[base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

darkcoder · 2005-01-06 23:28:47

Introduction

This is a mod to the current grub package found on Arch base repository which adds support for a splash image (a background).

While the patch is not officially supported by grub developers due to their policy of only bugfixes on their grub 0.9x series, it is used by many distributions like Fedora/Red Hat, SuSE, Gentoo, Mephis, and others. The patch I use is based on the one included by Fedora Core 3 grub srpm and rediffed to the latest vanilla grub version.

After the installation is done, you will have a grub screen with the following background.

Due to demand, the old splash image is optionally available for those who like it more.

New: In addition to the standard package, a new alternate one is available for those who follow the Reiser4FShowto steps and want a grub package with both reiserfs4 and splashimage.

Pre Install Notes

1. Make a copy of your menu.lst for backup. It is not replaced by the installation steps below, unless you remove your current grub package.

2. We are dealing with your boot system info, so there is a small chance that things can be screw up. But I haven't got any issue.

3. If want to compile the package with the old splash image, or your custom splash image instead of the current one, you need to edit the PKGBUILD and change the md5sum assigned to splash.xpm.gz.

4. The alternate package with reiser4 requires libaal, reiser4progs, and a reiser4 patched kernel. Those are not on Arch repos, you can get them and read about all the process involved on Reiser4FShowto, or grab my updated PKGBUILDs: libaal, and reiser4progs

Installation
Note: Reiser package not updated since reiser patch need to be rediffed.
Files changed for 0.97-1: PKGBUILD, menu.lst

1. Grab the following files and save them on a folder on your /var/abs/local path:
a. PKGBUILD. For reiser4 support, please get this PKGBUILD instead.
b. menu.lst
c. install-grub or copy it from /var/abs/base/grub/install-grub.
d. grub-0.96-graphics.patch
e. splash.xpm.gz, or if you prefer the previous one, then get splash.xpm.gz
g. Only for reiser4 support grab the reiser4 patch from here

2. Build the package

 # makepkg

3. Install the package

 # pacman -U grub-0.97-1.pkg.tar.gz

4. Edit your menu.lst and add the following splash instruction anywhere before your OS's menu entries. splashimage /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gzFor example:

# general configuration:
timeout   5
default   0
splashimage /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

Important: Since grub 0.96-4 the splash path is /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz and not /grub/splash.xpm.gz. Previous users need to correct the path.

5. Install the new grub boot images to your /boot dir. Change x with your boot drive letter (ie. hda)

 # install-grub /dev/hdx (or sdx)

6. ONLY if your system dual boot, AND your primary boot loader is NTLDR, remember to update your boot binary file (dd if=/dev/hdx of=/linux.bin bs=512 count=1) and copy the file to your NTFS boot partition. If you don't know what I´m talking, don't worry and just skip this step.:lol:

Troubleshooting:

Black display menu visible: Stages probably not updated, try again install-grub (your partition where /boot belongs, or MBR). To check if your stage2 supports splash image, use this checksplash.sh script.

Black display, no menu, or corrupted display: Check the splashimage instruction. If you have a separate /boot partition try splashimage /grub/splash.xpm.gz. Also check that you have a splash.xpm.gz in grub's dir.

FAQ

1. Can I use my custom image in grub?
Yes, but it need to fullfill these requisites: 640x480 resolution, 14 color xpm picture gziped compressed.

2. Do I need to recompile or reinstall grub when changing a splash?
Any splash can be used at any time, and no compilation is required after this package is installed, just replace splash.xpm.gz with another one, or edit menu.lst and change the path of splashimage instruction to match the desired picture to show.

3. I currently use lilo, can I replace it with grub?
Yes you can, but AFAIK the menu.lst get your drive partition info on Arch installation and not grub installation (and same applies to lilo.conf). So you need to edit the menu.lst after package installation and add your boot device and kernel image configuration. That kind of problem is beyond the scope of this guide. If that's your case, first get working the the standard grub package on the current repository, and then update to this package. For more info or sample grub configs check ArchWiki - Grub or Gentoo Handbook - Configure the bootloader

4. Where can I get more information about splash images on grub?
GNU Grub Splashimage Howto General Grub bootsplash info and sample images.
checksplash.sh Script that check if your stage2 support splashimage.

