SUSE Has Been Working On An In-Kernel Boot Splash Screen For Linux

[phoronix]

Phoronix: SUSE Has Been Working On An In-Kernel Boot Splash Screen For Linux

While Plymouth has become widely-used as a bootsplash screen on most Linux systems these days and is much better off than the RHGB days, SUSE has sent out initial patches as part of their proposal for having a new in-kernel bootsplash system...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=SUSE-Kernel-Bootsplash

[gQuigs]

Why is this based on FB and not DRM/KMS? IIRC they keep trying to kill FB and this would make another dependency for it.

[TumultuousUnicorn]

I really dislike user-space bootsplash, they are not working very well. Plymouth take too much time before starting.
Actually, I don't use a bootsplash, I prefer the quiet boot (yeah, a dark screen), but due to fast boot engender by a SSD, using a bootsplash on my computer would be useless.

BTW, +1 for gQuigs about DRM/KMS.

[KRiloshart]

I like suse's proposal. It should make bootsplash the way it was intended to be.

[uid313]

Shouldn't get bring out things from kernel space that don't need be there?
I heard TTY support was going to removed from the kernel, but that was long ago and it still haven't happened, is that going to happen?

With Linux on IoT maybe you want to move things out of the kernel and make the kernel smaller.

[Adriannho]

F*** yeah! This should have been there for like 20 years now! Better late than never I guess!

[jrch2k8]

Shouldn't get bring out things from kernel space that don't need be there?
I heard TTY support was going to removed from the kernel, but that was long ago and it still haven't happened, is that going to happen?

With Linux on IoT maybe you want to move things out of the kernel and make the kernel smaller.

With IoT doesn't make much sense, I can say for certain every ARM kernel have to be compiled specifically for each device and each device have its own personal custom kernel version, so either way you have to get your hands dirty and uber customize the bejesus out of each kernel. <-- the sweet world of ARM(I hate every ARM SoC producer).

about the splash thing, it make sense from the PoV of the users(newbies grinch their teeth everytime they see white text on screen) and technically should happen soon enough to be transparent for boot times

[waxhead]

A kernel side splash screen is NOT needed. The only potential useful solution is a black screen until a userspace splash screen program is loaded. Why would you want a splash screen in the kernel anyway?

[jrch2k8]

A kernel side splash screen is NOT needed. The only potential useful solution is a black screen until a userspace splash screen program is loaded. Why would you want a splash screen in the kernel anyway?

for the same reason Windows, IOS, Android and OS X have it, the users[as migrating noob user of course, not linux pros] don't like text on the boot(because outside the linuxes it means bad news or something they don't understand) and seem in the kernel it can be early enough to work seamlessly on UEFI without introducing artificial slowdowns on boot or other know hacks.

The point is this is more a product makeover more than a technical issue per se(even tho it does have lots of technical pros)

[varikonniemi]

I hope this FINALLY brings flicker-free booting. There should be zero display mode switches before the desktop loads.