BSME-1.0 & 2.0

[smokey01]

This utility provides an easy way to edit message files for graphical boot splash screens.



This is a great companion for MultiPup.

The web help is a work in progress but it will give you some idea how it works. http://smokey01.com/help/bsme

Fatdog users will need a full CPIO which can be downloaded at the smokey01 repository in Fatdog Package Manager.

LighthousePup64 users will need getcurpos as it's not included like most Pups.



Regards

[smokey01]

After CatDude and I released version 1.0 we decided we could probably expand on some of the functionality, so the changes are:

Added the ability to convert fonts from ttf to fnt.
Use the above fonts
Updated the help.
Works on 32 and 64-bit systems
Made non applicable image sizes inactive (greyed out)

It has been successfully tested on:
Precise-5.7.1
Slacko-5.6
Carolina-1.0 It does need Rox installed
Raring-3.9.9.2
Fatdog-6.11
Fatdog-6.2.1
LHP-602b2
MacPup-550

Help file: http://www.smokey01.com/help/bsme/

[russoodle]

Brilliant job, guys...thanks

Both elegant and functional, and the background image hover-highlight and refresh function are a nice touch....well thought out and implemented overall, imo..

[Ted Dog]

What is the cpio package called in fatdog?

[smokey01]

Ted Dog, see link below.

http://www.smokey01.com/software/Fatdog ... 1-fd64.pet

[smokey01]

New version.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 563#720563

[sc0ttman]

New version.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 563#720563

Did you guys think about helping shinobar to update Frugal Installer,
so that it supports keeping (maybe even choosing) the full/custom graphical boot menu settings? .. for example, the Akita live CD has long had one of these GRUB graphical boot menus, with the 800x600 background image, and advanced menu, help page, etc .. but frugal installer won't keep these settings, as it uses its own grub templates..

[CatDude]

Hello sc0ttman

Having a LiveCD that uses the gfxmenu files is quite easy really,
all that's required is a stage2_eltorito file that supports them.

The problems arise when using Puppy to install GRUB to the HDD,
as Puppies GRUB files do not support gfxmenu files, only splashimage files.

And those splashimage files (IMHO) are rather crap in comparison to the gfxmenu files.

So, in order to use Puppy to install GRUB (that supports gfxmenu files)
you first need to overwrite/replace at least some of the default files with some that do.
I would say these two files at a bare minimum require replacing: (suitable files attached below)

• /usr/sbin/grub
  /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage2

Also, this file /usr/sbin/grubconfig would require some editing,
with regard to the 'global section' of the menu.lst that will be created during the install.
ie: make it look something like this:

Code: Select all

# Start GRUB global section
#timeout 30
color light-gray/blue black/light-gray
gfxmenu /boot/grub/message
# End GRUB global section

Where 'message' is the name of your gfxmenu file.

Plus, you would of course need to include a gfxmenu file,
which would need to be copied to the HDD along with the other GRUB files during the install.


All of the above relates to Legacy GRUB.


Grub4Dos can also use these gfxmenu files,
so it may be easier to edit whatever script it (Grub4Dos) uses to create the menu.lst
and add a similar line to it.

You would still need to include a gfxmenu file
and have it copied to the HDD during install.

Hope this has provided some food for thought.

CatDude
.

[HoerMirAuf]

Is there a specialy gfxsplash file needed, to edit it? Can't get bsme2 to work with slacko5.6 or tahr.

After copy a gfxfile (from suse 'message.suse') to the specified folder, bsme uncpio the gfxfile... and thats all. No menu disapear.

If i run bsme2 again, only the folder with the extracted files open up.

[CatDude]

Hello HoerMirAuf

Is there a specialy gfxsplash file needed, to edit it?

Yes,you can find some here.

I suggest you read this for more information (also available via the Help menu)

CatDude
.

[HoerMirAuf]

Hey CatDude.

Thank you very much! Works now

[CatDude]

Hi

Thank you very much! Works now

No problem mate.
Just use the largest message file your screen supports,
in other words, if your screen is 1024x768 or more then use one of the 1024x768 message files.
They will look better than if you used the 800x600 jobbies.

