Suse Style framebuffer boot

[eadz]

I also posted this on the debian-knoppix mailing list and hope klaus adds it.

I mentioned a while ago about a LPP boot.
LPP is the Linux Progress Patch, and introduces a framebuffer progress page
with progress bar. I got it working, but there were some drawbacks -
1) required compiling the image into the kernel
2) required adding CONSOLE=/dev/tty2 to the append line
3) if they didn't have vesa fb then they saw nothing
4) didn't work if it wasn't interactive, i.e if the startup required
interaction, then you would not see it.
conclusion : lpp is suitable for harddrive installs only.

Then I came along the suse kernel patch, with "splash" program

This is the framebuffer bootup that you see on suse machines.
it overcomes _all_ the drawbacks of lpp :
1) the image is stored seperatly ( in miniroot.gz )
2) the console stays on tty1, as it is just written ontop of the image ( in a
set area)
3) if you don't have vesa fb compatible card, you just see normal knoppix
bootup
4) Made in .de
one disadvantage - requires a statically compiled binary to be included in
miniroot.gz

It creates a framebuffer image and draws the console text over top of the
image, which is in jpeg format. I have implemented this in a remaster and it
works well.

I have used isolinux, so size wasn't an issue.
my image is 49KB, but could be smaller if more jpeg compression is used (
again not an issue with isolinux )
The statically compiled splash program is 384K.

Recipe : ( makes 800x600
Ingredients
- 800x600 Jpg - example attached ( made with gimp - if anyone wants the .xcf
email me )
- config file for the jpg - example attached
- kernel patch - attached
- "splash" program - sources attached
all above programs and additinal documentation can be found at
ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/people/stepan/bootsplash

What I did Instructions: ( no these wont make sence to everyone just to people
who have remastered or Klaus )

statically compiled the splash.c program ( with gcc --static option ) and put
it in /static of miniroot.gz

made a directory "/splash" in miniroot.gz and put the .jpg and .cfg file there
compiled a kernel with the patch ( after patching, make sure that the
"CONFIG_FBCON_SPLASHSCREEN" is Y - in fb section.) then compile.

replace the vmlinuz and kernel modules both in miniroot.gz, and in
/lib/modules/ etc with the compiled ones. ( you will prolly want to edit the
kernel Makefile and chage the version )

change linuxrc ( in miniroot.gz) to do the bootscreen. I have attached my
linuxrc. basicly the change is adding

splash -s -u 0 /splash/bootsplash-800x600.cfg 2>&1 > /dev/null
where -u is the TTY.

now, for those wanting to see this in action, you can download bootdemo.iso
from my site. Burn this image onto CD as you would knoppix. It's only 1.9M,
but must be burned onto CD as an ISO. It will start loading knoppix, but fail
at the "accessing KNOPPIX on cdrom", as I have left out the KNOPPIX file.
download from http://www.knoppix.net/mirror/bootdemo.iso

As for syslinux vs isolinux
as kernel sized increase ( read 2.6 ) there is need for a larger boot image.
By not limiting the boot sequence to 1.44 M you can achive a lot more :

- nice fb boot screens
- memtest boot option
- localboot option
- multiple kernels ( e.g. non-SMP for dell machines that break when used with
SMP kernel )

you can still include a 1.44M floppy image, without the above features for
people that cannot boot off isolinux (who?), and provide instructions on how
to do this ( easy with nero for example )

Hope this is of interest, and I hope this gets included with KNOPPIX, as the
framebuffer boot is so sexy!!

( as for the attached files, there is no way to attach them to this forum, i reccomend downloading this : http://mailman.linuxtag.org/pipermai...ry/001860.html and saving the text as an email, opening it up with an email client and then you'll have the files )

[Alextreme]

Yeah, saw your post on the list, nice one!

taking a look at it know, seems doable enough as i already boosted my boot image to 2880 (for more kernel-cruft ) and i could as well use the left-over space for a cool feature like this. Would you mind if i threw it into my base? :P

[eadz]

Yeah, saw your post on the list, nice one!

taking a look at it know, seems doable enough as i already boosted my boot image to 2880 (for more kernel-cruft ) and i could as well use the left-over space for a cool feature like this. Would you mind if i threw it into my base? :P

no go right ahead let me know how it goes

p.s. did the bootdemo.iso work ?

[Alextreme]

Yeah, it worked great! Nice pic too

playing around now with splash, seems easy enough. Together with changing the framebuffer (sorry tux!) and an animated boot/shutdown screen (saw that option in splash, would be fun ) any distro would rock!

Hmm, think i should ask some favours from a few graphic-minded friends (i'm a hopeless artist )

[audioaficionado]

Hmmm...

I guess I got the regular 1.44Mb floppy boot image. as I couldn't load all the SuSe framebuffer on a floppy. I still see KDE3.1 and the differant menu with less visible options.

It still boots into the CD from the floppy and that's the bottom line for me.

Other than the fancy boot graphics, what else won't the standard floppy boot do?

What apps don't load? Can they be loaded after boot?

[eadz]

Hmmm...

I guess I got the regular 1.44Mb floppy boot image. as I couldn't load all the SuSe framebuffer on a floppy. I still see KDE3.1 and the differant menu with less visible options.

It still boots into the CD from the floppy and that's the bottom line for me.

Other than the fancy boot graphics, what else won't the standard floppy boot do?

What apps don't load? Can they be loaded after boot?

You should try that boot manager http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/ installed onto a floppy, it will turn your non-cdrom booting manchine, into a cd-rom booting machine

[bhsx]

I found the knoppix-orig-boot.img and that works fine, but what's the syntax you used for the final mkisofs?
mkisofs -l -r -J -V "knoppix" -hide-rr-moved -v -b [[WHAT GOES HERE??]] -c [[WHAT ABOUT HERE?]] -o /mnt/whereiremaster/myknop.iso /mnt/mst


Thanks for all your help, you're awesome d00d

[eadz]

I found the knoppix-orig-boot.img and that works fine, but what's the syntax you used for the final mkisofs?
mkisofs -l -r -J -V "knoppix" -hide-rr-moved -v -b [[WHAT GOES HERE??]] -c [[WHAT ABOUT HERE?]] -o /mnt/whereiremaster/myknop.iso /mnt/mst


Thanks for all your help, you're awesome d00d

I don't have the exact line I used.. something like

mkisofs -pad -l -r -J -v -V "KnoppixKDE" -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -hide-rr-moved -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o /some/where/myknoppix.iso /mnt/hda1/master

( when you're in the final iso root directory so that "./isolinux/isolinux.bin" is actually a file.. )

[bhsx]

That was perfect. I'm now messing around with splash. I did make a few desktop changes (i'm remastering this for an 8yo little girl) that didn't make it. i did a cp -Rp /home/knoppix/.kde/* /mnt/source/KNOPPIX/etc/skel/
along with .kde/share but it didn't take. Is there something I'm missing?

Also, printing doesn't seem to be working, even for an older hpIV. "Connection to cups server failed", don't know what the problem is.

[probono]

Works perfect. I really hope this kernel patch makes it into the official Knoppix kernel.

There are good themes to study on http://linux01.gwdg.de/suse/ftp.suse...PM/bootsplash/ to study, including "instsplash" files and animations.

Did anyone of you figure out the meaning of "instsplash" files?

It would also be great if we could have an animated progress bar and a animation "it is now safe to turn off your computer". This seems to be possible in the latest release of bootsplash, look at the suse theme from the link above.