[skinky]

Hi all

I only just figured out how to change the image displayed at the grub boot menu whilst still keeping animations (Mandriva's timer animation) with gfxboot - as opposed to the not-quite-so-pretty (IMHO) pics with standard grub. There is very little info on the internet about gfxboot so I thought this may help someone else who wishes to change Mandriva's nice pic.

I haven't experimented with changing the text/fonts or anything else - just the image. Also I've only done this with Mandriva Spring (2007.1).

Mandriva Spring installs the mandriva-gfxboot-theme package by default which also comes with a program called /usr/sbin/grub-gfxmenu to update the gfxmenu. So all I did was replace Mandriva's images with my own! The images are 800x600 in size and I did not reduce the colours at all. Here's a list of the files I replaced - all with the same image:

		  /usr/share/gfxboot/themes/Mandriva/back.jpg
		  /usr/share/gfxboot/themes/Mandriva/welcome.jpg
		  /usr/share/gfxboot/themes/Mandriva/install/back.jpg
		  /usr/share/gfxboot/themes/Mandriva/install/welcome.jpg

I then did the following:

		  #  su
		  #  cd /usr/share/gfxboot/themes/
		  #  ln -s Mandriva current
		  #  /usr/sbin/grub-gfxmenu --update-gfxmenu
		  #  grub-install /dev/hda

Then I rebooted and voila! My pic is now at the grub boot menu and Mandriva's timer animation still works! :thumbs:

IMORTANT NOTE: Obviously the above command (grub-install /dev/hda) should point to where you have grub installed if not in the MBR of the first IDE disk!

HTH someone.

This post has been edited by skinky: 13 June 2007 - 12:16 PM

[theYinYeti]

Thank you for sharing :)

[pindakoe]

Thanks a bunch -- I figured stuff out the hard way (by editing the file referenced by the gfxmeny command in grub's menu.lst). The commands to do this (for a file called 'gfxmenu', like the one located in /boot) are:

cd work				# Go to an empty directory
cpio -i < gfxmenu	# Unpack all files from mandriva default GRUB splash
...				# Commands to modify and/or replace the graphic file
ls . |cpio -o > ../newsplash	# Create a new archive
...				# copy file back to /boot and adapt /boot/grub/menu.lst accordingly

(gfxmenu expects its input in n an CPIO archive)

The only info I have been able to find on gfxmenu (some Suse forums) was that the image should be 800x600 and 'not too big'.

[skinky]

Your're most welcome. Yes, info for gfxboot is rather sparse on the 'net. Have fun.

[Littleguy]

pindakoe, on Jun 13 2007, 02:40 PM, said:

Thanks a bunch -- I figured stuff out the hard way (by editing the file referenced by the gfxmeny command in grub's menu.lst). The commands to do this (for a file called 'gfxmenu', like the one located in /boot) are:

cd work				# Go to an empty directory
cpio -i < gfxmenu	# Unpack all files from mandriva default GRUB splash
...				# Commands to modify and/or replace the graphic file
ls . |cpio -o > ../newsplash	# Create a new archive
...				# copy file back to /boot and adapt /boot/grub/menu.lst accordingly

(gfxmenu expects its input in n an CPIO archive)

The only info I have been able to find on gfxmenu (some Suse forums) was that the image should be 800x600 and 'not too big'.

Thanks for the info guys , you saved me a lot of time searching for the location of that pic.

I used pindakoes method, but I can't get the before last part " ls . |cpio -o > ../newsplash # Create a new archive "

I extracted all the gfxmenu CPIO archive to a folder or directory, so when I try to archive that directory with the extracted file I get a message saying that I can not archive that path because it is a directory, I don't know of any other way of archiving a bunch of files at once into one archive. I'm used to using archiver and winrar where you can just archive a folder or directory.

Any ideas ? B) :unsure:

This post has been edited by Littleguy: 17 July 2007 - 06:42 PM

[pindakoe]

You shoud move into the directory you want to archive and then use the commands:

ls . |cpio -o ../whatevernameyoufancy

The commands fro cpio are arcane; it can only operate on a stream of files that are passed to it on stdin. The above method accompmplishes that.

[Littleguy]

Thanks allot pindakoe I'll give it a trye right now :thumbs: :D

This post has been edited by Littleguy: 17 July 2007 - 09:54 PM

[Littleguy]

I was able to create the CPIO archive, but I just realized that the files inside my new gfxmenu archive were pointing to my home folder, and then I would have to update Grub ..

All I wanted to do is change the Mandriva Blue Powepack Picture for the Orange Mandriva One Picture ... It's a shame I can't just drag the picture into the original gfxmenu archive and replace it...since they have the same name(back.jpg) and size(800x600).

My gfxmenu archive is in the root folder(/) in: sda8/boot/gfxmenu
Is there a command by any chance to replace blue (back.jpg)mandriva picture for the Orange(back.jpg) picture ? :rolleyes: ..I'm not getting thrue with the above methods and it's basicaly cause I don't know anything , in other words , i'm lost with all the commands

This post has been edited by Littleguy: 18 July 2007 - 12:40 AM

[pindakoe]

Just realised there is a small but significant type in my comment. The whole set of commands becomes:

cd ~
cp /boot/gfxmenu .
# Now make new dir to construct updated gfxmenu
mkdir test
cd test
cpio -i < ../gfxmenu
# Now replace the old graphic by the new one. Make sure name stays the same
mv /path/to/old/orange.jpg back.jpg
ls |cpio -o > ../gfxmenu2

At the end of this you will have the old boot menu (gfxmenu) and the new one (gfxmenu2). Update your /boot/grub/menu.lst with the location of the new bootgraphic and restart.