Introduction

• Some people find scrolling text at boot time boring...
• Unless debugging, why look at the text?
• Let's configure the computer to display something graphically pleasing during boot.
• Leave the option to see the text (just in case)
• Software packages gfxboot and bootsplash will be discussed in this presentation.

Jazz up the Boot Menu

• The GRUB menu is functional but (IMHO) not very pretty.
• The gfxboot software can retain the function and make the graphics more pleasing.
• Available on recent SuSE distros – works with LILO, Syslinux, GRUB. License = GPL.
• Make the message file:
  • /usr/sbin/mkbootmsg \ -L /usr/share/gfxboot/themes/SuSE \ -c <config> <outfile>
• mv <outfile> /boot/message

HOWTO

• LILO
  • Add “message=/boot/message” to /etc/lilo.conf
• GRUB
  • Add “gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/message” (or similar) to /boot/grub/menu.lst
• Reboot the computer
• You should see a graphically pleasing boot menu

Normal GRUB Menu

gfxmenu for GRUB

Bootsplash

• Bootsplash hides the scrolling text normally seen during boot.
• Two choices: silent or verbose
• Silent:
  • Screen contains graphic and progress bar
  • Press F2 to go to verbose screen
• Verbose:
  • Graphic with text region overlay and progress bar (can't go back to silent screen...sorry!)

Install the Software

• Install bootsplash and bootsplash-theme packages
• Download sources from http://www.bootsplash.org
• Many bootsplash themes already exist !
• Download themes from http://bootsplash.de

Configure the Kernel

• Install kernel sources
• One must apply the bootsplash kernel patch
  • Patch rev must match your kernel rev !
    • cd /usr/src/linux
    • patch -p1 < bootsplash_patch_file
• Your distribution's kernel might already have this patch applied (SuSE kernel is OK)
• Configure kernel (zless /proc/config.gz) (slightly different 2.4 vs. 2.6, see next slides)
• Compile and install kernel

Linux 2.4.x kernel config

• Code maturity level options --->
• [*] Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers
• Processor type and features --->
• [*] MTRR (Memory Type Range Register) support
• Block Devices ->
• [*] Loopback device support
• [*] RAM disk support
• (4096) Default RAM disk size
• [*] Initial RAM disk (initrd) support
• Console Drivers ->
• [*] VGA text console
• [*] Video mode selection support
• Console Drivers -> Frame-buffer support ->
• [*] Support for frame buffer devices
• [*] VESA VGA graphics console
• [*] Use splash screen instead of boot logo

Linux 2.6.x kernel config

• Code maturity level options --->
• [*] Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers
• Processor type and features --->
• [*] MTRR (Memory Type Range Register) support
• Device Drivers --->
• Block devices --->
• <*> Loopback device support
• <*> RAM disk support
• (4096) Default RAM disk size
• [*] Initial RAM disk (initrd) support
• Graphics support --->
• [*] Support for frame buffer devices
• [*] VESA VGA graphics support
• Console display driver support --->
• [*] Video mode selection support
• <*> Framebuffer Console support
• Bootsplash configuration --->
• [*] Bootup splash screen

Bootsplash Installation

• Bootsplash software attaches picture to initrd file
  • SuSE:
    • point to desired theme in /etc/sysconfig/bootsplash
    • mkinitrd -s <resolution>
    • Example: mkinitrd -s 640x480
  • Generic:
    • Run “splash” program
    • Example: splash -s -f <config_file> >> /boot/initrd

SuSE: /etc/sysconfig/bootsplash

• ## Path: System/Boot
• ## Description: selects bootsplash graphics theme
• ## Type: string
• ## Default: SuSE
• # Choose the bootsplash theme. It should be based in
• # /etc/bootsplash/themes
• #THEME="SuSE"
• #THEME="TuxNTosh"
• #THEME="KillBillTux-Yellow"
• THEME="FrozenBubble"
• ## Path: System/Boot
• ## Description: enables/disables bootup graphics
• ## Type: yesno
• ## Default: yes
• #
• # SPLASH can be set to "no" to turn off the splash-screen on console 1
• # at boot time (after kernel load).
• #
• # SPLASH=no to disable the splash screen
• #
• # SPLASH=yes to show the splash screen
• #
• SPLASH="yes"

Kernel Boot Parameters

• When booting, add “vga=<number>” to indicate resolution.
• Also add “splash=silent”
• VGA table: resolution and color depth Depth 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1280x1024 8 769 771 773 775 15 784 787 790 793 16 785 788 791 794 24 786 789 792 795
• /usr/src/linux/Documentation/ kernel-parameters.txt

Bootsplash Themes

• Many themes already exist
• Hack existing themes to create your own !
• Theme config files are small but tedious to create...no creation GUI exists.
• JPEG image file must follow naming convention
  • bootsplash-<res>.jpg
  • silent-<res>.jpg
• Config files must follow naming convention
  • config/bootsplash-<res>.cfg
• Themes: /etc/bootsplash/themes/<THEME>/
  • subdirs: bootloader, config, images

Creating your own Theme

• Copy existing theme to <your_theme_dir>
• Replace images with your own
  • one image for each supported resolution
  • follow naming conventions
• Edit config files to your liking
  • this is a bit tedious
  • Gimp helps figure out pixel coordinates
  • kcolorchooser helps with hex color values
  • one config for each supported resolution
• Edit /etc/sysconfig/bootsplash to point to your theme
• Append to /boot/initrd (splash or mkinitrd)
• Reboot to test or try “splash -s -u <console#> <cfg>”

Themes Demo

• Show slideshow of themes with Kuickshow
• Demo real boot in VMware

Conclusion

• gfxboot will make the GRUB menu pretty
• bootsplash will either:
  • hide the scrolling boot text
  • make it pretty with a graphical background
  • Press F2 to see text messages
• All of this software is GPL.