Rockbox Technical Forums

Rockbox Development => Feature Ideas => Topic started by: MajiKool Dragonâ„¢ on August 13, 2008, 10:26:55 AM

Title: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: MajiKool Dragonâ„¢ on August 13, 2008, 10:26:55 AM
i think it would be nice to be able to customize the rockbox start-up/boot screen with a background, picture, one's name, or other text. 8)
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: GodEater on August 13, 2008, 10:28:23 AM
This is on the NODO list.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: MajiKool Dragonâ„¢ on August 13, 2008, 10:44:26 AM
ok... no problem....
sorry about that then. ;D
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: lumino on August 14, 2008, 08:56:57 AM
Err... forgive me but i cannot see it on:
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/NoDo

Is there another list?
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Chronon on August 14, 2008, 04:52:05 PM
You can easily do this if you care to compile the build yourself.  You can just swap out the appropriate bitmap before you compile and you will have a custom boot screen.

Someone posted a windows tool for swapping bitmaps out of compiled Rockbox binaries a while back called LogoSwapper (wiki name for convenience).  Here's the caveat from that wiki page:

Quote
Use at your own risk. This tool is not officially supported by Rockbox or part of the Rockbox project. We are not able to help with any problems you might experience while using it. Any use of it will convert your build into an UNSUPPORTED build. Any bugs experienced should be reproduced with a clean build (redownloaded from the official servers, without a swapped logo) before reporting.

It doesn't appear on that NoDo list and I wasn't under the impression that this was strictly off the table -- though maybe I missed something.  I do have the impression that this is not considered to be much of a priority by anyone
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: soap on August 14, 2008, 05:12:05 PM
I believe "binary size increase in the name of eyecandy without an arguable usability improvement" is an unwritten NoDo.

Perhaps it should be a written one - but I'm not going to speak for the dev community.

Then again, AlbumArt fits my above definition - so I clearly don't speak well.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Llorean on August 14, 2008, 06:09:52 PM
It's also a NoDo for the reasons the discussed in the patch that implemented it, unless they can all be overcome.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: brunovdbh on August 14, 2008, 07:33:25 PM
Yeah, you can just change the appropiated image in the /apps/bitmaps/ folder in the source code, then recompile it (btw, I've changed mine this way). It would be a lot easier to do that if the bitmap was loaded direct from disk - not built in the mi4 file - but since you CAN change the boot image, this isn't as needed as it might sound.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: delt on August 18, 2008, 01:19:06 AM
Anyway what would be the advantage? i mean, it just shows up for like, a second or 2 when you turn on the player.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: saanaito on August 18, 2008, 12:28:23 PM
You could put a message saying "This DAP belongs to: <name>. <Contact Information>" in case the DAP is lost.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: ZincAlloy on August 18, 2008, 12:36:17 PM
You could make the boot splashes suiting the themes you're using..
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Llorean on August 18, 2008, 01:56:10 PM
It doesn't matter. It is impractical for this to be implemented without causing inconvenience to those who wouldn't use it.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Angelfire on August 21, 2008, 11:54:28 AM
Sorry but I do not get the bit about being "impractical for this to be implemented without causing inconvenience to those who would not use it".  Surely an option to turn the facility on and off could be included, with the default being off?

 I happen to agree with the view that it is a fairly pointless exercise, with one important exception.  It might deter theft, especially if password protected or write protected.  After all most chavs and neds are hardly Mensa candidates, so would not be able to remove a unique identifying start-up/boot/splash screen.  As most stuff these numpties steal is sold on, they are going to have some hard explaining to do, when the buyer switches the unit on and it says " This Sansa e280 belongs to Mary Jane, 25 Rosebush Avenue, Posh Town, Herts etc...  Also useful if they are apprehended by the police while still in possession of said swag!

Just a thought.

Angelfire
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Llorean on August 21, 2008, 11:58:49 AM
By the time Rockbox can check config.cfg the logo has been onscreen for a bit already. So, how would you have Rockbox know in advance, without delaying the draw of the logo until Rockbox checks config.cfg? And if we delay it until you can check the config file, then the logo displays for a very, very short time.

Basically, the only option for custom logos is to actually slow down the boot so that the custom logo can display, or compile it in so that it can be displayed before the .cfg file is loaded, or check the disk in a certain place for a file, and use it if present (which also slows down the boot).
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Angelfire on August 21, 2008, 12:19:05 PM
Well as I said if the default is off and from the tone of this discussion, it seems most people would not bother turning this option on, me included.  Then only people who desperately want this function would be inconvenienced at boot up.  As the config.cfg is read and the system takes the time to search and load the requested file, with a user defined variable to set how long the logo is displayed for.  If the value is zero or null it is ignored.

I am, I think, with the majority, apart from the possible, anti-theft application, in not desperately wishing or waiting for it's implementation.  However it is equally obvious that some people would like this or a variation on this idea implemented.

