And the point is... ?
> Mark> But I LIKE the technobable! When I first booted Linux
> Mark> after having only experienced DOS/Windows and Mac, I though
> Mark> "WOW! an OS that actually tells you what's going on during
> Mark> the boot process."
>
> Mark> I also think it looks much more "high-end" to print out
> Mark> messages like that rather than put up a graphic.
>
> MUST? I don't agree. Let's make it optional.
When linux boots it initializes hardware drivers. Those hardware drivers
print those messages because those who designed drivers found those
particular messages useful. When SunOS boots it displays lots of messages
and then hits either X or a console prompt. So does DEC Unix. So does
UNICOS, even *IRIX* puts some messages on screen? Why? Because based on
those messages it is easier to troubleshoot a problem. When a Mac has a
problem it just silently dies.
> LIKE the technobabble? Me too, but I do not argue that we should make
> it mandatory (I don't think you do either).
It is not, but it is upto a designer of a driver to decide if he/she
needs/wants those messages - if you hate those messages so much, don't
don't compile in that driver.
> Why don't we just add something to replace the kernel which lilo can
> boot to? It will put put a graphic, and then load the real kernel in
> the background.
> Hit 'ESC', and you drop back to the text screen with
> the bootup messages on it, in case you want to see why something got
> stuck. If you don't want it, don't put it in your liloconfig, and
> don't have lilo install it.
If that is that easy then just *do it*
> Even though the technical folks (like me) would rather see text, and
> OS messages, Linux would do well with the general public if it
> contained more GUI-oriented support, from start to finish.
That is *not* a GUI-oriented support. Better go and write a contact manager
for X - that is what will benefit Linux, or even better get X to share
Broadway source and get it working under Linux.
best wishes,
Alex