# Boot Menu Logos



## Geezer (Jul 8, 2021)

On my old tyan server and on my lenovo laptop, the boot menu comes up with the nice new shiny graphics logos.

But on my new supermicro box (does have an nvidia) the boot menu comes up with the old ascii art logos.

Why?


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## olli@ (Jul 8, 2021)

I guess it’s because the Nvidia GPU doesn’t have a VESA BIOS extension, which is required by the boot loader to use graphics mode.
See the description of the `screen.textmode` setting in the loader.conf(5) manual page.

By the way, are you booting via EFI or via CSM (legacy BIOS)? I think that the loader might be able to use the EFI framebuffer for graphics, but I’m not sure. I really don’t pay much attention to the boot screen and don’t care much about it.

If you’re not sure which way your system uses for booting, type `sysctl machdep.bootmethod` at a shell prompt. It will print either “UEFI” or “BIOS”.


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## Geezer (Jul 8, 2021)

olli@ said:


> I guess it’s because the Nvidia GPU doesn’t have a VESA BIOS extension, which is required by the boot loader to use graphics mode.
> See the description of the `screen.textmode` setting in the loader.conf(5) manual page.



Yes.



olli@ said:


> By the way, are you booting via EFI or via CSM (legacy BIOS)? I think that the loader might be able to use the EFI framebuffer for graphics, but I’m not sure.



EFI


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## mer (Jul 8, 2021)

If nvidia GPU, once you are in X, you can have trouble switching to another virtual console and switching back, so
on my systems with nvidia I have:
hw.vga.textmode="1" 
in /boot/loader.conf

I'm not sure how  or if that would play into EFI boot or with the other framebuffer stuff, but figured I'd point it out.
As for the boot menu graphics, I'm used to the ASCII art and I don't boot very often, so I'm ok with it


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## Geezer (Jul 9, 2021)

Thank you mer and olli@ .

`screen.textmode` did not make a difference.

After rebooting a couple of times and thinking about it, in some ways it is better all as ascii, especially if I want to control it remotely. The KVM does not work past the boot menu with a non-integrated graphics card, but the SOL is very good, and text only.


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## SirDice (Jul 9, 2021)

Force textmode off if you want to see the graphics.


```
hw.vga.textmode="0"
```


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## Geezer (Jul 9, 2021)

SirDice said:


> ```
> hw.vga.textmode="0"
> ```



Thank you, I'll try that next time I reboot.


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## Emrion (Jul 9, 2021)

If you had a previous installation of FreeBSD on your Supermicro (say 12.x), you need to update the efi bootloader to have the graphic version of the boot menu.


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## Geezer (Jul 9, 2021)

Emrion said:


> If you had a previous installation of FreeBSD on your Supermicro (say 12.x), you need to update the efi bootloader to have the graphic version of the boot menu.



No Emrion, only recently got the machine, and put 13.0 on it.


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## sko (Jul 9, 2021)

I really wonder why the boot menu on a server is important... You'll never see it anyways, except in very rare emergencies when it really doesn't matter if it has a fancy look. I also don't know how/if the graphical menu will work over a SOL (which I sometimes still prefer over the otherwise great Supermicro HTML5 console).

Usually you also don't want the host to use the graphics card for video output (I suspect it is installed for transcoding or pass through to a VM?) - the host should always use the aspeed chipset so the IPMI can redirect all output.
So the screen.textmode or any X related "workarounds" don't apply here. As far as the host is concerned, it doesn't need the Nvidia GPU at all for video output.


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## Geezer (Jul 9, 2021)

sko said:


> I also don't know how/if the graphical menu will work over a SOL (which I sometimes still prefer over the otherwise great Supermicro HTML5 console).
> 
> Usually you also don't want the host to use the graphics card for video output (I suspect it is installed for transcoding or pass through to a VM?) - the host should always use the aspeed chipset so the IPMI can redirect all output.
> So the screen.textmode or any X related "workarounds" don't apply here. As far as the host is concerned, it doesn't need the Nvidia GPU at all for video output.