5. I would like to test your package, but do not know how to build one?
Simply, download the pre-compiled package from here. and install it using step 3, 4 and 5 of the Installation guide.

Current Issues

Note at the moment.

TODO

I will investigate the patch used by SuSE/Novell. It is a new modified one that allows for a greater resolution (not just 640x480) and more fancy stuff like menus. But that will means a heavy modifed grub install, and thus completely sure it will not be accepted on Arch repos, and please don't ask when it will be done.

Change Log

2005-05-16 Updated to 0.97
2005-03-02 Added alternate PKGBUILD with reiser4 support and related grub patch.
2005-02-27 PKGBUILD 0.96-4, Fix splashimage path issue by adding a boot symlink on boot.
2005-02-26 Fix some document steps.
2005-02-04 Provide old splash image for those who like it more.
2005-02-03 PKGBUILD 0.96-3, removed dependency on gzip. Splash is taken from $startdir instead of the uncompressed one on $statdir/src. Pre-compiled package provided. (FAQ question #4).
2005-02-02 Updated to grub 0.96, rediffed patch, new splash based on tpowa's kde 3.4 wallpaper.
2005-01-09 Add autoreconf entry to fix compilation of new files added by patch. Update to FAQ.
2005-01-06 First public release of PKGBUILD based on grub 0.95.

Hope you enjoy it.

zeppelin · 2005-01-09 14:05:00

http://bugs.archlinux.org/index.php?do= … ments#tabs

darkcoder · 2005-01-10 02:12:49

people who had problems, grab the PKGBUILD again, an entry was missing which prevent the patch to be fully recognized.

dtw · 2005-01-10 04:34:55

is this animated? or just a background like the lilo settings?

darkcoder · 2005-01-10 06:46:32

Just a background (with limited size and depth), and just for grub menu display. For the animated you need bootsplash or gensplash which animate the boot process. They hide messages on console which appear between the bootloader and your final console (or GUI) login.

darkcoder · 2005-02-03 02:33:54

All posts bellow this point refer to grub 0.96

Just a reminder to myself so I will not be lost in space. :shock:

dtw · 2005-02-03 03:15:30

dude, as far as building it yourslef, is the only change the actual patch version?

could you add a changelog to the bottom of the first post - starting with where you remember starting from?

that'd be sweet!

.:edit:.

I'm not going to edit this post - i want it to stand as a testament to stupidity, laziness and jumping to conclusions (or at least the bottom of a thread without reading it)

we should all learn from this example

darkcoder · 2005-02-03 03:28:57

the patch was rediffed to the new grub version. If used the previous one, you will end with some *.*~ backup files on your dir.

And since I add md5sum to all files, I strongly recomend to grab all files

darkcoder · 2005-02-03 03:31:32

Important: I missed the step of adding splashimage /grub/splash.xpm.gz to your menu.lst. So make sure you do this. It's already fixed on the Install guide.

And yes, it now includes a Change Log.

darkcoder · 2005-02-03 16:29:25

Updated PKG, do not use gzip anymore.

darkcoder · 2005-02-03 16:32:40

Just for info, while the splash image is a 640x480, 14 color mod of tpowa's kde 3.4 wallpaper, it has the Arch logo moved a bit to the top so it's not cut by the grub menu frame.

lucke · 2005-02-04 18:41:15

Could you please provide the splash.xpm from 0.95 as well? I really prefer the old one to the new one.

darkcoder · 2005-02-05 01:10:12

They are included as optional, but need to change the md5sum of splash.xpm.gz in the PKGBUILD

lucke · 2005-02-05 09:19:31

Thanks :-)

MaceM · 2005-02-05 11:30:45

works great, thanx!

dtw · 2005-02-06 10:31:18

do you really need to rebuild the pkg to switch the background?

surely you just need to have the gzipped image in /boot (wherever) and change the line in your menu.lst?

No?

Works good for me.

