Ubuntu Wiki

This is my specification for an easy way of customising your usplash.

Summary

This is intended to be an easy way of customising you usplash screen in much the same way as you'd change your dektop theme in gnome: open the theme manager and select a theme. If the theme isn't there, download the theme file and add it to the list.

Rationale

Think back to when you first started using linux. Imagine you wanted to change your USplash theme. You're told to "Regenerate the initramfs" amongst other confusing instructions. Need I say more?

Also, even for those who [i]can[/i] edit their USplash without any problems, the current way is slow and cumbersome.

Implementation plan

First, a command line USplash changer would be a good place to start: one where you just need to do something like this: usplash --theme <filename>. This would probably be a simple shell script. A graphical theme editor like the Gnome theme changer would be good. It should have an interface just like the Gnome theme manager with the list of themes and the add theme button etc. The theme files should take this format: theme.usplash The theme is a .tar.bz2 file (perhaps with the MIME type application/x-usplash-theme so that the theme manager opens it rather that archive manager?) Inside it is the background image file, image.png and the colour information file, colours. The colours file should be pretty much self explainitory. You should be able to use HEX, RGB, HSL or CMYK colours in the colours file.