[SUGGESTION] Graphical boot

[Fabianx]

I know this was discussed several times without a solution, as Klaus refuses a kernel-patch.

But alas it is not neccessary for knoppix as knoppix-autoconfig is a user-space script WITH the ability to send processes to background.

So it is possible to show some splash-screen with:

# lets start the user-fb (5 minutes)
ppmtofb -w 300 /knoppix.ppm &

And at the end jsut do a:

killall ppmtofb

This can also be exited, by chainging to some console or q. So pressing Alt+Fx or Alt+Left|Right|... works for quitting, but as source is available one could change this also.

Of couse showing the knoppix picutre is not very interested, but with the utitilites from bootsplash.org (the progress-prog for example) it would be possible to do interesting things..

Or just use the Redmond-Theme from bootsplash with the nice animation ?

I think if someone did an really nice graphical boot that just depends on user-space-tools, Klaus would not object. (Of course someone has to guarantee that this is only used, if a fb is really present, but I think that is fairly easy to detect. )

So, if one really want this. That is the way to go.

If one has stuff, post it here and if its also good I'll do if wished the negotations with Klaus to get it into the official version...

cu

Fabian

[probono]

This sounds great! Why would anyone use a kernel patch if it also worked without one?

[probono]

I played with it and got it to work (somewhat) on my HD install. However, when trying to make a CD, I encountered the following challenges:

* The userland apps have to be installed in the initrd, but the initrd is already as big as the bootfloppy image allows. I know that there is the possibility to format floppies "bigger", but how does this work with syslinux?

* The initial penguin cannot be hidden without recompiling the kernel, also because there is no /proc/splash, the bootsplash.org splash script cannot be used. BUT something new can be written on our own that is effective from the time init is booting and I see that this is possible since I have done it on my HD install!

* How can I display a picture/animation on shutdown? My processes always get killed...

Thanks for your help
probono

[Fabianx]

>I played with it and got it to work (somewhat) on my HD install. However, when trying to >make a CD, I encountered the following challenges:

>* The userland apps have to be installed in the initrd, but the initrd is already as big as the >bootfloppy image allows. I know that there is the possibility to format floppies "bigger", >but how does this work with syslinux?

That is wrong, as with the start of knoppix-autoconfig all user-tools are already avaialbe from CD.

>* The initial penguin cannot be hidden without recompiling the kernel, also because there is >no /proc/splash, the bootsplash.org splash script cannot be used. BUT something new can >be written on our own that is effective from the time init is booting and I see that this is >possible since I have done it on my HD install!

yes.

>* How can I display a picture/animation on shutdown? My processes always get killed...

Hm, Sure, that is a problem worth to think about. I think it needs to be in rc0|6.d after alle processes were sent the term/kill signal ...

cu

Fabian

[probono]

Hi Fabian,

> with the start of knoppix-autoconfig all user-tools are already avaialbe from CD.

That's even better than I hoped!

> The initial penguin cannot be hidden without recompiling the kernel

But the initial kernel messagges can be sent to console=/dev/tty2

> (How can I display a picture/animation on shutdown?) I think it needs to be in rc0|6.d after alle processes were sent the term/kill signal ...

That's a great idea, start it *after* the processes got the signal... I will try that out.

Do you see any way to use a picture for "It is now safe to turn off your computer"?

cu
probono

[Fabianx]

Hi Fabian,

> with the start of knoppix-autoconfig all user-tools are already avaialbe from CD.

That's even better than I hoped!

> The initial penguin cannot be hidden without recompiling the kernel

But the initial kernel messagges can be sent to console=/dev/tty2

> (How can I display a picture/animation on shutdown?) I think it needs to be in rc0|6.d after alle processes were sent the term/kill signal ...

That's a great idea, start it *after* the processes got the signal... I will try that out.

Do you see any way to use a picture for "It is now safe to turn off your computer"?

cu
probono

1. The initial kernel-messages are already invisble with quiet-mode, which knoppix uses.

I would add the safe to turn off screen just after S40umountfs (as then it is REALLY safe to turn off and halt is just the next thing that is executed afterwards)

Perhaps as /etc/rc0.d/S50safetoturnoff )

and then have in /etc/init.d/safetoturnoff:

ppmtofb /safetoturnoff.ppm or similar.

cu

Fabian

[probono]

For the start and shutdown, I like

convert -crop 117x117+0+1 /usr/share/icons/crystalsvg/128x128/apps/clock.png ppm:- | ppmtofb --stdin --center -w 777 &

For the "safe to turn off now"

convert /usr/share/icons/default.kde/32x32/actions/exit.png ppm:- | ppmtofb --stdin --center &

Note that in this solution, *zero* additional tools or graphics from the outside are used. (This should make KK happy.) It is all done with what is on the CD. To have a nice animation, I think we would need a small outside app, but there might be possibilities to do it without, too (e. g. a sequence of ppm images played one after the other, I am investigating this).

Now, how should it be implemented? I would prefer a folder "splash" in the /KNOPPIX folder on the CD, where the actual scripts and graphics could be easily modified without touching the initrd. The Knoppix startup and shutdown scripts would just call "/cdrom/KNOPPIX/splash/splash.sh start" and "/cdrom/KNOPPIX/splash/splash.sh stop" for starting and stopping the spash screen, and "/cdrom/KNOPPIX/splash/safeoff.sh start" for showing the shutoff screen.

We can even make them display the splash only if "splash=1" is given at the boot prompt (this should make KK even more happy).

[probono]

For animations:
There are two options,
a) to use fbmngplay from www.bootsplash.org
b) to convert an animation into a series of ppm images:

convert progress.mng progress%02d.ppm

These can then be displayed with

ppmtofb progress*.ppm --delay 0

However, perhaps it is really better to use the mng player app from bootsplash.org since I couldn't figure out how to make ppmtofb loop and the delay between the images seems to be in whole seconds only.

[probono]

I need your help: As soon as I change more than one line in linuxrc (inside miniroot.gz inside boot.img) the boot process breaks. Although if I just change something at the end of the script, its behavior changes already in the beginning (e.g. when it scans the different partitions for the Knoppix CD, it writes the pink lines *under* each other instead of *replacing* them /hda1 /hda2 ... etc)

How do I edit linuxrc correctly? Does it have to stay in the same size or why am I having this trouble?

I have tried it several times on different machines. Here is what I did:

loop-mount boot.img
unpack initrd.gz
loop-mount initrd.gz
edit linuxrc with kwrite
unmount initrd
pack initrd
replace initrd.gz

Where is the mistake?

[Fabianx]

I need your help: As soon as I change more than one line in linuxrc (inside miniroot.gz inside boot.img) the boot process breaks. Although if I just change something at the end of the script, its behavior changes already in the beginning (e.g. when it scans the different partitions for the Knoppix CD, it writes the pink lines *under* each other instead of *replacing* them /hda1 /hda2 ... etc)

How do I edit linuxrc correctly? Does it have to stay in the same size or why am I having this trouble?

I have tried it several times on different machines. Here is what I did:

loop-mount boot.img
unpack initrd.gz
loop-mount initrd.gz
edit linuxrc with kwrite
unmount initrd
pack initrd
replace initrd.gz

Where is the mistake?

It is an bootable image and as such it mustn't be changed ...

Problem ? No !

You just do "syslinux boot.img" once and it works again...
It does rewrite some files and then it boots again ok )

cu

Fabian.