[Howto] Using Bootsplash on PPC in 9 easy steps

[DiskBreaker]

Has anyone gotten this work with the 2.6.7-r9 gentoo-development kernel yet?

If you read the Changelog gentoo-dev-sources-2.6.7-r9 already includes the latest bootsplash patch, so there is no need to patch it manually! The patch included in genpatches-extra 4505_bootsplash-3.1.4-sp-0.1-2.6.7.patch is equivalent to the bootsplash-3.1.4-spock-0.1-r2-2.6.7.patch in the bootsplash ebuild.

Sorry about that, I will update the howto.

Cheers,
Disk

[timothy.weiand]

My issues with the 2.6.7-gentoo-r9 kernel are not due to the patching.

My issues (well, my gentoo issues) are due to the error that happens while you are trying to install a bootsplash image (plz read previous message).


Bootsplash itself works correclty.

[DiskBreaker]

My issues with the 2.6.7-gentoo-r9 kernel are not due to the patching.

I was replying to 10k1, who was trying to remove the bootsplash patch in 2.6.7-r9.
Regarding your problem, it looks like bootsplash cannot find a bootsplash picture in your initrd. Try
a) Turning off the Tux Boot Logo
b) Remaking your initrd (delete old one and build new one with the splash utility). Check that it's not empty or something like that...
c) Update your splashutils

hth,
disk

[woolsherpahat]

I got an error compiling the builtin bootsplash drivers on my IBook G4 running the 2.6.7-r9 kernel.

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drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xe6238): In function `fbcon_init':
: undefined reference to `con_remap_def_color'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xeb16c): In function `splash_status':
: undefined reference to `con_remap_def_color'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xeb1c0): In function `splash_status':
: undefined reference to `con_remap_def_color'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xeb65c): In function `splash_write_proc':
: undefined reference to `con_remap_def_color'
make: *** [.tmp_vmlinux1] Error 1

Has anyone seen this before?

[V10lator]

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bash-2.05b# ybin -v
bash: ybin: command not found

[DiskBreaker]

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bash-2.05b# ybin -v
bash: ybin: command not found

TAXI, are you sure you are using a Mac?
ybin is part of the yaboot bootloader package for PPC (emerge yaboot).

Judging from your other post you were installing gentoo from a Knoppix CD and were emerging java/x86...

If you are installing bootsplash for x86, please refer to this thread: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=49036

[timothy.weiand]

Wow, my last post was extremely "spoiled little brat." Sorry DiskBreaker. Did not mean to have it come over that way.

Tonight I will retry these steps. Do you know if Genkernel regenerates the initrd each time or just pulls it from /usr/somthing/or/other? I have used a newly generated initrd from Genkernel and get the same results .

[silian87]

bootsplash 3.1.4-2004/02/19-spock-0.1: looking for picture.... no good signature found

You have to read what I write! You have to set your images to 1280x854 risolution. Read my 2 small tutorial and try...

[spyro1st]

Hi,

i run into problems while trying the bootplash on my powerbook. I use ofonly and in dmesg i get this message:

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 bootsplash 3.1.4-2004/02/19-spock-0.1: looking for picture....<6>bootsplash: error while decompressing picture: depth mismatch (15)

I already tried diffrent themes and always get this message. any idea why this happens?

Thanks for help in advance.

[heavyt]

I am also getting the same error as you sypro1st with my TiBook 15. But when I reboot from gdm the bootsplash screen comes up while gentoo goes down but fails to appear while booting! Also the resize script " bootsplash_resize" will give me an image size 1139x 854 not 1280x 854. It will name it .....1280x854 but the size is 1139x854! Use gimp.

[silian87]

you have to edit the conf file too. Read one of my conf and try.

[DiskBreaker]

Do you know if Genkernel regenerates the initrd each time or just pulls it from /usr/somthing/or/other? I have used a newly generated initrd from Genkernel and get the same results .

I've never used genkernel, but from looking at the documentation (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/genkernel.xml) there is a --bootsplash option that you have to use in oder for your bootsplash image to be included in your initrd. The initrd is generated from

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/usr/share/genkernel/gen_initrd.sh

so you should have a look at that file, especially if you want to use a theme other than the default gentoo one. More info here: http://wakka.fuckhedz.com/GenKernelBootSplash.

Otherwise just consider dropping genkernel and doing the kernel configuration by yourself.

Hope that helps,
DiskBreaker

[DiskBreaker]

[...] I use ofonly and in dmesg i get this message:

Code: Select all

 bootsplash 3.1.4-2004/02/19-spock-0.1: looking for picture....<6>bootsplash: error while decompressing picture: depth mismatch (15)

I'm not sure if bootsplash will run at all with ofonly, I haven't tested it yet. Just use the framebuffer for the actual graphic card you have in your powerbook, I see no reason why you shouldn't. With my aty128fb, bootsplash also runs at a color depth of 15bpp (and also 16, 24 and 32 )

[heavyt]

Got it working!

[malmjako]

heavyt wrote:

Got it working!