How about changing the text colours?

darkcoder · 2005-02-06 18:28:35

No, if the grub with splash is installed, you only need to change the splash.xpm.gz image and that's it.

In the worst case, re-run the install-grub instruction, but I haven't test this yet, so I'm not sure if it is needed or not. But no rebuild.

darkcoder · 2005-02-06 18:31:34

Which colors do you have in mind for the text?

I left the colors as provided by Arch's menu.lst

dtw · 2005-02-07 10:12:18

well - i see in the menu.lst it has the section for colours - but mine are just white on black shadows?!

I presume you can set any colours? With the graphical lilo i had it set up with the white arch logo thing and becuase my loader appears in a smaller "window" the "border" of the screen was white to match the logo - can i get something like that going here do you reckon? I looked at the grub docs but it seemed to just say do what was already in the menu.lst - which isn't working for me!

darkcoder · 2005-02-28 05:42:19

I found the problem some people may have that the splash image didn't show with the steps I described.

The splash image path is different when /boot is on a separate partition, and when /boot is a folder of the / partition. As a stand alone partition, the /boot part of the path is not needed (directly points to it at mount maybe), and where /boot is on the same partition as /, then the user must specify /boot as part of the path for it to work. That's maybe the reason most distributions that use this splash patch include a symlink called boot on /boot directory itself (a kind of hack, or workaround).

In short, the correct path of the splashimage commant to work is:
A. /boot as separate partition: splashimage /grub/splash.xpm.gz
B. /boot on same partition as root: splashimage /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

I'm working on a new revision of the PKGBUILD that will fix this problem bringing uniformity to the path. For the time being, this info is also added to the Install steps on the guide.

darkcoder · 2005-02-28 06:16:26

The new grub 0.96-4 PKGBUILD is available.

The only change is the fix for the problem I specify in the previous post. Now the splashimage path is unified so that no matter if your /boot folder is on / partition, or a separate /boot one, the path should be the same. No other feature or change was made.

People which has problems previously, please try it.

Note: Step 4 of the Installation Guide changed, the path now is /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz so people who try it, be sure that you change your splashimage path.

iotc247 · 2005-03-01 02:00:54

Could we please get a working grub with graphics AND reiser4.. I tried to do it myself but well didnt work out to well and i dont see that this is patched with reiser4 support.

darkcoder · 2005-03-01 06:50:15

Currently I do not use reiser4 and due to lack of package support on Arch, do not plan to use it in the near future. But I can try to add support to grub based on the sample grub config and pkgbuilds on ArchWiki reiser4 howto.

The only problem, I don't have any way to test it.

darkcoder · 2005-03-01 07:02:37

and for the reiser4, do you try this: http://wiki2.archlinux.org/index.php/Reiser4FShowto

iotc247 · 2005-03-01 12:01:52

Yeah tried that but reiser4 still didnt work even when just using the patched grub for just reiser4.... Ill test it for you if you get a pkgbuild... just tell me what i have to do after to isntall grub if i have to.

Arch Linux

#1 2005-01-06 23:28:47

[base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#2 2005-01-09 14:05:00

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#3 2005-01-10 02:12:49

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#4 2005-01-10 04:34:55

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#5 2005-01-10 06:46:32

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#6 2005-02-03 02:33:54

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#7 2005-02-03 03:15:30

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#8 2005-02-03 03:28:57

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#9 2005-02-03 03:31:32

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#10 2005-02-03 16:29:25

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#11 2005-02-03 16:32:40

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#12 2005-02-04 18:41:15

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#13 2005-02-05 01:10:12

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#14 2005-02-05 09:19:31

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#15 2005-02-05 11:30:45

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#16 2005-02-06 10:31:18

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#17 2005-02-06 18:28:35

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#18 2005-02-06 18:31:34

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#19 2005-02-07 10:12:18

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#20 2005-02-28 05:42:19

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#21 2005-02-28 06:16:26

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#22 2005-03-01 02:00:54

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#23 2005-03-01 06:50:15

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#24 2005-03-01 07:02:37

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

#25 2005-03-01 12:01:52

Re: [base:system] Grub 0.97 with graphical patch

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