Usplash theme - Making of

[Rog131]

Warning

This is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.


Usplash

Package: libusplash-dev

This package contains everything you need to make a usplash theme,
including an example

=> /usr/share/doc/libusplash-dev/examples/README

How to create usplash themes
============================

Usplash in its current incarnation allows for simple and advanced themes. I'll
start with explaining the basics of a theme and will introduce the more advanced
topics later. I do assume that the reader has basic C programming knowledge and
knows what a Makefile is for...

> Usplash wiki
> USplash, Ubuntu community
> USplashCustomizationHowto
> HOWTO: Change the default usplash colors
> usplash transparency ?


Usplash

Usplash is a userspace application that uses the Linux framebuffer interface or direct vesa access to draw a splash screen at boot. It has a companion utility that is able to send commands to usplash, allowing information about the bootup sequence to be displayed in a more attractive way.

What
Usplash can show pictures and series of pictures (animation). Pictures are limited to the 256 color palette.

Where and When
Usplash is controlled by a c-language file.

Hardware limits
Available resolutions at the boot:

sudo hwinfo --framebuffer

Here with my hardware:

320x200, 320x240, 400x300, 512x384, 640x350, 640x400, 640x480. 800x600, 1024x768 and 1280x1024.

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Making a 256 color palette with the Gimp


Making a new base palette picture (Base_palette.png)

Image > Mode > Indexed > Generate optimum palette (maximum number of colors:256)

Dialogs > Palettes (Right click Palettes) > Import Palette > Select Source (Image) > Import

Now you should have a 256 color palette.


Using that palette:

Open a picture with the Gimp

Image > Mode > Indexed -> Use custom palette / Your palette / Check that "Remove unused colors from colormap" is NOT on.


With the non-english Kubuntu: Starting the Gimp with the command

LANGUAGE=en gimp

helps a bit

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Configuration and commands


Usplash configuration file: /etc/usplash.conf.

# Usplash configuration file
# These parameters will only apply after running update-initramfs.
xres=1680
yres=1050

It is a text file so you can edit it by using a text editor. Afterwards you need to run

sudo update-initramfs -u

or

sudo dpkg-reconfigure usplash

man update-initramfs

UPDATE-INITRAMFS(8) UPDATE-INITRAMFS(8)

NAME
update-initramfs - generate an initramfs image

SYNOPSIS
update-initramfs [-k version] [-c] [-u] [-t] [-v] [-b] [-h]

DESCRIPTION
The update-initramfs script manages your initramfs images on your local
box. It keeps track of the existing initramfs archives in /boot.
There are three modes of operation create, update or delete. You must
at least specify one of those modes.

man dpkg-reconfigure

DPKG-RECONFIGURE(8) Debconf DPKG-RECONFIGURE(8)

NAME
dpkg-reconfigure - reconfigure an already installed package

SYNOPSIS
dpkg-reconfigure [options] packages

Installed Usplash themes:

update-usplash-theme

Here it tells:

Installed themes:
debian-theme
usplash-theme-kubuntu
kubuntu_pet_of_the_month
kubuntu_throbber_and_spinner
macx-splash
usplash-theme-ichthux
kubuntu_gauge_and_spinner

Changing theme

sudo update-usplash-theme <theme name>

If you get:

update-alternatives: Cannot find alternative `/usr/lib/usplash/<theme name>.so'

man update-alternatives

update-alternatives(8) dpkg utilities update-alternatives(8)

NAME
update-alternatives - maintain symbolic links determining default com‐
mands

SYNOPSIS
update-alternatives [options] command

DESCRIPTION
update-alternatives creates, removes, maintains and displays informa‐
tion about the symbolic links comprising the Debian alternatives sys‐
tem.

It is possible for several programs fulfilling the same or similar
functions to be installed on a single system at the same time. For
example, many systems have several text editors installed at once.
This gives choice to the users of a system, allowing each to use a dif‐
ferent editor, if desired, but makes it difficult for a program to make
a good choice for an editor to invoke if the user has not specified a
particular preference.

List of the usplash-artwork.so alternatives:

update-alternatives --list usplash-artwork.so

Adding/updating alternatives:

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/lib/usplash/usplash-artwork.so usplash-artwork.so /usr/lib/usplash/<theme name>.so 10

Testing Usplash theme with the default resolution (usplash.conf):

sudo usplash -c

or

sudo usplash -c -x 1024 -y 768

man usplash

usplash(8) usplash(8)

NAME
usplash - userspace bootsplash daemon

SYNOPSIS
usplash [-c] [-v] [-x num] [-y num]

DESCRIPTION
Uses the framebuffer to provide a graphical bootsplash screen from
userspace during system boot and shutdown. As well as a static image,
the screen includes a progress bar and text updated by commands
received from usplash_write(8).

