From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Nov 14 08:07:02 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: doc@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9254C1065680 for ; Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:07:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from joeb@a1poweruser.com) Received: from mail-03.name-services.com (mail-03.name-services.com [69.64.155.195]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 75FE68FC19 for ; Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:07:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from joeb@a1poweruser.com) Received: from laptop ([202.69.172.7]) by mail-03.name-services.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:49:18 -0800 From: "joeb" To: Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:50:36 +0800 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) Importance: Normal X-OriginalArrivalTime: 14 Nov 2008 02:13:22.0092 (UTC) FILETIME=[917196C0:01C945FE] X-Sender: fbsd1@a1poweruser.com X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 X-Sender: joeb@a1poweruser.com Cc: Subject: updateing splash screen faq X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: joeb@a1poweruser.com List-Id: Documentation project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:07:02 -0000 Would like to update this FAQ. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/x.html#INSTALL-SPLASH The current FAQ documentation on activating the boot splash screen is not up to date. It was written for FreeBSD 3.1 and is missing some undocumented functions. Change the FAQ to say; FreeBSD has a feature to allow the display of a "splash screen" in place of seeing the boot messages rolling by. This makes for a visually cleaner experience getting to the Xorg Desktop Display Manager logon screen and/or virtual console logon prompt. The "splash screen" function only supports 256 color bitmap (*.bmp) or ZSoft PCX (*.pcx) files. In addition, the splash image files must have a resolution of 320x200 or less to work because that is the default video support FreeBSD provides during the boot process. Your 320x200 "splash screen" image will be displayed as a small block in the center of a solid white background screen. If you want support for larger video resolutions up to the max of your video card you have to add VESA support by loading the VESA module during system boot. VESA support gives you the ability to display a "splash screen" image that fills the whole display screen. While the "splash screen" is being displayed during the booting process you can hit any keyboard key to return to the boot message display. The "splash screen" defaults to becoming your screen saver. After a time period of non-use your screen will change to the "splash screen" and cycles through steps of changing intensity of the image, from bright intensity to a very dark intensity and over again. You can override this default "splash screen" (screen saver) behavior by adding the saver= option (screen saver) statement in /etc/rc.conf. The saver= option has several built-in screen savers to choose from. Such as saver="warp". This default "splash screen" screen saver and /etc/rc.conf, saver= option screen saver only applies to virtual consoles. It has no effect on Xorg desktop display managers. At boot time you still see a few boot messages leading up to and including the boot options menu and the timed wait count down prompt before the "splash screen" is displayed. For default boot display resolution (256 color, 320x200 or less); Your "splash screen" (*.bmp) or (*.pcx) file has to be placed in the /boot directory. Edit /boot/loader.conf so it contains the following: bitmap_load="YES" bitmap_name="/boot/splash.bmp" or bitmap_name="/boot/splash.pcx" For larger video resolutions up to the max of your video card; Your "splash screen" (*.bmp) or (*.pcx) file has to be placed in the /boot directory. Edit /boot/loader.conf so it contains the following: vesa_load="YES" bitmap_load="YES" bitmap_name="/boot/splash.bmp" or bitmap_name="/boot/splash.pcx" You are not restricted to using "splash" as the file name. You can name it anything you want as long as it's a .bmp or .pcx file type. Such as splash_640x400.bmp There are 2 another loader.conf options you may be interested in. Loader_logo="beastie" This will replace the default words "FREE BDS" which are displayed to the right of the boot menu with the colored beastie logo like releases in the past had. beastie_disable="YES" Will stop the boot options menu from being displayed. You will still get the timed wait count down prompt. Now all you need is a splash screen. For that you can surf on over to the gallery at http://www.baldwin.cx/splash/.