How to get bootsplash (or gensplash) to work in Knoppix?

[tr]

Hi!

I have tried to figure out how to get fbsplash to work with Knoppix. I have compiled new 2.6.17 kernel with beyond2.1 patchset http://iphitus.loudas.com/archck.php which has fbsplash patch included. I have also read some good articles as http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_gensplash, http://delphiwww.cern.ch/~jdurand/fbsplash.html and http://linuxfromscratch.org/pipermai...il/038776.html. There's also some good advices in this forum. But I have had no success

The things I have done and the questions I still have are:
1. kernel option to be used in compiling:
1.a Can boot logo be compiled together with fbsplash? I think that little logo up in the left corner is not seen if using fbsplash, so it doesn't matter?
1.b. Is it a good idea to use vesafb-tng instead of vesafb when compiling the kernel?
1.c. What resolution to use with vedafb-tng? 1024x768@72 ?
1.d. I have compiled the kernel with this option to enable F2 in silent mode:

 Device Drivers > Input Device Support[*]Event Interface

1.e. Should kernel be compiled without --initrd option? Usually I compile the kernel and extra modules:

# make-kpkg --initrd kernel_image kernel_headers modules_image

Does this has only meaning after hd install?
1.f. Should initramfs with bootsplash images and configs be compiled directly to the kernel? See:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_genspla...nto_the_kernel
2. minirt.gz must be modified:
2.a. initramfs must be used instead of initrd
2.b /bootsplash directory must be added inside minirt to include the theme that is used
Should cfg file point to /etc/bootsplash/theme/used_theme/xxx.cfg or to /bootsplash images inside minirt?
2.c. /static must include splash. Is this ftp://ftp.openbios.org/pub/bootsplas...-3.0.7.tar.bz2 the only place where to get splash.c which must be compiled with static option:

gcc --static splash.c -o splash

to get that needed splash program?
2.d. linurc
I added this to the end of the file:

if [ ! -f "/proc/splash" ]; then
     unset SPLASH
fi

if test -n "$SPLASH"; then
splash -s -u 0 /bootsplash/config/bootsplash-1024x768.cfg >/dev/null
fi

Does it matter where to place this? After /proc and /sys is mounted to get splash image seen as soon as possible?
3. knoppix-autoconfig: I commented out splash sections.
4.. How to get progress bar to be seen? In my hd installed version fbsplash works but no progress is seen.
5. Does fbsplash work in Qemu?
6. Is there some remasterd versions of Knoppix somwhere where fbsplash is applied? The best way to learn is to spy how someone else has done the job
7. Has someone done some good bootsplash themes to be used in Knoppix? Fabian Franz seems to have some images http://debian.tu-bs.de/knoppix/experiments/ which has been used in Knoppix sample versions bundled with magaziness. Is themes difficult to make?
8. Should knoppix-splash and knoppix-splash-utils be removed? Where do I get progress script if I remove knoppix-splash-utils?
9. What about boot line with nvidia or ati graphics cards? Is this okay?:

video=vesafb:1024x768-24,ywrap splash=silent,fadein,theme:Debian-Tux CONSOLE=/dev/tty1

Should mtrr be added after video mode? Should quiet be added to boot line?
10. Is anyone planning to make a wiki-howto of fbsplash to be used with Knoppix?

I hope to get fbsplash work in 'super silent' mode so that no verbose messages is seen at all. If someone wants to see them, F2 button can be pressed at any time.

-tapsa-

[firnsy]

I'll give my $0.02, but I hope it helps. I use the gensplash patch (gentoo splash) but some things should be similar.

The things I have done and the questions I still have are:
1. kernel option to be used in compiling:
1.a Can boot logo be compiled together with fbsplash? I think that little logo up in the left corner is not seen if using fbsplash, so it doesn't matter?

You can't compile both together, remove "Boot Logo" from your kernel.

1.b. Is it a good idea to use vesafb-tng instead of vesafb when compiling the kernel?

I still use vesa, it's simply your choice.

1.c. What resolution to use with vedafb-tng? 1024x768@72 ?

The resolution "1024x768" should be that of the image used on your splash theme. The frequency "@72" i'm not exactly sure, I do believe 72 is a safe average.

1.d. I have compiled the kernel with this option to enable F2 in silent mode:

 Device Drivers > Input Device Support[*]Event Interface

1.e. Should kernel be compiled without --initrd option? Usually I compile the kernel and extra modules:

# make-kpkg --initrd kernel_image kernel_headers modules_image

Does this has only meaning after hd install?

