Usplash is a

software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...

project in the

Ubuntu Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: '' Desktop'', ''Server'', and ''Core'' for Internet of things devices and robots. All ...

community. Historically, scrolling text "verbose mode" has typically appeared on Linux computers during boot. Usplash replaces the scrolling-text screens with a graphical

splash screen A splash screen is a graphical control element consisting of a window containing an image, a logo, and the current version of the software. A splash screen can appear while a game or program is launching. A splash page is an introduction page on a ...

. It was designed to replace

Bootsplash A bootsplash, also known as a bootscreen, is a graphical representation of the boot process of the operating system. A bootsplash can be a simple visualization of the scrolling boot messages in the console, but it can also present graphics or so ...

, which did the same thing on the kernel space level. Since usplash operates in

user space A modern computer operating system usually segregates virtual memory into user space and kernel space. Primarily, this separation serves to provide memory protection and hardware protection from malicious or errant software behaviour. Kernel ...

, it can be updated without recompiling the kernel. Usplash uses the

Linux framebuffer The Linux framebuffer (fbdev) is a linux subsystem used to show graphics on a computer monitor, typically on the system console. It was designed as a hardware-independent API to give user space software access to the framebuffer (the part of ...

interface or, alternatively, direct

VESA VESA (), formally known as Video Electronics Standards Association, is an American technical standards organization for computer display standards. The organization was incorporated in California in July 1989To retrieve the information, searc ...

access to display the splash screen. In Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala", Usplash is only used in the preliminary stages of booting, after which

XSplash A bootsplash, also known as a bootscreen, is a graphical representation of the boot process of the operating system. A bootsplash can be a simple visualization of the scrolling boot messages in the console, but it can also present graphics or so ...

takes over. In Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx", Usplash has been fully replaced by

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, which uses Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) and KMS driver.

External links

Usplash on Launchpad

Debian package listing for usplash

Ubuntu help page for usplash

Some discussions about usplash

Simple tool to create simple themes for usplash
Booting Free software programmed in C Ubuntu {{Linux-stub

See also

External links