RFR: A "Boot Time Splash Screens" Section to the Handbook

[Tom Rhodes]

On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:49:26 +0100
Gabor PALI <pgj at freebsd.org> wrote:

> Manolis Kiagias wrote:
> > Here are a few nits you may want to act on.
> 
> Thank you for your review.  I fixed all the problems you pointed out and
> created a new version [1][2].
> 
> 
> > I can't tell about technical accuracy.
> 
> Hm, it seems I should really test the description myself :)
> 
> 
> > "Note that, a 320x200 ___splash screen___ image will be displayed as a
> > small block in the center of a solid white background screen."  => I
> > don't understand what you mean by this. Since the resolution at boot
> > will be 320x200, the splash screen will still fill the entire screen.
> > Do you mean to compare the size of the image to a typical desktop?
> 
> To be honest, it was (blindly) imported from the original text.  As far
> as I remember (I used splash screens about three years ago), it wants to
> tell you something like "if you have a 320x200 image but the resolution
> is higher, then it will be put in the middle of the screen".  Anyway, I
> removed this sentence, since I do not see any clear connection with the
> other sentences.
> 
> 
> > While discussing text mode screensavers, it might be worth mentioning
> >  that you can get the list of available savers by ls 
> > /boot/kernel/*saver.ko or something along that line.
> 
> Instead of this, I simply referenced the splash(4) manual page, it
> should be enough.
> 
> 
> > I also feel some longer sentences could use a few commas.
> 
> I tried to insert those commas, and split some longer sentences up into
> smaller ones.
> 
> 
> > I've only peeked at the SGML, but I am sure there is nothing to fix
> > there :)
> 
> Thank you for trusting my SGML skills :)
> 
> 
> Note for native speakers:  please, review!

You asked.  :P

Index: chapter.sgml
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/dcvs/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/boot/chapter.sgml,v
retrieving revision 1.65
diff -u -r1.65 chapter.sgml
--- chapter.sgml	30 May 2006 23:08:23 -0000	1.65
+++ chapter.sgml	30 Nov 2008 21:53:30 -0000
@@ -507,6 +507,192 @@
 	</listitem>
       </itemizedlist>
   </sect3>
+
+      <sect3 id="boot-splash">
+	<sect3info>
+	  <authorgroup>
+	    <author>
+	      <firstname>Joseph J.</firstname>
+	      <surname>Barbish</surname>
+	      <contrib>Contributed by </contrib>
+	    </author>
+	  </authorgroup>
+	</sect3info>
+
+	<title>Boot Time Splash Screens</title>
+
+	<para>&os; has a feature to allow the display of a <quote>splash
+	  screen</quote> in place of showing boot messages.  This makes
+	  for a clearer visually experience getting to the legacy

What?

How about:

"The splash screen creates a more visually appealing boot screen
comparied to the original boot messages.  This screen will be
displayed until a console login prompt or X Display Manager offers
a login prompt."


+	  virtual console text login prompt and/or the X Display Manager
+	  graphical login screen.</para>
+
+	<para>There are two basic environments available in &os;.  The
+	  first is the default legacy virtual console text command line

Axe the "text" word here.

+	  environment.  After the system finishes booting, a virtual
+	  console text login prompt is presented.  The second

Probably axe "text" here too - I know you're attempting to describe
the look; however, it just sounds odd to me.  Similar below.


+	  environment is the X11 Desktop graphical environment.  After
+	  <link linkend="x-install">X11</link> and one of the graphical
+	  <link linkend="x11-wm">desktop environments</link>, such as
+	  <application>GNOME</application>,
+	  <application>KDE</application>, or
+	  <application>XFce</application> are installed, the X11 desktop
+	  can be launched from the command line by using the
+	  <command>startx</command> command.</para>
+
+	<para>Some X11 users may select <emphasis>not</emphasis> to stop

"may elect" here, but I think this entire bit needs reworded.

"Some users prefer the X11 desktop graphical login screen over the
traditional text based login prompt."

is one example of a better sentence.

+	  at the virtual console login prompt at boot time, but go
+	  directly to the X11 desktop display manager's graphical login
+	  screen.  Popular choices are <application>XDM</application>,
+	  the display manager of &xorg;, <application>gdm</application>
+	  for <application>GNOME</application>, and
+	  <application>kdm</application> for
+	  <application>KDE</application>, but any other display manager
+	  found in the Ports Collection could be used.  These display

Not sure about this sentence either.  :(


+	  managers basically provide a graphical login screen in place
+	  of the default legacy virtual console text login prompt.
+	  After a successful login, they present the user with a
+	  graphical desktop.</para>
+
+	<para>In the virtual console text command line environment, the
+	  splash screen would hide all the boot probe messages and task
+	  startup messages before displaying the login prompt.  In X11
+	  environment, the users would get a visually clearer system
+	  start up experience resembling something closer to what a
+	  (µsoft; &windows; or non-unix type system) user would
+	  experience.</para>
+
+	<sect4 id="boot-splash-function">
+	  <title>Splash Screen Function</title>
+
+	  <para>The <quote>splash screen</quote> function only supports
+	    256-color bitmap (<filename>.bmp</filename>) or ZSoft
+	    <acronym>PCX</acronym> (<filename>.pcx</filename>) files.
+	    In addition, the splash image files must have a resolution
+	    of 320 by 200 pixels or less to work on standard VGA
+	    adapters.</para>
+
+	  <para>To use larger images, up to the maximum resolution
+	    supported by the video card, activate the
+	    <acronym>VESA</acronym> support included in &os;.  This can
+	    be enabled by loading the <acronym>VESA</acronym> module
+	    during system boot, or adding a <literal>VESA</literal>
+	    kernel configuration option and building a custom kernel
+	    (see <xref linkend="kernelconfig">).  The
+	    <acronym>VESA</acronym> support gives users the ability to
+	    display a <quote>splash screen</quote> image that fills the
+	    whole display screen.
+
+	  <para>While the <quote>splash screen</quote> is being
+	    displayed during the booting process, it can be turned off
+	    any time by hitting a key.</para>

"by hitting any key on the keyboard."


