General usplash theme information
- usplash supports multiple resolutions in one theme (generally using backgrounds of different sizes).
- usplash also supports drawing a progress bar...but the progress bar can be any type of image.
- the usplash theme can draw a suitably sized solid-color box on demand for user input/output, so a part of the screen generally needs to be reserved for this.
usplash themes
usplash-theme-debian
Based on ideas and artwork by Andre L.R.Ferreira and code by DavidHärdeman
- Startup screen:
http://david.hardeman.nu/files/misc/usplash-screenshots/start.png
- After some progress has been made (with verbose messages):
http://david.hardeman.nu/files/misc/usplash-screenshots/progress.png
- During lengthy processes, such as fsck, and "indeterminate" progress bar can be shown:
http://david.hardeman.nu/files/misc/usplash-screenshots/fsck.png
- Also supports user input, e.g. for cryptsetup:
http://david.hardeman.nu/files/misc/usplash-screenshots/crypto.png
- Details:
Background SVG source (http://cdd.debian-br.org/~si0ux/artwork/debian/usplash/usplash-etch-fixed.tar.gz)
- Uses the proposed GDM background (the one pictured above)
- the progress bar is the text "Debian" centered on the screen gradually being drawn left-to-right by replacing one pixmap with another.
- The same effect but in reverse is applied when shutting down.
This theme is in unstable, see usplash-theme-debian for details.
General usplash ideas
usplash-to-GDM transition
- It would be very cool to have the same background in usplash as in GDM
- it would appear as if the boot first takes place and the login box appears on top of the existing background once the boot has progressed far enough
- The only discontiuity is the vt-switch from usplash to gdm...reducing it would probably be a post-Etch issue (this is not a usplash, gdm, or artwork issue, this is a driver issue, only with modesetting support in-kernel would this work)
Things that do not work
- To have a partially transparent progress bar and making it more and more opaque as the boot progresses (alpha-blending is not supported, usplash images use an indexed palette).
Other proposals
- Could the progress bar be the debian spiral "filling up" with color?