If it were purely a server, I would not need the nvidia. It is a workstation too.

I like the supermicro html5 kvm. I like supermicro ... generally. And it has a good working sol.



sko said:


> I really wonder why the boot menu on a server is important... You'll never see it anyways, except in very rare emergencies when it really doesn't matter ....



I am sure it does not matter to you. It must matter though, or else it would not have been put in, in the first place.


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## Geezer (Jul 10, 2021)

SirDice said:


> Force textmode off if you want to see the graphics.
> 
> 
> ```
> ...



Nope. That did not force it.


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## Geezer (Jul 14, 2021)

For those who are interested (which may be few), here is how it looks with the supermicro board and both the html5 kvm and the sol.

KVM:










And that is as far as it gets, probably because I am using an off board graphics card.

And now the SOL:








... (continued) ...


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## Geezer (Jul 14, 2021)

Oh dear, boot menu a bit messed up. 

But it does clear up when it starts booting and gets cleanly all the way to the login prompt.

I was using the xfce terminal, but if you think that was what messed it up, here it is from xterm:




Anyway, it is still functional.

Back to the begining of the thread, I did try it all with the on board graphics card as well, and got the same boot menu. Does not do the shiny graphics.


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## sko (Jul 14, 2021)

Geezer said:


> And that is as far as it gets, probably because I am using an off board graphics card.


Exactly, that's why you usually don't use the addon graphics card for video output on a normal server...

The messed up SOL on your later screenshots most likely comes from wrong encoding and/or bitrate. Check the settings in the BIOS and IPMI and set them accordingly when connecting with ipmiview. Usually the defaults are fine and 'just work'™


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## Geezer (Jul 14, 2021)

sko said:


> Exactly, that's why you usually don't use the addon graphics card for video output on a normal server...
> 
> The messed up SOL on your later screenshots most likely comes from wrong encoding and/or bitrate. Check the settings in the BIOS and IPMI and set them accordingly when connecting with ipmiview. Usually the defaults are fine and 'just work'™


It is not a normal server. It is a workstation too.

This is what I have got in loader.conf which corresponds with SOL at it is in the bios.

```
# SOL
boot_multicons="YES"
boot_serial="YES"
comconsole_speed="115200"
comconsole_port="0x2F8"
console="comconsole,efi"
```

It only messes up for the boot menu. Everything after that is usable.


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## Geezer (Jul 14, 2021)

Looked in bios, data/parity/stop/flow 8/none/1/none 

Terminal type VT100+ (dunno what the plus is ) out of VT100/VT100+/VT-UTF8/ANSI


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## joplass (Jul 24, 2021)

Sorry to be using this thread as a follow up. If my actions are offending anyone kindly let me know and I will start a new thread.

I am on a laptop with nvidia running. I use legacy BIOS. Is there any hope for me to have the new boot logo? I still have ascii on 13.0-RELEASE.


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## T-Daemon (Jul 24, 2021)

One of my machines is a workstation with BIOS and NVIDIA GPU. Setting following scales up the screen resolution and displays the graphics logo. I do care more about the resolution than the logo, though.

/boot/loader.conf

```
vbe_max_resolution="720p"
```
Instead of `720p` choose a greater or custom resolution. See loader.conf(5)

If you want the fonts smaller see the `screen.font` setting. A selection of fonts that can be used with the setting are in /boot/fonts.


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## olli@ (Jul 24, 2021)

joplass said:


> I am on a laptop with nvidia running. I use legacy BIOS. Is there any hope for me to have the new boot logo? I still have ascii on 13.0-RELEASE.


