black/darkmode screen (sensitive eyes)

[auanta]

Here's my config:

timeout -1
showtools shutdown, shell
fold_linux_kernels false
default_selection "libre, fallback, custom"
textonly
include config-linux-libre-lts
hideui all
use_graphics_for grub

Studying up on this software'- documentation + trial and error, I'm fairly (99%?) certain that by design there is a white screen (with the refind logo) that shows up for a millisecond. I've tried playing around with the settings to either disable or darken the screen, including the use_graphics_for setting. Essentially what I've got is a very quiet, unobtrusive bootloader config that loads in textmode only with white on black text.

Except for the white screen before the menu... Even though it only takes a millisecond, I'm light sensitive and have to make computer backgrounds/screens as dark as possible; a white screen is incredibly jarring and uncomfortable. This isn't limited to refind, but includes things for example like Chromebooks, or the CalyxOS boot animation (for illustration). Any flash of white light, especially if it is brief. Most people this doesn't bother them, or only minorly annoys them, an issue of preference. I just would find it more accessible if it was a black or a a dark color loading screen. I hope I explain myself.

I chose refind because I think it has a good software design (literally in awe at its simplicity and no-bloat after years of grub, or even extlinux) and I'm looking for a very minimalist bootloader for Linux/BSD. Thus I want to politely propose this as a feature, to change the default background color of the initial loading screen (before the menu) to be black or almost black.

Otherwise, will have to use extlinux or some other one.

Sorry for my little essay lol. Have an excellent morning/day/night/etc!

For reference: Using v0.12.0-6 on my current distro, should I update?

[dakanji]

Try the latest version of RefindPlus from here: https://github.com/dakanji/RefindPlus/releases

To test, change the extension of your current rEFInd *.efi file to *.efix to disable it. Then paste the RefindPlus efi (REL build) into the rEFInd folder and give it the same name as the rEFInd efi had before the edit.

Reboot and give an update whether the issue exists there. You can revert to the regular rEFInd file afterwards.

Thanks

[auanta]

Hi @Dayo this looks interesting. I have some questions

screen_rgb should fix this, right?

I looked through the source and it looks really different. Not sure I'll be able to compile it as it seems to be limited to Mac and Docker.

Also the source is very different from "upstream, a lot of files are missing compared to the versions on SF... Why is that?

[dakanji]

Well, two things:

1. You can respond here with the requested feedback on the outcome of the test I outlined in my initial response to you. This test incidentally does not require changing any rEFInd items apart from temporarily disabling the rEFInd efi file and does not need the use of any RefindPlus specific configuration tokens.

2. If you instead wish to discuss RefindPlus internals, you can raise such queries using the Discussions option on the RefindPlus project repository: https://github.com/dakanji/RefindPlus/discussions