# Frame Buffer in FreeBSD (fbsplash)



## CdK1 (Dec 16, 2008)

Ji *

It is possible to have frame buffer -aka fbsplash- in FreeBSD?, I hope this image does not bother them, but I mean:

http://fbsplash.berlios.de/wiki/lib/exe/detail.php?id=screenshots&media=livecd-2005.0-verbose.png

Image in background in the tty*

thx


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## vermaden (Dec 16, 2008)

No, it is not possible.


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## trasz@ (Dec 16, 2008)

If you're asking about increasing the resolution, then yes, it is possible, usually.  You can set terminal modes using vidcontrol(8).

You won't get any graphics that way, though.  The right tool to do that is X11 - run xserver with xterm on the whole screen, with windowmanager decorations hidden.


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## vermaden (Dec 16, 2008)

You can also start plain *xterm* instead of window manager like that:
http://vermaden.deviantart.com/art/Minimalism-56099192


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## richardpl (Dec 16, 2008)

It is certainly possible, to have graphics in syscons, but only with vesa.ko loaded in kernel and only on i386.
(also to have higher resolution, custom kernel is required)

In such way it is possible to play movies with mplayer and sdl output:
setenv SDL_VIDEODRIVER "vgl"
also there is zgv svgalib-based image viewer for use in syscons.
and links svgalib graphic output.
Just terminal emulator that use svaglib in syscons is not yet available in ports.


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## KuArZo (Dec 16, 2008)

I think that the original question if is possible assign a image into the vidcontrol graphic console.


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## tangram (Dec 16, 2008)

Take a look at one of the newest section in the FreeBSD Handbook: section 12.3.3.4 Boot Time Splash Screens.

It instructs on how to create a splash screen creates which is visually appealing boot screen compared to the original boot messages. This screen will be displayed until a console login prompt or an X display manager offers a login prompt.

Section 12.3 is available here: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/handbook/boot-blocks.html

I haven't tried it myself but reports according to reports in the mailing list is works just fine


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## KuArZo (Dec 16, 2008)

Forget X and Splash, is simple integrate an image to a TTY console over vidcontrol

similarly to Frame Buffer of linux


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## richardpl (Dec 16, 2008)

KuArZo said:
			
		

> I think that the original question if is possible assign a image into the vidcontrol graphic console.


What is vidcontrol graphic console? such thing doesnt exist.
I already said that it is possible with terminal emulator.


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## richardpl (Dec 16, 2008)

KuArZo said:
			
		

> Forget X and Splash, is simple integrate an image to a TTY console over vidcontrol


Not over vidcontrol.


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## CdK1 (Dec 16, 2008)

No, look this:  http://fbsplash.berlios.de/wiki/lib/exe/detail.php?id=screenshots&media=livecd-2005.0-verbose.png

I'm referring if its posible to have fbplash on FreeBSD, to have an image in the tty backgronund like the image i post or if vidcontrol supports images and so on. something similar does not splash


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## SirDice (Dec 16, 2008)

I've seen similar framebuffer consoles on other linux distos. But as been said before it's not possible with the freebsd console.

At most you can change the resolution to a graphics mode but it would still only show text. 
AFAIK there's no way to load a picture as a background and/or constrain the text in a boxed area.


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## richardpl (Dec 16, 2008)

CdK1 said:
			
		

> No, look this:  http://fbsplash.berlios.de/wiki/lib/exe/detail.php?id=screenshots&media=livecd-2005.0-verbose.png
> 
> I'm referring if its posible to have fbplash on FreeBSD, to have an image in the tty backgronund like the image i post or if vidcontrol supports images and so on. something similar does not splash



fbsplash and fbdev are linuxism and they do not work on freebsd.


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## kamikaze (Dec 19, 2008)

Actually it's technically possible. Under i386 only, though.


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## paradox (Aug 21, 2009)

http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=6291


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## sfourman (Mar 30, 2013)

*Update*

I found this
https://wiki.freebsd.org/Newcons

Does anyone know if someone is still actively working on putting this project into HEAD?
If I'm not mistaken this is what the original poster wanted...

http://wiki.gentoo.org/images/7/7c/Bootsplash.png

I would VERY much be able to have a console that looked like this, but as far as i can tell, even if you pull the development source from here:

[cmd=]svn co svn://svn.freebsd.org/base/user/ed/newcons[/cmd]

and change your kernel config like this:


```
#device        vga             # VGA video card driver
#device        sc
device         vt
device         vt_vga
```

you still can't do http://wiki.gentoo.org/images/7/7c/Bootsplash.png in FreeBSD.

Sam


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