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pruf

Member

Registered: 2024-03-05

Posts: 10

Linux boot background image possible?

I have customized grub config in which grub is being loaded with a nice looking background image. The thing is, it's obviously getting replaced with black Linux booting screen on system selection.
I want to make Linux start with the same background image, just like grub, and tty to be on top of that image, again, just as grub. Is it a possible request?

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,231

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

Read through: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Plymouth

... at least for the initial bootup phase. For the TTY you're not going to do that with the default terminal, maybe with https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/KMSCON but at that point you're likely going to have less headaches just booting into a graphical environment with a background image and some transparent fullscreen terminal -- (OT: What's the motivation behind wanting a basic terminal, but pimping it up to where it's not a basic terminal -- but not wanting the "full" graphical session?).

Last edited by V1del (2024-03-05 13:27:58)

pruf

Member

Registered: 2024-03-05

Posts: 10

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

I've checked out Plymouth already, but it seemed like not what I wanted to achieve, I guess I'll investigate more.
I've got disappointed because it looked like I'm trying to launch one operating system and boom, there's a booting screen of KDE, completely different one. But Linux tty boot screen has some charm in it and it doesn't seem unfitting for me.

Last edited by pruf (2024-03-05 13:40:53)

jl2

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From: 47° 18' N 8° 34' E

Registered: 2022-06-01

Posts: 1,381

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

there's a booting screen of KDE, completely different one

try this: https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/an … -plymouth/

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pruf

Member

Registered: 2024-03-05

Posts: 10

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

I'm looking for something that REPLACES current linux boot console to similar interface with background image support. Plymouth doesn't fit my needs because it's hook-dependant. KMSCON starts as a service.

Last edited by pruf (2024-03-06 13:06:43)

seth

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From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,024

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

Afaiu the OP wants to see the boot messages but with a background image instead of just racist white on black
Probably same as https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=293156

https://joekuan.wordpress.com/2010/08/0 … -messages/ (antiquated, more for visual reference and to explain the approach)
https://gist.github.com/krzys-h/6ec7c7c … dd51bd68ca (should™ work?)

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,231

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

Afaiu they actually want the entire TTY to be an image, but without the "bloat" of a xorg session/graphical terminal .

I'm looking for something that REPLACES current linux boot console to similar interface with background image support. Plymouth doesn't fit my needs because it's hook-dependant. KMSCON starts as a service.

And how would you start your replacement program if not for any of these relevant alternatives (the "normal" TTY also starts as a service in a systemd context, that's not an argument of relevance here)? If you're literally talking about replacing the kernel TTY you'd look at a kernel patch, and attempts to do so have existed and been abandoned because no one wants that kind of complexity in the kernel. The standard TTY doesn't even have scrollback anymore because the bugs and error prone code weren't worth keeping in the kernel, they're not going to have an entire image rendering library in there if they already dropped that. You'd look at either a patched kernel or the linked user space alternatives. FWIW https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Fbspla … und_images

Last edited by V1del (2024-03-06 13:42:01)

pruf

Member

Registered: 2024-03-05

Posts: 10

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

You're right. But your answer still goes around Plymouth solution. The problem with using Plymouth is that it loads not right after Linux selection in GRUB, but after hook execution, which makes me look at black screen with message "[HOOK] Launching Plymouth..." for several seconds, just for monitor to change resolution several times with one frame of Plymouth screen in between, after which KDE boot screen appears.
EDIT: this was a message for Seth.

Last edited by pruf (2024-03-06 15:18:15)

seth

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From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,024

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … _KMS_start and move plymouth into the initrmfs as well.

"for several seconds"
Really?

systemd-analyze critical-chain

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,231

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

? Is this an XY question? If your actual problem is a resolution/graphical flicker, make sure https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … _KMS_start is setup (what's your GPU?) and configure your UEFI to disable legacy CSM if that's still enabled because that will lead to logical offloading of the framebuffer from a compat to an UEFI mode.

pruf

Member

Registered: 2024-03-05

Posts: 10

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

systemd-analyze critical-chain

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,024

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

Please never post pictures of text, post the text.
Also don't embed larger pictures (> 250x250), link them.

Flushing the journal takes some time, any filesystem issues (fsck requirements) in the journal?

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

pruf

Member

Registered: 2024-03-05

Posts: 10

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

Flushing the journal takes some time, any filesystem issues (fsck requirements) in the journal?

FAT-fs (sda6): Volume was not properly unmounted. Some data may be corrupt. Please run fsck.

pruf

Member

Registered: 2024-03-05

Posts: 10

Re: Linux boot background image possible?

? Is this an XY question? If your actual problem is a resolution/graphical flicker, make sure https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … _KMS_start is setup (what's your GPU?) and configure your UEFI to disable legacy CSM if that's still enabled because that will lead to logical offloading of the framebuffer from a compat to an UEFI mode.

added nvidia modules. plymouth now starts immediately. I suppose mine UEFI has disabled CSM by default but there's no direct option to enable or disable it.