CatDude
.

[HoerMirAuf]

Hi Catdude,

thanks 4 suggestions.

Will try it out.

So far i extract a suse message file an modified it by hand.
There i was using only 80x600 because i didn't know how to change the font size. But bsme will do this!!

Great !

Is there a way to add a german help file?
- de.hlp (ok, i can translate it by myself)
- de.tr -> how to create it?

[CatDude]

Hi

Is there a way to add a german help file?
- de.hlp (ok, i can translate it by myself)
- de.tr -> how to create it?

When i originally compiled this from the Suse source files (which i had hacked)
the resulting message file was in english only as that is what my system is setup for.
But within the source files i see that there is a load of other language files,
attached is a copy of the de.tr file that exists amongst those.

I have to say now, that i have no idea if it will work or not,
but you are welcome to give it a try.

As to the help file, that was manually edited by myself as the original was Suse specific
and therefore had no Puppy related stuff whatsoever in it.

CatDude
.

[HoerMirAuf]

Hey CatDude,

thank you very much

Ok ... the 'init' file from your gfxsplashfile have no language or language-menu support.
Grabbed the init from the suse-elegant theme and edit the gfxboot.cfg and have now a language and keymap menü.

This requires a additional entry behind the layout (resolution) setting in the gfxmenu.cfg (example: layout=800x600,boot)

unfortunately bsme don't support to create this entry and enable/disable the language menu.

Maybe a function fpr bsme-3.0?

[CatDude]

Hello HoerMirAuf

Ok ... the 'init' file from your gfxsplashfile have no language or language-menu support.

As i said earlier:

When i originally compiled this from the Suse source files (which i had hacked)

You also have to bear in mind that i had no instructions whatsoever to guide me,
basically i was 'flying blind' and simply following my nose.

I also felt (personally) that all the F2, F3 etc (see pic) where superfluous to my needs,
therefore i hacked the code to get rid of them, keeping only the F1 Help.

Needless to say, there was an awful lot of 'trial & error' going on.

...Maybe a function fpr bsme-3.0?

I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening mate.

Why don't you have a crack at compiling it yourself,
then you will understand just how complex a beast this thing really is.

CatDude
.

[HoerMirAuf]

Hi CatDude ..

ok ... sorry, i didn't realize you have hacked it to remove the Buttons F2 etc.

But .... is there a hack needed?

I only keep the values for F2 etc. emtpy

key.F2=
key.F3=

and the Buttons are hidden.

How ever ... thx 4 BSME it's great like it is

[CatDude]

Hello HoerMirAuf

ok ... sorry, i didn't realize you have hacked it to remove the Buttons F2 etc.

But .... is there a hack needed?

Well, in my defence it was quite a while ago when i first set about hacking/compiling this thing,
and i have to admit that i went about things like the proverbial 'Bull in a china shop'.

I only keep the values for F2 etc. emtpy

key.F2=
key.F3=

and the Buttons are hidden.

Fair enough, but i made a couple of other changes besides those.

In order to place the 'F1 Help' at the top of the screen, you need to edit: /wherever/gfxboot-4.5.7-1.2.src.rpm_extracted/themes/openSUSE/src/panel.inc

The default gfxboot.cfg file does not have a section for 1024x768 (i added one),
i also resized the default background images (back.jpg) to 1024x768. (before compiling)

There is also a typo in the default gfxboot.cfg file,
it appears that the line:

Code: Select all

panel.fg=0xffffff

should actually be:

Code: Select all

panel.normal.fg=0xffffff

otherwise you cannot change the colour of the 'Help' of the 'F1 Help'

Also if you look at the Gfxboot_pic_01.jpg image i posted above,
you can see a very faint horizontal line to the right of where it say's 'Boot Options'.
I didn't want that, so i hacked the source to get rid of it.
I'll leave that one as an exercise for you to figure out where to hack (for now at least).

CatDude
.

[Pelo]

1600x900 is my screen size. Could it be added ?

[smokey01]

No sorry, 1024x768 is the largest possible.