
mint-backgrounds-sylvia 1.2-2
mullvad-browser-bin 14.5.3-1
neru-icon-classic-theme 2.7-14
pacseek-bin 1.8.5-1
radiotray 0.7.3-16
reiserfsprogs 3.6.27-5
trivia-quiz 1.0.1-1
trougnouf-backgrounds 2.6-1
ttf-ms-fonts 2.0-12
ttf-tt2020 0.2.1-1
ungoogled-chromium-bin 137.0.7151.68-1
whatweb 0.5.5-1
take care gotta run
Thanks! And tell you what? Gut feeling, after 50 years of IT… plus all the helpful hints here… WE CAUGHT IT!
The culprit was indeed appimagelauncher, although I seem not to have any AppImages on this system currently.
I uninstalled it using pacman -Rns appimagelauncher (3 packages to remove), then rebooted, then did all 188 updates using yay, rebooted again, and voilà! Cinnamon in all its glory!
The core.AppRun Espanso errors in ~/.xsession-errors are also now gone. Maybe Espanso is a hidden AppImage?
Thanks all for your assistance! I’m so happy now!
From here - https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/espanso-x11-bin - espanso-x11-bin is an AppImage.
Darn! Thanks! In disguise probably, since I did a find for *.AppImage (see above somewhere).
But good to know I could edit the service (systemctl --user edit espanso.service) and add Environment="APPIMAGELAUNCHER_DISABLE=1" to it. I could then use the appimagelauncher again if I wanted to.
Really better reading the comments before installing an AUR package! 
AUR is not usually loaded with danger. I think what happened to you is uncommon. But we all get bit by the uncommon sometimes. Congrats for solving.