Arch Linux

Shagbag

Member

Registered: 2006-10-25

Posts: 259

How do I tidy up my boot process?

I installed Gimmick a few months ago and haven't paid much attention to the boot process.  At the moment I'm still getting pages of text whizzing by before it gets to the coloured Arch Linux text and starts going through the (init scripts?).

Is there a way I can reduce the size of the font to something smaller like you get with the KNOPPIX DVD and the Gentoo LiveCD?  Also, the Gentoo LiveCD has a coloured border/frame around it.  Can I do this in Arch?

Last edited by Shagbag (2007-01-28 10:31:58)

Mefju

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2006-07-12

Posts: 104

Re: How do I tidy up my boot process?

Is there a way I can reduce the size of the font to something smaller like you get with the KNOPPIX DVD and the Gentoo LiveCD?

Do you use framebuffer?

Also, the Gentoo LiveCD has a coloured border/frame around it.  Can I do this in Arch?

I think you have to install gensplash for this feature.

bones

Member

From: Brisbane

Registered: 2006-03-24

Posts: 322

Website

Re: How do I tidy up my boot process?

Dunno about the border but I have nice small fonts during bootup, I added "vga=773" to the kernel line in menu.lst

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"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Linteg

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2006-03-11

Posts: 54

Re: How do I tidy up my boot process?

You could always add quiet (to show less kernel-output) and vga=xxx (change framebuffer resolution) as kernel options in grub, something like this:

kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdb3 ro vga=795 quiet

There is a list with resolutions / codes in menu.lst (grub's config file).

rayjgu3

Member

From: Chicago IL usa

Registered: 2004-07-04

Posts: 695

Re: How do I tidy up my boot process?

you use grub or lilo?
grub

edit /boot/grub/menu.lst 
add  vga=773 to kernel line
# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hdX,Y)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/hdXY ro vga=773
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

lilo

 add vga=773
default=Arch
timeout=100
lba32
prompt
vga=773

patroclo7

Member

From: Bassano del Grappa, ITALY

Registered: 2006-01-11

Posts: 915

Re: How do I tidy up my boot process?

You might also use a tiny console font. E.g., I use a very tiny font included in the package terminus-font. I have this in rc.conf:

CONSOLEFONT="ter-g12n"

If you use the keymap hook in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf the defined font will be used since relatively early userspace.

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Shagbag

Member

Registered: 2006-10-25

Posts: 259

Re: How do I tidy up my boot process?

Thanks for the suggestions.  I tried setting vga=773 and it worked albeit partially.  I get a 15sec blank screen inbetween making my selection in GRUB and the (coloured) Arch init scripts scrolling on screen (in smaller font ).  Do I need to pass another parameter to the kernel line in GRUB to show the kernel output instead of the 15sec blank screen?

daedalusman

Member

From: CO, USA

Registered: 2006-12-05

Posts: 258

Re: How do I tidy up my boot process?

Thanks for the suggestions.  I tried setting vga=773 and it worked albeit partially.  I get a 15sec blank screen inbetween making my selection in GRUB and the (coloured) Arch init scripts scrolling on screen (in smaller font ).  Do I need to pass another parameter to the kernel line in GRUB to show the kernel output instead of the 15sec blank screen?

Yeah I get this blank screen as well. I just figured it was because of a delay with the cfq scheduler and that vesafb loads after this and thus there is this delay. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.