NoUsplashTimeout
Please check the status of this specification in Launchpad before editing it. If it is Approved, contact the Assignee or another knowledgeable person before making changes.
Launchpad entry: [https://features.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/no-usplash-timeout no-usplash-timeout]
Packages affected: usplash
Summary
Remove the timeout in usplash that causes it to terminate if no messages are received on its control socket in a particular amount of time.
Rationale
The reason for this timeout is an assumption that there is an important message or prompt being hidden underneath the splash screen, and therefore it's necessary to exit so that the message can be displayed. This is no longer true, boot messages are not output to the console, so termination is pointless.
Use cases
- William is a user with a slow computer, when booting the splash screen and progress bar disappear because one boot step takes longer than the expected timeout. They are left with no indication that the boot is proceeding normally.
Scope
This specification only addresses the change to usplash, and not the methods of ensuring delays or failures are notified; those are left to specifications such as UsplashFsckProgress.
Implementation
Remove the timeout checking code and automatic termination from usplash, ignore the TIMEOUT command when received on the control socket.
TIMEOUT changes can be removed from init scripts gradually, whenever anybody touches them.