How to show text messages onscreen during boot

[fraxinus_63]

There must be an easy answer to this question - but I have done some searching and have not found it yet!

I want my computers to show verbose screen output when booting, rather than a splash graphic. One of them has taken to sometimes booting slower that it did, and I need to see what is going on. But I cannot work out how to do this. On the other distro I use regularly I think I can just press [esc] during the boot process and I get to see the text output - but not here, and I cannot find a setting in the Startup Manager that allows me to enable verbose boot. (In fact 'Show text during boot' is greyed out.) Thanks in anticipation if anyone can help.

[mads]

This is not what you are asking, but I hope it helps until you find a better solution.

To enable boot logging which is off by default edit the file:
$ gksudo gedit /etc/default/bootlogd

The default content of this file is:
# Run bootlogd at startup ?
BOOTLOGD_ENABLE=No

Change it to:
# Run bootlogd at startup ?
BOOTLOGD_ENABLE=Yes

Save the file.

From now on the bootlogd command will send all messages to /var/log/boot.

Source: Checking the boot messages on Debian

[viking777]

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sudo gedit /etc/default/grub

Edit these lines to look like mine:

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 GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="nosplash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""    

then

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sudo update-grub

Under most circumstances that will work, but if you are unlucky enough to be using a Plymouth boot splash you have even more work to do.

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sudo plymouth-set-default-theme details

followed by

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sudo update-initramfs -u

But I don't think mint is using plymouth yet so you should be spared that nausea at least.