Da Vinci

GFXBoot

Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): Add the source-code for this project on opencode.net

1
5.0
Description:

Simple installation guide: Place the "message" file in your /boot/grub/ directory and change your grub config file to contain "gfxmenu /boot/grub/message" at the top of the file. If you don't already have gfxboot or if your version of gfxboot doesn't work, look down to "How to install GrUB".

Update 20 June 09:
- The same thing, but with CADIE. For those who don't know, she is a cute little piece of software who loves pandas and only wants to program in Intercal. The piece of code in the picture is her saying "Hello".
- The netbook version is only known to work on the Lenovo S10; Resolution of the framebuffer is weird: 1024x576.
- A 800x600 version that should work on any laptop.
- A 1280x1024 version uploaded by nicotine. I haven't tested this one simply because I don't have a 1280x1024 monitor at hand.
Feedbacks plz =D

This is a grub gfxboot theme I made for myself. And because of that, it might not work well for everybody. It can handle up to 15 boot entries (actually you can edit the gfxboot.cfg to make it 17, but then the last entry will be right above the boot options, which doesn't look so nice...)
The signature and the (not so) funny quote of mine can be replaced: just download the photoshop .PSD then do whatever editting you want, then recompile the message file with:
(on openSuSE) gfxboot --add-file back.jpg
(on other platforms without gfxboot)
create a directory, cd into it, unpack the message file to current directory using
cpio -i LT /boot/message (ugh, replace "LT" with the "less than" input redirection sign), replace the back.jpg, then repack it with
find . | cpio -o >/boot/message
Remember to make the image smaller than 170KB, and embed no thumbnail, no EXIF, no metadata watsoever (you can do that easily with GIMP: after exporting with Photoshop, open the image in GIMP, choose Save as, click Advanced options)

I just ask for a favor: If you editted it to be a really good-looking image, then please, comment and share it with me and others :)! My Photoshop skill is pathetic.

This theme will works only with widescreen monitors, with video BIOS capable of handling framebuffer mode 0x368 and up (1280x800@24). It looks perfect on 1280x800 monitors.
To check, do:
sudo hwinfo --framebuffer

The idea of the theme comes from MilaX wallpaper: http://www.milax.org

Some version of grub-gfxboot work with this splash and some dont. The one I know that works is down there. Download it.

How to install GrUB: just extract the files in the grub archive into your /boot/grub/ folder (will rewrite something!) and then do the following steps under anything but Ubuntu:
sudo grub
grub> root (hdx,y)
grub> setup (hdx)
With x, y are the drive and partition index.

EDIT: I found out that many people are frustrated that they do not have gfxboot package or it's not working. Here's the good news: you don't need it. You do not need to install any special package onto your Ubuntu/Fedora/Whatever OS you are running to use the downloaded gfxboot splashes downloaded from here. You just need the right version of GrUB and you can download it from the link below, no package installation, keep your old "grub" package, just extrack the tarball over your old /boot/grub directory then follow my instruction above.
That said, you can even use this to dualboot XP and Vista, no Linux needed (but I havent seen anyone knows how to use grub without having *nix on his computer).
"Then what are gfxboot package for?" you may ask. It's just a tool used to easily create/modify/test the "message" file.

DISCLAIMER: If you screw up your grub and your computer wont boot, too bad. Im sorry. But its not my fault. You should at least be comfortable working with grub before you come to this site anyway. But I will try my best to help, just leave a comment.

If you want to vote bad, give me a reason why, or a constructive comment please :)
Last changelog:

11 years ago

1.0: Well...
1.1: Added CADIE version with 800x600 and 1280x1024 resolution (thanks to nicotine =D)

9 comments
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realnc

11 years ago

Excellent! Thanks for this. I didn't even know Grub can do 1280x1024, but it works just fine. No more LCD-blurry-upscale lol :)

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shaumux

11 years ago

Will it work if i just resize the psd image to 1024x768 and recompile the theme with the smaller image?

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C

jimreynold2nd

11 years ago

You can just use the 800x600 version. It should work on almost anything now. If you want to make a 1024x768 version (so that it looks sharper), you can replace the picture in the package with a new one, change the screen size parameter in the config file, move the position of the menus if necessary, repack it and youre done :D

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nicotine

11 years ago

Hi, I edited your work for 1280x1024 resolution. You can add it here if you want.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4L3XDB63

Regards

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FoxIII

11 years ago

Have to say, this is a great design here!

I have, following your instructions above, managed to get the image to display nicely on the grub boot menu, but the actual menu itself is still its original size (across the whole screen). Note sure if you can shed any light. If you want any info., just shout.

TIA

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jimreynold2nd

11 years ago

Sorry - I had been quite busy with school lately. I discovered that many people have problems installing this theme. Most of them either have a monitor lower than 1280x800 or has a graphic card/video bios combination that does not support this framebuffer mode, especially the Toshiba laptops with ATi graphic. Sorry! I will try to come up with a lower resolution version that might be able to address this, also add support for netbooks. Watch this space!

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Fri13

11 years ago

Hopefully you will keep the possiblity of 16:10 and 16:9 formats as well, those are on these days the "standard".

Nice work!

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crazups

12 years ago

Can't seem to get this to extract to the boot folder.
I tried "gksudo nautilus" but still couldn't copy and paste. threw an error.
I need a "sudo cp ../../.." command?? Not sure....It's my first time trying to download and install anything from KDE-Look.org.
Any help would be appreciated. but backed up my boot folder just in case I mess something up.

Thanks in advance

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jimreynold2nd

12 years ago

To extract grubthatworks.tar.gz to /boot/ you can use:
sudo tar zxvf grubthatworks.tar.gz -C /boot/
Gluck!

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11 years ago

1.0: Well...
1.1: Added CADIE version with 800x600 and 1280x1024 resolution (thanks to nicotine =D)

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mikef1016
Jun 22 2009
File (click to download) Version Description Downloads Date Filesize DL OCS-Install MD5SUM
*Needs pling-store or ocs-url to install things
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jimreynold2nd
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updated Jun 22 2009
added Nov 26 2008
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System Tags bootscreen gfxboot linux splashscreen unix