Can't help with this one, I don't use make-kpkg. I would assume fromt the next question though that you're using initRAMFS and that would negate the need for initrd.

1.f. Should initramfs with bootsplash images and configs be compiled directly to the kernel? See:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_genspla...nto_the_kernel

I would say no since you still use the minirt.gz file which is your initRAMFS file.

]2. minirt.gz must be modified:
2.a. initramfs must be used instead of initrd
2.b /bootsplash directory must be added inside minirt to include the theme that is used
Should cfg file point to /etc/bootsplash/theme/used_theme/xxx.cfg or to /bootsplash images inside minirt?
2.c. /static must include splash. Is this ftp://ftp.openbios.org/pub/bootsplas...-3.0.7.tar.bz2 the only place where to get splash.c which must be compiled with static option:

gcc --static splash.c -o splash

to get that needed splash program?
2.d. linurc
I added this to the end of the file:

if [ ! -f "/proc/splash" ]; then
     unset SPLASH
fi

if test -n "$SPLASH"; then
splash -s -u 0 /bootsplash/config/bootsplash-1024x768.cfg >/dev/null
fi

Does it matter where to place this? After /proc and /sys is mounted to get splash image seen as soon as possible?
3. knoppix-autoconfig: I commented out splash sections.
4.. How to get progress bar to be seen? In my hd installed version fbsplash works but no progress is seen.

Not sure of bootsplash's requirements

5. Does fbsplash work in Qemu?

Yes it should, VMware should as well. That's how I test mine.

]6. Is there some remasterd versions of Knoppix somwhere where fbsplash is applied? The best way to learn is to spy how someone else has done the job

The securixlive.com team have a knoppix remaster with gensplash working "Knoppix-NSM", I will have a new modular remaster "Securix" out by early August with gensplash incorporated as well.

7. Has someone done some good bootsplash themes to be used in Knoppix? Fabian Franz seems to have some images http://debian.tu-bs.de/knoppix/experiments/ which has been used in Knoppix sample versions bundled with magaziness. Is themes difficult to make?

I don't believe themes are difficult to build, reverse engineering is the easiest way.

]8. Should knoppix-splash and knoppix-splash-utils be removed? Where do I get progress script if I remove knoppix-splash-utils?

I remove them, my progress scripts are custom made and I'm not sure of fbsplash's requirements.

]9. What about boot line with nvidia or ati graphics cards? Is this okay?:

video=vesafb:1024x768-24,ywrap splash=silent,fadein,theme:Debian-Tux CONSOLE=/dev/tty1

Looks ok to me, I would throw in the "quiet" option to remove the verbosity of the kernel loading

Should mtrr be added after video mode? Should quiet be added to boot line?

I have quiet added, I require it for very clean silent mode.

10. Is anyone planning to make a wiki-howto of fbsplash to be used with Knoppix?

Nope, I like gensplash's features at the moment and won't convert for a while.

I hope to get fbsplash work in 'super silent' mode so that no verbose messages is seen at all. If someone wants to see them, F2 button can be pressed at any time.

You will get there, and when you do, others will follow (by reading your wiki-howto) ...

[tr]

10. Is anyone planning to make a wiki-howto of fbsplash to be used with Knoppix?

Nope, I like gensplash's features at the moment and won't convert for a while.

To be honest gensplash is what I was talking about. Now I know that bootsplash is obsolete and totally different thing, and fbsplash is part of gensplash project, see http://dev.gentoo.org/~spock/projects/gensplash/faq.php. So I'm starting everythng from the beginning.

Some remarks:
1. /etc/apt/soruces list must be modified according to instructions in http://delphiwww.cern.ch/~jdurand/fbsplash.html and package splashutils must be installed
1. fbsplash patch must be applied when compiling the kernel
2. themes from /etc/bootsplash/themes directory must be converted with bootsplash2fbsplash script
3. script /etc/init.d/rc must be modified to get progress bar working
4. new initrd image must be created with splash_geninitramfs script
5. bootloader must be updated

I have done these steps and got fbsplash to work in my installed Knoppix but only splash=verbose mode seems to work well.

The question is how to modify minirt.gz file to get gensplash to work from remasterd Knoppix live-CD. I have not succeeded, yet.

-tapsa-