Angelfire
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Llorean on August 21, 2008, 12:30:34 PM
Be aware that one of the goals of Rockbox is to keep the binary small as well. If people want to replace the logo with a full screen one, a larger buffer will have to be reserved for that. Plus the new code makes it bigger as well. Not to mention it's basically become "add an option for some people to slow down bootup." If it was going to be displayed *after* the boot, and possibly lock the keypad, one could just ask for the enabling of the autoplaying plugin (autorock if I recall) and then someone could make a "Display an image and lock the keys" plugin, and people could then arrange for that to be the one that automatically runs for them on boot.

This would not only meet the needs of "display a logo after boot" but also require no new buffer.

But this thread is about the "boot screen", not what happens post-boot.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Angelfire on August 21, 2008, 01:24:51 PM
Hey I totally appreciate the efforts made to keep things running at optimum performance.  I have stated several times that I personally do not dream of this option being implemented.  I am a happy bunny with things just the way they are. 8)

However you are being just a tad too dismissive of a reasonable request, just because it is not something you desire.  I am merely seeking to restore a little balance to this debate.  :)

This thread is about where ever the intellectual flow takes us, after all exploring alternatives is surely the underlying philosophy of hacking, do it differently, better, faster, more elegantly.  Do try to be a little less blinkered, you are missing all the beautiful scenery.  ;)

Angelfire
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Llorean on August 21, 2008, 01:39:01 PM
This forum is for ideas people have for features they'd like to see worked on and possibly included.

If there are obstacles to their inclusion, should I not bring them up so that people are aware, or should I be silent and let people get excited, and possibly even spend their time writing a patch only to find out later that these obstacles exist and that either their work was wasted, or they have a brand new pile of work to overcome them because they hadn't planned the code around such obstacles?

It seems to me full disclosure is best in such a matter.

I not only mentioned the obstacles, but mentioned an alternative path of approach that will meet the feature expectations you at least have while bypassing the aforementioned obstacles. I consider this rather helpful since it's actually a means for solving the problem...
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: robin0800 on August 22, 2008, 02:39:53 AM

Quote
It might deter theft, especially if password protected or write protected.  After all most chavs and neds are hardly Mensa candidates, so would not be able to remove a unique identifying start-up/boot/splash screen.  As most stuff these numpties steal is sold on, they are going to have some hard explaining to do, when the buyer switches the unit on and it says " This Sansa e280 belongs to Mary Jane, 25 Rosebush Avenue, Posh Town, Herts etc...  Also useful if they are apprehended by the police while still in possession of said swag!



I'm pretty sure that it would be no good for security unless you could also disable the dual boot and the usb connection.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Zardoz on August 22, 2008, 03:07:04 PM
It might deter theft, especially if password protected or write protected.  After all most chavs and neds are hardly Mensa candidates, so would not be able to remove a unique identifying start-up/boot/splash screen.  As most stuff these numpties steal is sold on, they are going to have some hard explaining to do, when the buyer switches the unit on and it says " This Sansa e280 belongs to Mary Jane, 25 Rosebush Avenue, Posh Town, Herts etc...  Also useful if they are apprehended by the police while still in possession of said swag!
Angelfire

Chavs and neds are pretty resourceful. I think the implication that these people are less than smart is a little suspect  :D

I'd also like an easily configurable splash but given all the drawbacks, the compilable boot bmp or logoswapper options are just fine.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: TexasRockbox on August 22, 2008, 08:33:31 PM
Personally, I'd like a way to get rid of that pesky "apple" on ipods.  ;)
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: soap on August 22, 2008, 10:53:04 PM
Personally, I'd like a way to get rid of that pesky "apple" on ipods.  ;)
I recall talking to linuxstb about just that about a year ago.  Search the IRC logs if you are serious.
http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:W7DRrA2KXgoJ:www.rockbox.org/irc/log-20070218+apple.png+site:www.rockbox.org/irc/&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a
is the conversation I was thinking about - no info on how linuxstb extracted the image, much less how you could modify the flash of you dared - oh well.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: TexasRockbox on August 26, 2008, 12:35:02 PM
That is kind of cool.  I wonder if that apple logo has some sort of built in delay timer.  Would be nice to decrease boot time.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: MajiKool Dragonâ„¢ on August 28, 2008, 09:11:59 AM
would it be possible to remove the "SanDisk" on startup of my e260R? ???
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: GodEater on August 28, 2008, 10:01:49 AM
Yes, but worth it? No.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: MajiKool Dragonâ„¢ on September 07, 2008, 04:37:37 PM
please tell me how... i dont like it... well i mean i dont mind it but id rather not have.
Title: Re: a customizable start-up/boot screen
Post by: Llorean on September 07, 2008, 04:58:21 PM
You'd need to code a replacement in-ROM bootloader to replace the existing Sandisk one and cover all the hardware initialization appropriately. Also, you would lose recovery mode if you did this.