[SOLVED] Start up splash screen

[Fred60]

How do I get something to display while Linux is loading?

As it is now, I have a black screen during the entire process with the exception of a 1/2 second flash of the green LM logo. At first it panicked me thinking my system froze while booting but I gritted my teeth and waited and sure enough Linux did it's thing and loaded. However, in these days of instant gratification 45 seconds is a long time to be looking at a blank screen.

[myface64]

I guess that you have KDE version I get 10 sec black screen.

[Cosmo.]

Probably this helps:
Open the file /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/splash with elevated rights (how to depends from the desktop environment, which you did not tell) and add this line

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FRAMEBUFFER=y

After you have saved the file open a terminal and enter:

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sudo update-initramfs -u -k all

[Fred60]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that this is Linux Mint. Will that change anything with the How to? I'm not concerned with the length of time to boot, just the fact that it is blank with no real indication of anything going on. Would just like to see some sort of activity indication.

[Cosmo.]

Well, we all assume that you use Linux Mint (as long as you do nit tell something else). If you want to be more informative, you have to tell the version and the desktop environment. If you don't know open a terminal and enter:

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inxi -Sz

In this case we don't (yet) need that, as for my advice this does not make a difference. (Otherwise I would have asked you.)

[Fred60]

Sorry, but I am still a newbie and there are so many versions flying around in my head I'm getting a little dizzy. Sorry for the lack of information, but you seemed to want to know.

Any way, here is the result of the command you asked me to execute: System:
Host: user1-Precision-M6400 Kernel: 3.19.0-32-generic x86_64 (64 bit)
Desktop: MATE 1.12.0 Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
So does that change anything in your previous instructions?

[Cosmo.]

No, go ahead.

[Fred60]

I guess I'm a little thick but I don't know how to do this: "Open the file /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/splash with elevated rights (how to depends from the desktop environment, which you did not tell)"

I tried this: gksudo leafpad /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/splash but all get is a blank file, is that what I should be expecting to get?

[Cosmo.]

Yes, the file does not exist by default, so the text window is empty. Insert the line a gave you and save the file. Then apply the second command I gave in the same post.

[Fred60]

OK, followed your instructions and got a warning message:

user1@user1-Precision-M6400 ~ $ gksudo leafpad /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/splash
user1@user1-Precision-M6400 ~ $ sudo update-initramfs -u -k all
[sudo] password for user1:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.19.0-32-generic
Warning: No support for locale: en_US.utf8
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-37-generic
Warning: No support for locale: en_US.utf8
user1@user1-Precision-M6400 ~ $

Reloaded system with no change to what I see during boot

[Cosmo.]

In the terminal enter the following commands one after the other:

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sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales
sudo update-locale LANG=en_US.UTF-8
sudo locale-gen --purge --no-archive
sudo update-initramfs -u -k all

[josweet]

All the above tweaks will help, but if u really want a fast boot then buy an SSD. I run LM Cinnamon on a samsung EVO 250GB and boot time is under 10 seconds.

[Fred60]

It's not the speed of the boot that bothers me, it is the blank screen that makes it appear as though nothing is going on. Even the little green LM logo only shows up for about 1/2 second during the process.

[phd21]

Hi "Fred60",

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.


1.) There are various boot up and startup screens when loading an operating system, including Linux Mint: "Boot-up screen", "splash screen" (Linux Mint logo screen, in my system this is controlled in the "Workspace Appearance" sections of system settings), & the "login screen" (see "MDM Login Manager"), etc...

FYI: When I upgraded to Linux Mint 17.3, my bootup screen disappeared, nothing but a blank screen for a few seconds, until the Linux Mint splash screen. I used the program below, to change that... of course this is if you are using the "Grub2" boot loader which is likely.

For the initial boot up process, "grub customizer" is great for that.
http://linuxg.net/how-to-install-grub-c ... rivatives/

To install this using the PPA method, open a console terminal, type in, or copy & paste, each line below one by one:


sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install grub-customizer


2.) Speed is mostly dependent on your computer hardware, but there are ways to "tweak" your system for better performance.