Some Nvidia system – especially recent ones – do not contain a VBE anymore (VESA BIOS extension). On these systems, graphics mode is not supported by FreeBSD’s boot loader when booting in CSM mode (legacy BIOS).
As far as I know, for graphics mode supported by the boot loader, either of these two environments is required:

When booting via legacy BIOS / CSM, there must be a VBE (VESA BIOS extension) either in the main BIOS or in the graphics card’s BIOS.
When booting via UEFI / EFI, the firmware must support UGA (universal graphics adapter) or GOP (graphics output protocol). This is usually the case if the firmware setup supports high-res graphics mode, i.e. anything beyond standard VGA (800 × 600 pixels).


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## shkhln (Jul 24, 2021)

T-Daemon said:


> Setting following scales up the screen resolution and displays the graphics logo.


That's not a coincidence, afaik VBE is actually disabled by default.


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## joplass (Jul 24, 2021)

T-Daemon said:


> One of my machines is a workstation with BIOS and NVIDIA GPU. Setting following scales up the screen resolution and displays the graphics logo. I do care more about the resolution than the logo, though.
> 
> /boot/loader.conf
> 
> ...


That worked with fonts but the new shiny logo did not show up. I wonder if there is another steps.

Thank you for your help.


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## joplass (Jul 24, 2021)

oops. My celebration was short lived but from I have read this is most likely an nvidia driver issue. The screen just went pink and the box became unresponsive.


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## jmos (Jul 26, 2021)

…and how do I get the cool, old ASCII art back? Already tried these lines in my /boot/loader.conf:

```
hw.vga.textmode="1"
screen.textmode="1"
bitmap_load="NO"
```
I'm always getting the new splash screen showing /boot/images/freebsd-logo-rev.png. Seems to be configured in /boot/lua/ directory… But I think that shouldn't be edited there, but in /boot/loader.conf; Even a `loader_logo="beastie"` doesn't bring back a full ASCII boot splash (just shows ASCII beastie beside graphic logo).


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## Geezer (Jul 26, 2021)

jmos No, no, no. How do I get the new flashy logos?

T-Daemon I did try `vbe_max_resolution="720p"`. I also tried `efi_max_resolution="720p"`. Made the text on the screen too big and so made the console unusable.

But I did have the KVM going, and the SOL. In fact two SOL sessions, one by `ssh`ing into the BMC and starting it from there, and the other using the Java SOL from the web-based IPMI.

All different.

HTML5 KVM (as before):




SOL using ssh (as before):




Supermicro's own Java SOL:


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## olli@ (Jul 26, 2021)

jmos said:


> …and how do I get the cool, old ASCII art back?


Grab a screen shot of the ASCII art (e.g. from this forum thread) and save it in PNG format in the /boot/images directory.
Then make a copy of logo-orb.4th (if using 4TH) or lua/gfx-orb.lua (if using LUA), relacing the word “orb” in the file name with “asciiart”. Edit that copy to replace the file name freebsd-logo-rev.png with the name of your own PNG file (line 43 in the 4TH file or line 51 in the LUA file). Put the line `loader_logo="asciiart"` in your loader.conf.
(All file names mentioned above are relative to the /boot directory, of course.)
 


> Already tried these lines in my /boot/loader.conf:
> 
> ```
> hw.vga.textmode="1"
> ```


That’s a kernel tunable (like all variables beginning with `hw`). It is used by the kernel, not by the loader.
 


> ```
> screen.textmode="1"
> ```


That is only relevant in legacy BIOS mode (CSM). It does not apply when booting via EFI.
 


> ```
> bitmap_load="NO"
> ```


That setting refers to the splash screen. It has nothing to do with the loader menu screen.
 
Please refer to the loader.conf(5) manual page and the comments in the /boot/defaults/loader.conf file for details.


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## jmos (Jul 26, 2021)

olli@ said:


> Grab a screen shot of the ASCII art (e.g. from this forum thread) and save it in PNG format in the /boot/images directory.
> […]
> Please refer to the loader.conf(5) manual page and the comments in the /boot/defaults/loader.conf file for details.