+
+	  <para>The <quote>splash screen</quote> defaults to becoming a
+	    screen saver.  After a time period of non-use the screen

"also defaults to being a screen saver outside of X11."

+	    will change to the <quote>splash screen</quote> and cycle
+	    through steps of changing intensity of the image, from
+	    bright intensity to a very dark intensity and over again.
+	    This default <quote>splash screen</quote> (screen saver)
+	    behavior could be overridden by adding a
+	    <literal>saver=</literal> line to
+	    <filename>/etc/rc.conf</filename>.  Option
+	    <literal>saver=</literal> has several built-in screen savers
+	    to choose from, the full list can be found in the
+	    &man.splash.4; manual page.  The default <quote>splash
+	    screen</quote> screen saver is called <quote>warp</quote>.
+	    Note that, the <literal>saver=</literal> option specified in

"Note that the ..."

+	    <filename>/etc/rc.conf</filename> only applies to virtual
+	    consoles.  It has no effect on X11 display managers.</para>
+
+	  <para>At boot time with the <quote>splash screen</quote>
+	    enabled, a few boot loader messages still could be seen leading
+	    up to and including the boot options menu, and a timed wait
+	    count down prompt before the <quote>splash screen</quote> is
+	    displayed.</para>

This sentence is a bit much.

+
+	  <para>Sample splash screen files can be downloaded from the
+	    gallery at <ulink
+	      url="http://www.baldwin.cx/splash/"></ulink>.</para>
+	</sect4>
+
+	<sect4 id="boot-splash-enable">
+	  <title>Enabling the Splash Screen Function</title>
+
+	  <para>The <quote>splash screen</quote>
+	    (<filename>.bmp</filename>) or (<filename>.pcx</filename>)
+	    file has to be placed in the <filename
+	      class="directory">/boot</filename> directory.</para>
+
+	  <para>For default boot display resolution (256-color, 320 by
+	    200 pixels, or less), edit
+	    <filename>/boot/loader.conf</filename>, so it contains the
+	    following:</para>
+
+	  <programlisting>splash_bmp_load="YES"
+bitmap_load="YES"
+bitmap_name="<replaceable>/boot/splash.bmp</replaceable>"</programlisting>
+
+	  <para>For larger video resolutions up to the maximum of the
+	    video card, edit <filename>/boot/loader.conf</filename>, so
+	    it contains the following:</para>
+
+	  <programlisting>vesa_load="YES"
+splash_bmp_load="YES"
+bitmap_load="YES"
+bitmap_name="<replaceable>/boot/splash.bmp</replaceable>"</programlisting>
+
+	  <para>The above assumes that
+	    <filename><replaceable>/boot/splash.bmp</replaceable></filename>
+	    is used for splash screen.  When a <acronym>PCX</acronym>
+	    file is desired, use the previous statements, plus the
+	    <literal>vesa_load="YES"</literal> line depending on the
+	    resolution.</para>
+
+	  <programlisting>splash_pcx_load="YES"
+bitmap_load="YES"
+bitmap_name="<replaceable>/boot/splash.pcx</replaceable>"</programlisting>
+
+	  <para>The file name is not really restricted to

Axe the word "really" here.

+	    <quote>splash</quote> as shown in the above example.  It can
+	    be anything as long as it has type of <acronym>BMP</acronym>
+	    or <acronym>PCX</acronym>, such as
+	    <filename><replaceable>splash_640x400</replaceable>.bmp</filename>
+	    or
+	    <filename><replaceable>blue_wave</replaceable>.pcx</filename>.</para>
+
+	  <para>There are another two possible interesting
+	    <filename>loader.conf</filename> options.</para>

Not sure about this one.


+
+	  <variablelist>
+	    <varlistentry>
+	      <term><literal>beastie_disable="YES"</literal></term>
+
+	      <listitem>
+		<para>This will stop the boot options menu from being
+		  displayed, but the timed wait count down prompt will
+		  still be present.  Even with the display of the boot
+		  options menu disabled, entering an option selection at
+		  the timed wait count down prompt will enact the
+		  corresponding boot option.</para>
+	      </listitem>
+	    </varlistentry>
+
+	    <varlistentry>
+	      <term><literal>loader_logo="beastie"</literal></term>
+
+	      <listitem>
+		<para>This will replace the default words
+		  <quote>&os;</quote>, which are displayed to the right
+		  of the boot options menu with the colored beastie logo
+		  like releases in the past had.</para>
+	      </listitem>
+	    </varlistentry>
+	  </variablelist>
+
+	  <para>For more information, please see the &man.splash.4;,
+	    &man.loader.conf.5;, and &man.vga.4; manual pages.</para>
+	</sect4>
+      </sect3>
     </sect2>
   </sect1>


Hope that helps.

-- 
Tom Rhodes