Easy Linux tips for beginners and for advanced users
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/

Speed up your Mint!
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/3



Hope this helps ...

[Fred60]

Thanks guys!

Just a repeat comment, "Boot speed was never an issue,(compared to what I used to endure with Windows XP, LINUX is lightning fast)". It was the blank screen that annoyed me. OK, I can get used to the blank screen and stop crying . Installing the "Grub customizer", at least gave me some control and resolved another problem by allowing me to load from a secondary disk via the, "look for other operating systems", option. That gives me the ability to load from a secondary HD which has Windows and my favourite games installed on it.

For some reason the background picture I selected with the "Grub Customizer" does not display, but OH Well . However like I said, I can get used to black.

Again thanks for putting up with a LINUX NEWBIE I appreciate all your efforts.

[myface64]

You will need to resize the pic to at least 1024x768 and best in PNG format. Grub customizer works good for background photo, but have problem with some themes. In grub customizer, after save, you need to go to File and update the mbr.

[austin.texas]

If you would prefer to see the scrolling text as Mint boots, get rid of "quiet splash" in /etc/default/grub

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gksudo leafpad /etc/default/grub

Edit the line
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
removing "quiet splash" (leave " ")

[phd21]

Hi "Fred60", and anyone else interested in this,

"Grub Customizer" should easily be able to use a any picture you want, but you want to match the image size to the "Grub" screen resolution you chose in "Grub Customizer", and I think they must be in ".png" and ".jpg" image formats as well. There are numerous image converters, like "Converseen", "XnviewMP, "Gimp", most "paint" programs (Kolourpaint), etc... to change your image(s), if need be. See screen shots below. Also, you can change bootup options in "Grub Customizer (GC)", tab #2, to remove the "quiet splash", (in GC, you do not have to worry about quotes), if you wanted to, do not forget to click "save".

Note: I have never been able to change the "Grub" menu's text colors, through "Grub Customizer", or in my KDE's "Grub2 bootloader" program (very similar to Grub Customizer). I have always had to edit the "/boot/grub/grub.cfg" file manually (as root) to change those colors. Tip: Using your file manager browse to your "root", then, "/boot/grub" folder, and right click the "grub.cfg" file, select "root actions, then "open as text", and change just the color options like that in the code below, and save it, exit your text editor, and reboot (restart). Obviously, if you use an image with a dark background, use lighter colors for the text menu, and if you use an image with a light background, use darker colors for the text, otherwise your menu may appear to be invisible.

Caution, do not change anything else in this "grub.cfg" file, unless you know what you are doing, use lower case characters. Any typo error you make could stop your system from booting!

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos1'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 ba9681d6-e1a1-4def-b13c-ba1018b851c0
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root ba9681d6-e1a1-4def-b13c-ba1018b851c0
fi
insmod jpeg
if background_image /home/user69/Pictures/LM-Wallpaper/LinuxMint_Lucyfe.jpg; then
set color_normal=light-cyan/black
set color_highlight=red/light-gray
else
set menu_color_normal=light-cyan/black
set menu_color_highlight=red/light-gray
if background_color 0,0,0; then
clear
fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/06_mint_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=light-cyan/black
set menu_color_highlight=red/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/06_mint_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux_proxy ###

GrubCustomizer1.jpg

GrubCustomizer2.jpg

GrubCustomizer3.jpg

Hope This helps ...

[Fred60]

Thanks for the directions. After a few tweaks I had to make in order to get the picture I selected to display and after playing with the text colours I finally got the GRUB screen to look the way I wanted it to look.

[phd21]

Hi "Fred60",

You are welcome.

Glad to hear that you have it the way you want it.

FYI: remember that you have to keep the picture you used wherever you referenced it from, because if you move it, then the "Grub" bootloader will not be able to find it. You could move it in the "/boot/grub" folder and update it again ...