I've read `man 5 loader.conf` before asking (also found the default-file) - but I didn't get wiser. That's why I'm asking 

I want to have ASCII, not screenshots that looks like ASCII. And comparing f.e. /boot/lua/gfx-orbbw.lua and /boot/lua/gfx-orb.lua tells me it is easy to switch to a selfmade "/boot/lua/gfx-file" to just get back the old "orb ASCII" itself - without the long way around of a screenshot.

But that's not what I wanted. The old ASCII exists. And it works. Without using any graphics. My question is: How do I get it?


Geezer said:


> jmos No, no, no. How do I get the new flashy logos?


I would tell you if I knew it. My knowledge ends here: Such things depend on the capabilities of the terminal itself (also: BIOS settings) as well as the software determine it. In your case I would cut it down to the common thing: no color, no graphics. But that may not help on the bold chars…


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## Geezer (Jul 26, 2021)

jmos said:


> The old ASCII exists. My question is: How do I get it?



You and I swap machines.


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## olli@ (Jul 27, 2021)

jmos said:


> I want to have ASCII, not screenshots that looks like ASCII.


But why? You wouldn’t see much of a difference. Maybe no difference at all.
 
Apart from that, I don’t quite understand why people are wasting hours of their time to find out how to change a logo that appears for 10 seconds during boot when you usually don’t look at the screen anyway because you’re fetching a cup of coffee or something.

I don’t watch my machine booting in the morning. In fact, I only switch the screen on when the login prompt is already there.


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## jmos (Jul 27, 2021)

olli@ said:


> But why? […]


Many years ago Windows NT 4 was great. It did all I needed, and got all I wanted. Nevertheless, in 1998 I installed Linux. Linux was much more better, I loved it. It did all I needed, and got all I wanted. But it must been 2001 when two guys on the "Linuxtag" (a fair in germany) on a FreeBSD fair booth gave me a FreeBSD 4.3 CD-ROM. They praised cool things FreeBSD is offering, but honestly: Nothing they told me was something I personally had a single benefit of. But I installed it.

The Why is to grow, play (!) and learn. I think these are logical and rational reasons.


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## olli@ (Jul 27, 2021)

jmos said:


> Many years ago Windows NT 4 was great. It did all I needed, and got all I wanted. Nevertheless, in 1998 I installed Linux. Linux was much more better, I loved it. It did all I needed, and got all I wanted. But it must been 2001 when two guys on the "Linuxtag" (a fair in germany) on a FreeBSD fair booth gave me a FreeBSD 4.3 CD-ROM. They praised cool things FreeBSD is offering, but honestly: Nothing they told me was something I personally had a single benefit of. But I installed it.
> 
> The Why is to grow, play (!) and learn. I think these are logical and rational reasons.


I agree completely. But isn’t it better to progress instead of go backwards?


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## Geezer (Jul 28, 2021)

olli@ said:


> I agree completely. But isn’t it better to progress instead of go backwards?



Yes, go forwards. Make it beautiful. From the beginning, even if you only see it for a few seconds.


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## Geezer (Jul 28, 2021)

Please note, the most pervasive threads in this forum are:
Screen Shots
Music
Aesthetics is important.


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## joplass (Jul 29, 2021)

Geezer said:


> Please note, the most pervasive threads in this forum are:
> Screen Shots
> Music
> Aesthetics is important.


I am guilty of reguarly visiting the Screen Shots thread.


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## Geezer (Aug 1, 2021)

I have just rebooted a remote server over a KVM, and got this:






Smooth graphicy Freebsd logo, smooth rounded box around menu, and the old style ascii-art orb on the side.

Neither fully one nor the other. Why?


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## Yaazkal (Sep 15, 2021)

Geezer said:


> I have just rebooted a remote server over a KVM, and got this:
> 
> View attachment 10837
> 
> ...



Same behaviour here on my desktop


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## grahamperrin@ (Sep 25, 2021)

Geezer said:


> Why?