OPTIONS
-c Causes usplash to switch to a new console (vt8) before display‐
ing the splash screen, rather than writing over the current one.

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Example #1 Usplash with the standard throbber bar and a spinning kubuntu logo.

Downloading package kubuntu-artwork-usplash from the Ubuntu Packages.

Source Package: kubuntu-default-settings

The following binary packages are built from this source package:

kubuntu-artwork-usplash
kubuntu artwork for usplash
kubuntu-default-settings
Default settings and artwork for the Kubuntu desktop

=> Downloading the latest version, at the moment it is:

kubuntu-default-settings_8.04-20.dsc
and
kubuntu-default-settings_8.04-20.tar.gz

In the same folder as dsc and tar.gz

dpkg-source -x kubuntu-default-settings_8.04-20.dsc

man dpkg-source

dpkg-source(1) dpkg utilities dpkg-source(1)

NAME
dpkg-source - Debian source package (.dsc) manipulation tool

SYNOPSIS
dpkg-source [options] command

DESCRIPTION
dpkg-source packs and unpacks Debian source archives.

Usplash source-files are in the /kubuntu-default-settings-8.04/usplash/. There are:

Picture files
16 color palette

throbber_back_16.png
throbber_fore_16.png
usplash_640_400.png

256 color palette

throbber_back.png
throbber_fore.png
usplash_640_480.png
usplash_800_600.png
usplash_1024_768.png
usplash_1365_768.png
usplash_1365_768_scaled.png (for 16:9 monitors)

Bash and c-code:
Makefile and usplash-theme-kubuntu.c


Downloading source (usplash-macx-1.tar.gz) from the Gnome-Look: MacX Usplash Theme

Description:
This is my first attempt at a usplash theme. It uses custom animation to get the feel of a mac osx box booting - with the osx spinner. There are 4 different resolution images for use - 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1280x800, and 1440x900. Not sure about getting the widescreen resolutions to work but the 4:3 resolutions work. The default resolution is 1024x768.

Unpacking -> /usplash-macx-1/, there is macx-splash.c.


Using Kubuntu usplash theme and inserting there animation code from the MacX Usplash Theme.

Removing 16 color files and picture files for the 16:9 monitors (i have 16:10 monitor) Making same changes in the usplash-theme-kubuntu.c and Makefile files.

Taking spinner animation code from the macx-splash.c and inserting it to the usplash-theme-kubuntu.c.

Making two simple animations: Kubuntu text animation (kubuntu_txt.gif) and spinning kubuntu logo (spinner.gif).

A Moment of testing and finally: kubuntu_throbber_and_spinner theme

Source (78 kB) >
usplash_throbber_and_spinner-0.1.tar.gz
or
usplash_throbber_and_spinner-0.1.tar.gz


Preview:

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Example #2 Usplash with a small gauge and a spinning kubuntu logo.

Using same c-file as in the example #1 but removing throbber bar and using instead of small gauge (gauge.gif) with a numeric indicator.

Source (82 kB) > usplash_gauge_and_spinner-0.1.tar.gz
or
usplash_gauge_and_spinner-0.1.tar.gz

Preview:

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Example #3 Pet of the month theme.

I have 16:10 monitor (1680x1050) and Usplash is using black wrappings/borders to fit a 4:3 picture (1024x768) to the 16:10 monitor.


Downloading a picture from High Quality Nature & Landscape Desktop Wallpapers

Scaling it to the 1024x768, indexing picture colors to the 256 and making a 256 color palette from the picture. That picture will be the background_1024_768.png.

When used with the usplash.conf:

# Usplash configuration file
xres=1024
yres=768

The monitor will scale the 1024x768 picture back to the 1680x1050 and no more black borders !

Source (302 kB) > usplash_pet-0.1.tar.gz
or
usplash_pet-0.1.tar.gz


Preview:

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Installing and Uninstalling

Bare Nessesities

libusplash-dev

Theming support files for usplash

compiler, one way to install it is to use metapackage build-essential

This package contains an informational list of packages which are
considered essential for building Debian packages. This package also
depends on the packages on that list, to make it easy to have the
build-essential packages installed.

If you have this package installed, you only need to install whatever
a package specifies as its build-time dependencies to build the
package.

