* '''Launchpad Entry''': UbuntuSpec:mobile-arm-splashscreen-support
 * '''Created''': 2009-06-11
 * '''Contributors''': OliverGrawert, Michael Casadevall
 * '''Packages affected''':  usplash

== Summary ==

usplash should be supported for graphical boot on ARM (which is needed if fsck is run on the HDD)

== Release Note ==

usplash is now supported in Ubuntu.

== Rationale ==

usplash is supported on all other major Ubuntu desktop architectures (i386, amd64, lpia, powerpc). It should be supported on armel.

== Design ==

 * usplash already supports displaying over a framebuffer (used on powerpc)
 * Its a matter of determining why usplash doesn't currently work on any ARM hardware we have

== Implementation ==
 * usplash might be removed from initramfs as it appears at the same time out of initramfs on fast arches; in our case initramfs / kernel startup is really slow so we might want to keep it in here
 * find out if we need special casing to keep usplash in initramfs if the armel 
   platform provides to be slower during boot
   * according to cjwatson that should be conditional based on architectures anyway, so no special casing is needed

== Test/Demo Plan ==
 * Boot Ubuntu/armel on supported hardware, see if usplash shows up

== Unresolved issues ==
 * Usplash should just work on Babbage/armel; no idea why it doesn't

== BOF Notes ==

== Goal ==

 * Splash support for Karmic ARM SoCs (e.g. Babbage 2)

== Current situation and changes planned for Karmic ==

 * Plymouth not a requirement for KMS -- usplash works fine
 * Usplash should just work on Babbage/armel; no idea why it doesn't
 * KMS should just work on fb
 * It's important to keep KMS support for the future (i.e. when we move to real
   drivers for the graphics on ARM SoCs)
 * usplash might be removed from initramfs as it appears at the same time out of
   initramfs on fast arches; in our case initramfs / kernel startup is really
   slow so we might want to keep it in here


== ACTIONS ==
 * debug usplash on armel
   * aparrently the issue is not in usplash itself but in /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-top/framebuffer or the kernel config
 * find out if we need special casing to keep usplash in initramfs if the armel 
   platform provides to be slower during boot
   * according to cjwatson that should be conditional based on architectures anyway, so no special casing is needed

----
CategorySpec