I'm having the same problem with bootsplash only showing on shutdown. How did you solve that?

--
Jakob Malm

[heavyt]

heavyt wrote:

Got it working!

I'm having the same problem with bootsplash only showing on shutdown. How did you solve that?

--
Jakob Malm

I will assume you have already done the bootsplash steps from page one.

Make sure you have:
1.) radeonfb in append="video=fbdriver:1280x854-32 splash=silent" (/etc/yaboot.conf) if you have a TiBook.
2.) delete the old /boot/ initrd-1280X854
3.) Use silian87's config for 1280x854 file that he/she posted on the first page. You have to edit it so it has the right location of the image (jpg) you are using (thanks silan87).
4.) resize your image, I found gimp-2.0 or gThumb will work (gThumb to me was easier to use).
5.) Then do

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# splash -s -f /etc/bootsplash/default/config/bootsplash-1280x854.cfg >> /boot/initrd-1280x854

Make sure the above code has the riight location of the config file that you edit in step 3.
last code to do is

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# ybin -v

I hope this is of some use.

[malmjako]

heavyt: I'm trying to get this working on a G3 iMac (with ATI Rage128). I use the aty128fb driver. The screen can do 1024x768, so am I correct in thinking that's the size I should be using? If so, is there any reason to use silian87's config?

Again, I get the "shutdownsplash" so to speak, but on bootup the screen is just black. Also, all consoles are black, but X works. Do you know what was wrong when you had the same syndrom?

--
Jakob Malm

[slick0]

Does anyone have any success using offb or rivafb, as of yet?

[samsprograms]

I've followed the instructions but I get no splash whatsoever. What could be the problem? Is there any info i should post?

Also, even splash -s -u 0 /pathtoconfig doesnt work! Why would this happen?

I have the following sort of error when booting:
bootsplash 3.1.4-2004/02/19-spock-0.1: looking for picture....<6>bootsplash: error while decompressing picture: depth mismatch (15)

Thanks!

[woolsherpahat]

I'd just like to report that this works with my iBook G4 and the 2.6.7-r11 gentoo-development kernel. Mmm, Mmmm bootsplash goodness.

[heavyt]

heavyt: I'm trying to get this working on a G3 iMac (with ATI Rage128). I use the aty128fb driver. The screen can do 1024x768, so am I correct in thinking that's the size I should be using? If so, is there any reason to use silian87's config?

Again, I get the "shutdownsplash" so to speak, but on bootup the screen is just black. Also, all consoles are black, but X works. Do you know what was wrong when you had the same syndrom?

--
Jakob Malm

I have not worked with a G3 IMac, the info I posted was for a TiBook.
I would try and see what screen size the script "bootsplash_resize" assume you sould use. If the size is not 1280x854 then do not use silian87's config.

[samsprograms]

malmjako:
i have the same problem as you, but cant even get the shutdown splash to work. can you please tell me if there is anything else you did? you can contact me at [samsprograms]--[at]--[mac]--[dot]--[com].
Thanks!

[CDLM]

working on a iBook 600CD (g3 dual usb) - switching the fbdriver to radeonfb got it working for me...

- Dave -

[_savage]

OK stupid question.... what's the point of bootsplash? I've never seen a screenshot (might be hard to do ) and I am just curious what all the fuzz is about. Somebody enlighten me?

Jens

[DiskBreaker]

OK stupid question.... what's the point of bootsplash? I've never seen a screenshot (might be hard to do ) and I am just curious what all the fuzz is about. Somebody enlighten me?

Bootsplash is a kernel patch originally developed by some SuSE devs which uses the framebuffer to display a nice JPEG picture while the Linux kernel boots (until then we had nothing but a Tux logo in the upper-left corner of the screen). Bootsplash has two different kind of modes: "Verbose" and "Silent". Verbose mode looks just like it does now with all text messages scrolling by but also puts an image of your choice (bootsplash is fully themable) in the background. "Silent" mode looks more like the booting process of OS X and Windows, you see a picture and a progress bar that advances during the booting process. For two simple screenshots just look at the index page of http://www.bootsplash.com/

There are some really nice themes for bootsplash, most of them catalogued at http://www.bootsplash.de/. For each theme they have a screenshot of the silent boot mode and how the theme looks after boot while using top and mc on the console (after boot the background image is still there). All screenshots are here. Some nice themes include AquaMatrix, 73labAllstars or the LiveCD 2004.0 bootsplash. You can also easily make your own theme. Working on the console with bootsplash could actually fool someone that you are using X Bootsplash also supports animations (e.g. you could have a spinning globe while your network connections are enabled) but that doesn't quite work yet on Gentoo.

Finally I should mention that bootsplash has already been superceded by gensplash (http://dev.gentoo.org/~spock/projects/gensplash/), developed by Spock who was the one who actually made it possible to use bootsplash on PPC in the first place. Gensplash is a complete rewrite and has a much cleaner architecture. There is a detailed Howto on setting up Gensplash here.

DiskBreaker