How do I run a custom animated bootscreen?

I want to create a new splash theme for Ubuntu 11.10 using a volcano theme, so when it boots the volcano erupts with lava (same for shutdown). Now I have my image (png) but obviously it does not animate. I looked at the solar plymouth theme and I was thinking since the animation is there I can check it but no luck.

Is there a tool or a script I need to use to animate my volcano?

The image looks like this:

I've already got the animated image, I'm just wondering how I can make it run at startup.

Solution 1:

I Found what I need:

HorizontalAlignment=.25
VerticalAlignment=.5
Transition=merge-fade
TransitionDuration=.5

Look at these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnwFM-46fdM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1bwlG6G8f8

[Plymouth Theme]
Name=Bizcom Glow
Description=Corporate theme with pie chart boot progress followed by a glowing emerging logo
ModuleName=two-step

[two-step]
ImageDir=/lib/plymouth/themes/glow
HorizontalAlignment=.25
VerticalAlignment=.5
Transition=merge-fade
TransitionDuration=.5

It loads the files:

progress-00.png to progress-32.png

and

throbber-00.png to throbber-19.png

To create the animation.

Here's some good links:

http://blog.fpmurphy.com/2009/09/project-plymouth.html

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Plymouth

Solution 2:

Hi I took a bit of a simplistic approach when they plymouth was not animated in xubuntu 11.04

First, I found out what file was doing the file calling:

file:///lib/plymouth/themes/xubuntu-logo/xubuntu-logo.script

I found it using catfish and searching for plymouth I copied the image I wanted to change to the same folder and tried out two things that worked out:

• find out what was the png that the script was calling and change the name for my image name.
• changed the name of my image so that it was the same as the script. (re named the original to *.png.old) actually i just opened the image with sudo inkscape and modified it the way I wanted.

What I was about to do for this animated one was option b but for all the different pngs that are in the folder. For something simple like a slight modification from the original it should be easy. But your volcano might be a bit more complicated but easy to try out: and low risk since you are not modifying a script.

I used inkscape to see how each part would look and hid the different png layers.

I guess it goes without saying that the easiest way to do this is to run sudo inkscape in the file:///lib/plymouth/themes/xubuntu-logo/ folder, backup the images and modify them keeping the same name the images .

Hope it helps.

Solution 3:

The easiest way to install themes for plymouth through a graphical user interface is by using Zorin Splash Screen Manager. If you make your own theme, you can easily install it and switch between it and other themes using Zorin. To find many pre-made plymouth themes, see www.gnome-look.org and look under the "splash screens" category. You can also look for other themes through google. See fossfreedom's link for how to make themes. You can download Zorin at this link: http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Splash+Screen+Manager?content=134231