Colorful boot messages?

[IAMNewbie]

I remember that a long time ago I tested a Linux distro (I don't remember which one but I think it was Slakware) and while booting, like any other Linux distro, it shows various loading messages etc. but they were colorful.

Is there any way to make the same in MX Linux? I am asking this because I set it up to show detailed messages information while booting using MX Boot Options and also I removed desktop manager and login from tty and startx. But all this outpu messages are ~white/gray on dark screen and I wish to have them colorful.

Thank you in advance!

[Stuart_M]

Looks like it was changed to just white text in MX-21 since MX-19 (and MX-18 and ??) has the some of the bootup text displayed in red or green.

Edit: Grammar as shown in the strikeout.

[CharlesV]

All of this is configurable, and it will take a little work if you want to do it.
While these instructions are based in ubuntu, most all of it will apply to debian and MX Linux.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2 ... ont_Colors

I suggest that you back up ALL of these files before you try anything and you will find a few differences as you look around.

And this is great stuff to get into and start learning how linux works too :-)

[Stuart_M]

I wonder if it would be possible to replace the relevant file(s) in MX-21 that give only white text color in the bootup scrolling text with the files in MX-19 that uses white, red, or green text for specific words (not entire lines if memory serves). I have a hunch that there has been too many changes in MX-21 for that to work though but maybe worth a try unless advised otherwise (I may try to test on my test installation if it is feasible and time permitting).

I wonder if a side-by-side comparison of the relevant file(s) from MX-19 and MX-21 would provide a fast and easy way to determine what exactly determines the bootup scrolling text color.

The original poster mentioned a distribution used a long time ago (Slakware?) that had "colorful" text during bootup. If I find time to test this I will want to know the exact name and version of the distribution that has the colored text, and also be available to download and install the iso file. Then I would use that to try and get MX-21 to produce the same colored text.

I don't want to test without having a better idea what the original poster meant by "colorful text". For example, is the scrolling colored text during bootup that MX-19 uses wanted? If so, that gives something more specific to work with.

[JmaCWQ]

Mx-18 & 19 some of the text is coloured, mostly the words 'warning', error' and all the [OK]'s during the process, the info text for each line I think is all a white colour.
MX-21 the whole lot's the white colour.
Salix 15 has some different coloured text when the live ISO boots and shuts down, the coloured text is all the line.

[Stuart_M]

Mx-18 & 19 some of the text is coloured, mostly the words 'warning', error' and all the [OK]'s during the process, the info text for each line I think is all a white colour.
MX-21 the whole lot's the white colour.
Salix 15 has some different coloured text when the live ISO boots and shuts down, the coloured text is all the line.

Correct about MX-18, 19, and 21. Got my curiosity up about Salix so I'm off to take a look "just to see".

[JmaCWQ]

Booting into my live MX-21.3 full system backup just before I see some of the full lines of text are coloured and some are white.
Same on shutdown.

[Stuart_M]

Booting into my live MX-21.3 full system backup just before I see some of the full lines of text are coloured and some are white.
Same on shutdown.

With a MX-21.3 Snapshot during the bootup/shutdown process there are a few full-lines that are colored with the majority being white. Installed MX-21 systems will show only white scrolling text during the bootup/shutdown process - period.

MX-19 on the other hand, on an installed system during bootingup/shutdown, will show only white lines but they often begin with these colored words in square brackets: [info] (cyan), [ok] (green) and [failed] (red) which makes it easy to see the status of the process.

Likewise, MX-19 booting up or shutting down a Snapshot will display a good number of entire lines that are colored along with white lines that start with the colored words described above regarding MX-19 installed systems.

The differences between installed and Shapshot bootup/shutdown scrolling text is understandable since the process for a Live USB is different than an installed operating system. However MX-19 got it right ... in my opinion.

[CharlesV]

Using esc codes one could mark it all up. as outlined in this post. Most of the messages are contained in the /lib/lsb/init-functions file.

https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php ... ae#p167204

Code: Select all

    RED='\033[0;31m'
    BRED='\033[1;31m'
    GREEN='\033[1;32m'
    YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
    BLUE='\033[1;34m'
    PURPLE='\033[1;35m'
    SEABLUE='\033[1;36m'
    NORMAL='\033[1;37m'
    WHITE='\033[1;29m'