Installation example

Unpacking usplash_pet-0.1.tar.gz and moving to the /usplash_pet-0.1/

Compiling:

make

make: Circular animation1.png <- animation1.png.c dependency dropped.
pngtousplash animation1.png > animation1.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o animation1.png.c.o -c animation1.png.c
make: Circular background_1024_768.png <- background_1024_768.png.c dependency dropped.
pngtousplash background_1024_768.png > background_1024_768.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o background_1024_768.png.c.o -c background_1024_768.png.c
make: Circular background_800_600.png <- background_800_600.png.c dependency dropped.
pngtousplash background_800_600.png > background_800_600.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o background_800_600.png.c.o -c background_800_600.png.c
make: Circular background_640_480.png <- background_640_480.png.c dependency dropped.
pngtousplash background_640_480.png > background_640_480.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o background_640_480.png.c.o -c background_640_480.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.c.o -c kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.c
make: Circular animation45.png <- animation45.png.c dependency dropped.
pngtousplash animation45.png > animation45.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o animation45.png.c.o -c animation45.png.c
make: Circular animation6.png <- animation6.png.c dependency dropped.
pngtousplash animation6.png > animation6.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o animation6.png.c.o -c animation6.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -shared -o kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so animation1.png.c.o background_1024_768.png.c.o background_800_600.png.c.o background_640_480.png.c.o kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.c.o animation45.png.c.o animation6.png.c.o
rm background_800_600.png.c background_1024_768.png.c animation1.png.c animation45.png.c background_640_480.png.c animation6.png.c

Installing:

sudo make install

/usr/bin/install -c -d /usr/lib/usplash
/usr/bin/install -c -m 755 kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so /usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so
update-alternatives --remove usplash-artwork.so /usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so
update-alternatives --install /usr/lib/usplash/usplash-artwork.so usplash-artwork.so /usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so 55
update-initramfs -u
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

Check #1

update-usplash-theme

Installed themes:
debian-theme
usplash-theme-kubuntu
kubuntu_pet_of_the_month
kubuntu_throbber_and_spinner
macx-splash
usplash-theme-ichthux
kubuntu_gauge_and_spinner

Check #2

update-alternatives --list usplash-artwork.so

/usr/lib/usplash/usplash-theme-kubuntu.so
/usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_throbber_and_spinner.so
/usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_gauge_and_spinner.so
/usr/lib/usplash/debian-theme.so
/usr/lib/usplash/usplash-theme-ichthux.so
/usr/lib/usplash/macx-splash.so
/usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so

Changing Usplash resolution:

Alt + F2 and kdesudo kate /etc/usplash.conf

# Usplash configuration file
# These parameters will only apply after running update-initramfs.
xres=1024
yres=768

and

sudo update-initramfs -u

update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

Changing Usplash theme:

sudo update-usplash-theme kubuntu_pet_of_the_month

Using '/usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so' to provide 'usplash-artwork.so'.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

Uninstallation example

In the /usplash_pet-0.1/ directory

sudo make uninstall

rm -f /usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so
update-alternatives --remove usplash-artwork.so /usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_pet_of_the_month.so
update-initramfs -u
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

Check #1

update-usplash-theme

Installed themes:
debian-theme
usplash-theme-kubuntu
kubuntu_throbber_and_spinner
macx-splash
usplash-theme-ichthux
kubuntu_gauge_and_spinner

Check #2

update-alternatives --list usplash-artwork.so

/usr/lib/usplash/usplash-theme-kubuntu.so
/usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_throbber_and_spinner.so
/usr/lib/usplash/kubuntu_gauge_and_spinner.so
/usr/lib/usplash/debian-theme.so
/usr/lib/usplash/usplash-theme-ichthux.so
/usr/lib/usplash/macx-splash.so

Tested with the Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) and with the Kubuntu Hardy Heron (8.04.1). Everything seems to work but note that these are the first versions (0.1).

[dibl]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Wow!

I have to lot to learn about usplash -- this helps! Thanks Rog!

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Common usplash theme / Easy usplash theme

#1 Make a work directory

#2 Download:

• common-usplash-theme.c.txt (rename to common-usplash-theme.c)
• Makefile.txt (rename to Makefile)
• throbber_back.png
• throbber_fore.png

#3 Get a background image.
- http://www.kde-look.org/
- http://www.kubuntu-art.org/
- or somewhere

Here is a good one > Kubuntu Logo Wallpaper (Blue&Orange)

Using kubuntu_logo_wp_blue_1280x1024.jpg

Cropping it to the 1024x768 (background_1024_768.png) and scaling it to the 800x600 (background_800_600.png) and 640x480 (background_640_480.png).

Image files:

• background_1024_768.png
• background_800_600.png
• background_640_480.png
• throbber_fore.png
• throbber_back.png

#4 Make a 256 color palette file from the background_1024_768.png and use it to all image files.

#5 Compile

make

#6 Install

sudo make install

#7 Set the Usplash theme

sudo update-usplash-theme common-usplash-theme

[Rog131]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

Preview image and progress bar


Preview:

[Fintan]

Re: Usplash theme - Making of

This is very nice work, thank you rog.

Now, to combine this with the gfxgrub-boot splash

As didble said, lots to do