Difference between revisions of "How to change the BIOS bootsplash screen"

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(Adding the custom image)
(refactoring, adding version without dosemu)
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== BIOS-Bootsplash ==
 
== BIOS-Bootsplash ==
  
This Page describes how I replaced the standard IBM BIOS Bootsplash (The one with the Thinkpad- and Pentium M-Logo), without access to Microsoft Windows or a floppy drive. Although I just did this procedure as described, I wrote down the commends as I remembered, so beware.
+
This page describes how to replace the standard IBM BIOS Bootsplash (The one with the Thinkpad- and Pentium M-Logo), without access to Microsoft Windows or a floppy drive.  
  
 
=== Getting the Files ===
 
=== Getting the Files ===
 +
You'll need the bios upgrade file from the IBM website.
 +
 +
==== Using a Non-Diskette-File and cabextract ====
 +
 +
For ThinkPad R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p this file is suitable:
 +
* [ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/1ruj27us.exe 1ruj27us.exe]
 +
There may be a more recent file on the IBM website.
 +
 +
Do this to extract the disk image from the file:
 +
cd /tmp
 +
wget ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/1ruj27us.exe
 +
cabextract -F 1RUJ27US.IMG 1ruj27us.exe
 +
mv 1RUJ27US.IMG floppy.bin
 +
 +
==== Using a Diskette-File and dosemu ====
 +
Another option is to use the "Diskette BIOS file".<br>
 +
For ThinkPad R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p this file is suitable:
 +
* [ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/1ruj27ud.exe 1ruj27ud.exe]
 +
 
I got the bios upgrade diskette from the IBM site. It was an .exe-file... but
 
I got the bios upgrade diskette from the IBM site. It was an .exe-file... but
 
no, no Windows executable, an OS/2 executable (well, it's IBM after all).
 
no, no Windows executable, an OS/2 executable (well, it's IBM after all).
And OS/2 executables don't run in wine. So I did an <tt>apt-get install dosemu
+
The file is an OS/2 executables don't run in wine, so you need to install dosemu to run it and create the image.<br>
dosemu-freedos</tt> (for non-debian-users: Get dosemu and freedos somewhere
+
<tt>apt-get install dosemu dosemu-freedos</tt>  
and make it work somehow).
+
(for non-debian-users: Get dosemu and freedos somewhere and make it work somehow).
  
 
With dosemu, I could run this executable. But this program unfortunately
 
With dosemu, I could run this executable. But this program unfortunately
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=== Adding the custom image ===
 
=== Adding the custom image ===
This floppy image can be mounted (<tt>mount -o
+
Mount your floppy.bin as a loopback device.
loop,umask=000 /tmp/floppy.bin /mnt/tmp</tt>), and now I can read the
+
mkdir /tmp/mnt
 +
mount -o loop,umask=000 /tmp/floppy.bin /tmp/mnt
 +
Create a 16 color 640x480 BMP (4 Bit/pixel) (for example with Gimp) and save it to /tmp/mnt/LOGO.BMP.<br>
 +
No prepare the image with <tt>prepare.exe</tt> using wine: (This does not work with dosemu!)
 +
wine prepare.exe logo.scr
 +
Now there should be a new <tt>logo.mod</tt>. If so, you are set, <tt>umount /tmp/mnt</tt> and go on.
 +
 
 +
<!--
 +
This floppy image can be mounted (<tt>mount -o loop,umask=000 /tmp/floppy.bin /mnt/tmp</tt>), and now I can read the
 
<tt>readme.txt</tt>. To replace the logo file, I create a 16 color 640x480 BMP (4 Bit/pixel)
 
<tt>readme.txt</tt>. To replace the logo file, I create a 16 color 640x480 BMP (4 Bit/pixel)
 
file, save it as logo.bmp and run <tt>logo.bat</tt>. Just kidding, you can't just run
 
file, save it as logo.bmp and run <tt>logo.bat</tt>. Just kidding, you can't just run
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didn't do - that batchfile only runs <tt>prepare.exe logo.scr</tt>. This program
 
didn't do - that batchfile only runs <tt>prepare.exe logo.scr</tt>. This program
 
won't run in dosemu, but in wine: <tt>wine prepare.exe logo.scr</tt>. Now there should
 
won't run in dosemu, but in wine: <tt>wine prepare.exe logo.scr</tt>. Now there should
be a new logo.mod. If so, you are set, <tt>unmount /mnt/tmp</tt> and go on.
+
be a new logo.mod. If so, you are set, <tt>umount /mnt/tmp</tt> and go on.
 
