[Etherboot-developers] Splashimage / Bootlogo

[devzero <de...@we...>]

Hello developers, 

i'm looking for an option in etherboot that i can have splashscreen/bootlogo 
when booting from the net. 
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be "inside" etherboot - searched the mailinglist
archive for that.

Could you give me further hints ?

I`m concerned with project "netstation" and we would like to  have some "eyecandy" 
when booting from the net. that could give bigger audience ;)
To include bootlogo in kernel (LPP / fblogo /fbcon) is a bad option, because bootlogo just
would be "viewable" half of the boot-time and to customize - netstation users would have
to recompile kernel......

I could think of etherboot downloading splashimage/bootlogo via tftp and display 
that, while further booting is going on...

Currently there is just a "dirty hack" for me:
There is an option in GRUB (great bootloader!) for displaying splashimage/bootlogo (via additional
Patch) - the ONLY way to have bootlogo at an early stage when booting is:

1. switch pc on
2. Ehterboot-Code being executed from ROM/Floppy
3. Etherboot does dhcp
4. Etherboot tftp`s nbgrub(~100k) from server 
5. GRUB starts
6. GRUB does dhcp again
7. GRUB tftp's bootlogo/splashscreen and displays
8. meanwhile, GRUB loads kernel and initrd (maybe BIG ONE - 5MB+)
9. still displaying logo/splashscrenn while kernel starts - kernel-messages can be hidden via 
   Kernel-Param "quiet".

Phew, that's really working - but IMHO thats overkill - far too complex - and to much errors to happen... 
And: the bootlogo/splashscreen is not showing at an VERY EARLY stage, because first, nbgrub has
to be loaded, started.....

I`m wondering: why not including GRUB splashimage/bootlogo feature in etherboot ?
It shouldn`t be too hard to get that code from GRUB.....? There is one problem - 
i`m very bad coder - so i would like it very much, if s.o. could help !

I`d be happy about some comments.
regards
Roland