Bootsplash - booting into native resolution

English Hardware
#1

Bootsplash refuses to start in 24 bit color, but for some reason, the 8600 geforce doesn’t like 16 bit.

Is there any way to make grub boot into 1280x800 and 16 bit colour? Or even get a bootscreen at 1280x800?

I know that splashy may work, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to enable it!

This is the output from hwinfo --framebuffer:

Hardware Class: framebuffer
Model: "NVIDIA G84 Board - hawk0 "
Vendor: “NVIDIA Corporation”
Device: "G84 Board - hawk0 "
SubVendor: “NVIDIA”
(…)
Mode 0x0300: 640x400 (+640), 8 bits
Mode 0x0301: 640x480 (+640), 8 bits
Mode 0x0303: 800x600 (+800), 8 bits
Mode 0x0305: 1024x768 (+1024), 8 bits
Mode 0x0307: 1280x1024 (+1280), 8 bits
Mode 0x030e: 320x200 (+640), 16 bits
Mode 0x030f: 320x200 (+1280), 24 bits
Mode 0x0311: 640x480 (+1280), 16 bits
Mode 0x0312: 640x480 (+2560), 24 bits
Mode 0x0314: 800x600 (+1600), 16 bits
Mode 0x0315: 800x600 (+3200), 24 bits
Mode 0x0317: 1024x768 (+2048), 16 bits
Mode 0x0318: 1024x768 (+4096), 24 bits
Mode 0x031a: 1280x1024 (+2560), 16 bits
Mode 0x031b: 1280x1024 (+5120), 24 bits
Mode 0x0330: 320x200 (+320), 8 bits
Mode 0x0331: 320x400 (+320), 8 bits
Mode 0x0332: 320x400 (+640), 16 bits
Mode 0x0333: 320x400 (+1280), 24 bits
Mode 0x0334: 320x240 (+320), 8 bits
Mode 0x0335: 320x240 (+640), 16 bits
Mode 0x0336: 320x240 (+1280), 24 bits
Mode 0x033d: 640x400 (+1280), 16 bits
Mode 0x033e: 640x400 (+2560), 24 bits
Mode 0x0345: 1600x1200 (+1600), 8 bits
Mode 0x0346: 1600x1200 (+3200), 16 bits
Mode 0x0347: 1400x1050 (+1400), 8 bits
Mode 0x0348: 1400x1050 (+2800), 16 bits
Mode 0x0349: 1400x1050 (+5600), 24 bits
Mode 0x034a: 1600x1200 (+6400), 24 bits
Mode 0x0352: 2048x1536 (+8192), 24 bits
Mode 0x0360: 1280x800 (+1280), 8 bits
Mode 0x0361: 1280x800 (+5120), 24 bits
Mode 0x0362: 768x480 (+768), 8 bits
Mode 0x0364: 1440x900 (+1440), 8 bits
Mode 0x0365: 1440x900 (+5760), 24 bits
Mode 0x0368: 1680x1050 (+1680), 8 bits
Mode 0x0369: 1680x1050 (+6720), 24 bits
Mode 0x037c: 1920x1200 (+1920), 8 bits
Mode 0x037d: 1920x1200 (+7680), 24 bits
Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown

Other info:
Opensuse 11.1 - Kde4.2.4
Nvidia driver version - 185.18.14

#2

Bootsplash (or splashy) can only use the virtual framebuffer resolutions supported by the kernel, i.e., 4:3 ratio such as 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You only get wide 1280x800 mode after bootsplash terminates and the X server switches the card to its native mode.

You need to add vga=0x317 or vga=0x318 to the kernel line in /boot/grub/menu.lst for 16 or 24 bit both at 1024x768.

Even though the splashy package is installed, openSUSE still uses bootsplash. That is why you cannot enable splashy! As a test, try deleting the splashy package. Your bootsplash should still work.

#3

Thanks for the quick reply.

I guess, the idea of a hi-res boot has fizzled out.

That brings out another question then,why does OpenSuSe include 1280x800 versions config&image) of it’s bootsplash?

#4

Yes, there is 1440x900 images for bootsplash as well.

#5

Those could be there for future use when wide format virtual framebuffer mode is programmed into the kernel. As of now you can boot in any resolution as long as it is the standard 4:3. Then once the X server kicks in, you can have any shape the video card supports.

Bootsplash is deprecated. Only opensuse continues to use it. Other distros use splashy, plymouth, gensplash, etc.