Need details of the environment.

I can force something similar with `orbbw`:


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## Geezer (Sep 25, 2021)

grahamperrin said:


> I can force something similar with `orbbw`:



Yes, I did notice that too.



grahamperrin said:


> Need details of the environment.



Got the same results whether having installed Freebsd or booting from install usb thumb drive. 
What sort of environment are you asking about?


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## grahamperrin@ (Sep 25, 2021)

Thanks, 



Geezer said:


> booting from install usb thumb drive.



Written from which file?


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## Geezer (Sep 25, 2021)

download.freebsd.org/ftp/releases/ISO-IMAGES/13.0/FreeBSD-13.0-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img


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## grahamperrin@ (Sep 25, 2021)

Geezer said:


> FreeBSD-13.0-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img



Thanks, I have that but I'll need to convert it before I can boot a VirtualBox guest.

In the meantime: an answer might be found via <https://cgit.freebsd.org/src/blame/stand/lua/gfx-orb.lua#n50>


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## Geezer (Sep 25, 2021)

Have not tried it in VB.

Have tried it on 1 laptop, 1 new desktop, 1 old desktop, 1 machine in remote data centre. Cannot try it on any other machines without seriously upsetting clients.


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## grahamperrin@ (Sep 25, 2021)

Geezer said:


> FreeBSD-13.0-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img



Converted to .vdi and booted with EFI, I get the image (probably the same as /boot/images/freebsd-logo-rev.png):


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## mrbeastie0x19 (Sep 25, 2021)

I installed as a VB guest before putting on my main machine. The iso image (disc1) worked fine with EFI mode, didn't need to convert it to anything. You have to enable EFI in VB settings.

Enabling EFI mode changed from the ascii art to the other one, so it must be related in some way


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## grahamperrin@ (Sep 26, 2021)

mrbeastie0x19 said:


> 𡀦… The iso image (disc1) worked fine …



Yep.

(I wondered whether something specific to the .img causes a fallback to ASCII instead of an image of the org.)



> Enabling EFI mode changed from the ascii art to the other one, so it must be related in some way



Certainly, the ASCII art orb is used in the absence of EFI.

Where EFI is enabled but /boot/images/freebsd-logo-rev.png is not used: I wonder whether the *framebuffer console* is a factor.


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## Geezer (Sep 26, 2021)

grahamperrin said:


> I wonder whether the *framebuffer console* is a factor.



I am sure.


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## grahamperrin@ (Sep 26, 2021)

Geezer said:


> … Smooth graphicy Freebsd logo, smooth rounded box around menu, and the old style ascii-art orb on the side. …



From <https://old.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/pv9ycv/-/hecnq27/>:



> … I think you would need to run the boot loader at a different resolution. If you "need" the new graphical orb, try efi-max-resolution (or vbe-max-resolution) at 1024x768 or 4k (probably others work as well, those two work for me). check the manual for loader.conf


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## Geezer (Sep 26, 2021)

grahamperrin said:


> … I think you would need to run the boot loader at a different resolution. If you "need" the new graphical orb, try efi-max-resolution (or vbe-max-resolution) at 1024x768 or 4k (probably others work as well, those two work for me). check the manual for loader.conf



Thank you grahamperrin , have tried that and no difference.


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## StressTest (Aug 22, 2022)

Well I can tell you that if you're running in an older BIOS mode that if you use the following in your loader.conf, it should work.  Interestingly, I could never get mine working until I got the tip that SirDice mentioned here of using `screen.textmode="0"`  Once I added that to the items shown below (see *<Screen Related>*), it fired right up.


```
cpu_microcode_load="YES"
cpu_microcode_name="/boot/firmware/intel-ucode.bin"

<Screen Related>
kern.vty=vt
splash_bmp_load="YES"
vbe-max-resolution 1080p  
screen.textmode="0"
```

Give this a try, you may be pleasantly surprised.

StressTest


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