+
-->
 
=== Fake a floppy ===
 
=== Fake a floppy ===
Now I need to put the image on a floppy and boot. Since I don't have a
+
Now you need to put the image on a floppy and boot. Since recent Thinkpads don't have a
floppy (and no floppy drive after all), I use a CD-R (a CD-RW, actually, for the
+
floppy drive, we can use a CD-R (or a CD-RW, actually, for the cheap ones, like me) and burn it like that:
cheap ones, like me) and burn it like that:
+
mkisofs -b floppy.bin floppy.bin | cdrecord dev=<device> -
 
+
where <tt><device></tt> is your cd writer device.
  cd /tmp; mkisofs -b floppy.bin floppy.bin | cdrecord dev=<device> -
 
  
 
=== The exciting part ===
 
=== The exciting part ===
After this worked, I rebooted from the cdrom and the IBM tool  
+
After this worked, reboot your Thinkpad from the cdrom and wait for the IBM tool  
started. After confirming that I checked a few things, I got asked
+
to start.  
 +
After confirming that I checked a few things, I got asked
 
whether I want to replace the boot splash image. Yes, I do. It will then
 
whether I want to replace the boot splash image. Yes, I do. It will then
 
flash the BIOS, which will take about a minute. A hint: Since you know that
 
flash the BIOS, which will take about a minute. A hint: Since you know that

Revision as of 00:37, 25 November 2004

BIOS-Bootsplash

This page describes how to replace the standard IBM BIOS Bootsplash (The one with the Thinkpad- and Pentium M-Logo), without access to Microsoft Windows or a floppy drive.

Getting the Files

You'll need the bios upgrade file from the IBM website.

Using a Non-Diskette-File and cabextract

For ThinkPad R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p this file is suitable:

There may be a more recent file on the IBM website.

Do this to extract the disk image from the file:

cd /tmp
wget ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/1ruj27us.exe
cabextract -F 1RUJ27US.IMG 1ruj27us.exe
mv 1RUJ27US.IMG floppy.bin

Using a Diskette-File and dosemu

Another option is to use the "Diskette BIOS file".
For ThinkPad R50/p, R51 (1829, 1830, 1831, 1836), T40/p, T41/p, T42/p this file is suitable:

I got the bios upgrade diskette from the IBM site. It was an .exe-file... but no, no Windows executable, an OS/2 executable (well, it's IBM after all). The file is an OS/2 executables don't run in wine, so you need to install dosemu to run it and create the image.
apt-get install dosemu dosemu-freedos (for non-debian-users: Get dosemu and freedos somewhere and make it work somehow).

With dosemu, I could run this executable. But this program unfortunately needs a floppy drive to write to. So I dig into the linux toolbox and find: The loopback device. A dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/floppy.bin bs=1024 count=1440 creates a file for the floppy, a losetup /dev/loop0 /tmp/floppy.bin makes it look like a block device, and this block device is what I put in the dosemu configuration as the floppy disk device. Now I can run the extractor executable (dosemu something.exe) and it will happily make a /tmp/floppy.bin floppy image.

Adding the custom image

Mount your floppy.bin as a loopback device.

mkdir /tmp/mnt
mount -o loop,umask=000 /tmp/floppy.bin /tmp/mnt

Create a 16 color 640x480 BMP (4 Bit/pixel) (for example with Gimp) and save it to /tmp/mnt/LOGO.BMP.
No prepare the image with prepare.exe using wine: (This does not work with dosemu!)

wine prepare.exe logo.scr

Now there should be a new logo.mod. If so, you are set, umount /tmp/mnt and go on.

Fake a floppy

Now you need to put the image on a floppy and boot. Since recent Thinkpads don't have a floppy drive, we can use a CD-R (or a CD-RW, actually, for the cheap ones, like me) and burn it like that:

mkisofs -b floppy.bin floppy.bin | cdrecord dev=<device> -

where <device> is your cd writer device.

The exciting part

After this worked, reboot your Thinkpad from the cdrom and wait for the IBM tool to start. After confirming that I checked a few things, I got asked whether I want to replace the boot splash image. Yes, I do. It will then flash the BIOS, which will take about a minute. A hint: Since you know that any problem during this minute might break your thinkpad, if you have weak nerves, go and do something else instead of watching a non-changeing screen.

Coda

Suddenly the laptop turns itself off. Hopefully, it was finished - in my case it was. When booting, I got my bootsplash picuture (with some ugly text "To abort booting, press Enter" or something in the lower left corner). Unfortunately, you don't see it really long, but it's better than some advertisement, so it was worth it.


This text was meant as a immidiate mailinglist post, feel free to improve. :-)