how do you cange splash screen

For the splash during gnome loading try: gnome-splashscreen-manager.

Let me know if you don't know how to install this or if this doesn't work, some other solutions are possible. (In that tool be sure to click activate after installing a splash image.)

i did exactly as you said, but no luck. i still get the ubuntu splash at start up and shut down.

Ah, now i get it, you want to change the boot screen (the one that says ubuntu and has a progress bar). Splash screen usually refers to a splash that appears (or not) when your desktop manager is loading (after login).

Of course, there is a program for that also. :)

If you are using Gutsy Gibbon (beta) you can get it from universe repository:
- enable universe using at system-->administration-->software sources
- install startupmanager package through package manager (synaptic or Adept)
- run it with by typing in terminal "sudo startupmanager"

If you're using Feisty Fawn or older you'll need to download and install it manually from: http://web.telia.com/~u88005282/sum/index.html. You can find instructions on how to install it on this page.

Changing such things means changing some low level things in your system, so please backup your files before trying.

i installed the startup manager and tried to add a usplash to it, but for the boot up image, it has to be in ".so" file format. all the usplash themes seem to be in tar.gz format. is there a way to convert them to ".so" format? if not is there another way to use the tar.gz files?

That is because the .so-file is inside the .tar.gz. To extract the .so-file, right click on th tar.gz-file, and choose extract here.

Tar.gz is a compressed archive (like .zip or .rar), double click it and extract.

.so is a shared object, like a program, functions shared between different applications (like .dll on windows), yet that's what is needed for usplash (boot screen).

Maybe you can find such a .so library looking as you wish, if not you could try to make one for yourself (from a backgroud image), but this is quite advanced: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/USplashCustomizationHowto.

I've just noticed the tutorial you've mentioned in another question, compiling the usplash from shouldn't be hard.

All that follows assumes you have Feisty Fawn - the current stable release (sorry, if you really still have dapper it would be different, but i don't have dappers any more, so can't try ;)

1. Create a new directory on your desktop, lets call it usplash, and extract all files from usplash-osx.tar.gz to this new directory.

2. Open terminal: Applications-->Accessories-->Terminal, rest will be done in that terminal.

3. Install usplash-dev, to do that type (or copy and paste):
sudo apt-get install libusplash-dev

4. Change the directory to usplash, for that type:
cd Desktop/usplash

5. Compile the library, type:
make

Now you should have "osx-splash.so" file in the usplash directory, that you can use with StartUp-Manager.

steep one, do i create a folder on desktop, a lancher or document? those are the options when i right click. also, how do i compile the library. i feel like an idiot but i'm still learning.

You create a folder. Then you double click the usplash-osx.tar.gz, press extract and select this new directory.

It will compile itself provided you follow this steps (after typing make).

Check what ubuntu version you have, this will only work for Feisty Fawn (7.04) or Gutsy Gibbon (beta, 7.10).
(You can check this in System-->About Ubuntu.)

i have fiesty fawn. i did as you said, extracted to usplash folder on desktop, but nothing compiles. it just extracts all the individual files into that folder. i open startup manager to change from the ubuntu splash at bootup but when i go to the usplash folder from startupmanager it has nothing in it. it says only .so file format.

That's just the first step (the expected result is to have all the individual files in one folder). Now we can go on with points 2-5. That's somewhat advanced, i know.

kevin@kevin-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install libusplash-dev
Password:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
libusplash-dev is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
kevin@kevin-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install libusplash-dev
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
libusplash-dev is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
kevin@kevin-desktop:~$ make
make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found. Stop.
kevin@kevin-desktop:~$
here is the message i got after doing the steps.

Point 3 is ok, already done. Before "make", you need to type this "cd Desktop/usplash", so that you are in the folder you've created in terminal (cd is change directory, prompt should change to: kevin@kevin-desktop:~/Desktop/usplash$).

kevin@kevin-desktop:~$ cd Desktop/usplash
kevin@kevin-desktop:~/Desktop/usplash$ make
make: Circular osx_1024_576_cropped.png <- osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c dependency dropped.
pngtousplash osx_1024_576_cropped.png > osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c
gcc -g -Wall -fPIC -o osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c.o -c osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c
In file included from osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c:2:
/usr/include/usplash-theme.h:24:23: error: sys/types.h: No such file or directory
/usr/include/usplash-theme.h:25:20: error: stdlib.h: No such file or directory
In file included from osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c:2:
/usr/include/usplash-theme.h:77: error: expected declaration specifiers or ‘...’ before ‘size_t’
/usr/include/usplash-theme.h:79: error: expected declaration specifiers or ‘...’ before ‘size_t’
/usr/include/usplash-theme.h:93: error: expected specifier-qualifier-list before ‘u_int32_t’
make: *** [osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c.o] Error 1
rm osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c
kevin@kevin-desktop:~/Desktop/usplash$
is this right?

Nope, sorry, this time it's my fault. I've forgotten about one thing, add one point lets call it 3a (again in terminal):

sudo apt-get install build-essential

This will install some things needed for compiling in general. After that follow with points 4-5, that is:

cd ~/Desktop/usplash
make

i believe that got it. also, is there a way to change directory from desktop to home folder?

In terminal you can always just type "cd" to go to your home folder. Also, this "~" is a shortcut for your home, so you can do "cd ~". And finally you can type a full name of your folder after cd, this would be like: /home/<your login>/.

i guess my question really was if i move the usplash folder to my home folder will that make any difference when i followed the steps with the folder created on the desktop?

Just a bit, now it will be:

cd ~/usplash
make

kevin@kevin-desktop:~$ cd ~/usplash
kevin@kevin-desktop:~/usplash$ make
make: Circular osx_1024_576_cropped.png <- osx_1024_576_cropped.png.c dependency dropped.
make: Circular osx_1024_768.png <- osx_1024_768.png.c dependency dropped.
make: Circular osx_800_600.png <- osx_800_600.png.c dependency dropped.
make: Circular throbber_fore.png <- throbber_fore.png.c dependency dropped.
make: Circular throbber_back.png <- throbber_back.png.c dependency dropped.
make: Circular helvB10.bdf <- helvB10.bdf.c dependency dropped.
make: `osx-splash.so' is up to date.
kevin@kevin-desktop:~/usplash$
did i do it right?

Looks ok, those circular dependencies should not matter.

You should find osx-splash.so in this usplash directory. Note that i didn't create it and can't guarantee that it will work as it should. In some worst case scenerio installing this could even make your system unbootable.

Congratulations on your first compiled program. :)

i found the .so now. i didn't really do anything without getting spoon fed. thanks for your help. also, can we p.m. on this support site?