FAQ about gfxboot @DED-LEGO@
Q: What is
@DED-LEGO@?
A: @DED-LEGO@ is a modernized gfxboot, which is designed to expand the design options of gfxboot.
Q: What is inside of the
@DED-LEGO@?
A: Like any gfxboot,
@DED-LEGO@ is a cpio-archive. So, its components can be removed, changed or replaced and re-assembled.
Q: How to work with
cpio in Windows?
A: Generally we need only three commands. The order of the steps is normally as follows:
1. cpio -it -F MyGfxboot > temp.txt (get a list of gfxboot components)
2. cpio -i -F MyGfxboot (spread out of gfxboot, extract components)
......Working with components: ...editing ...removing ...changing ...replacing
3. cpio -o < temp.txt > MyGfxboot (assemble components to gfxboot)Q: Can I replace the jpg-files of the gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@?
A: Of course! Only one remark: jpg-files can have different compression methods and may contain additional (meta) information, thumbnails etc. So, not every jpg-file can be displayed using gfxboot. To prepare the jpg-files, I recommend using the free utility "
nconvert". For simple replacement of the background ("
back.jpg"), you can also use a utility BackChanger (
http://reboot.pro/12589/).
Q: Can you help with the methods of use of "
nconvert"?
A: I'll do my best. In addition there is a forum of support of "nconvert". (
http://newsgroup.xnv...af51a71b1698ef2)
Some commands you may need:
1. Obtain information about the graphic file
nconvert -info FILE_NAMEor
nconvert -fullinfo FILE_NAME2. Convert any image file (SOURCE_FILE_NAME) in jpg (NEW_NAME.jpg) with resizing.
nconvert -out jpeg -overwrite -q 70 -dpi 72 -resize WIDTH HEIGHT -rmeta -rexifthumb -o "NEW_NAME.jpg" "SOURCE_FILE_NAME"quality factor = -q 70
dots per inch = -dpi 72
new dimensions: -resize WIDTH HEIGHT
remove the meta-information =-rmeta
remove thumbnails =-rexifthumb
3. Save the content of the clipboard as jpg-file ("NEW_NAME.jpg")
nconvert -out jpeg -overwrite -clipboard -q 70 -dpi 72 -rexifthumb -o "NEW_NAME.jpg"Q: Well, I replaced the background. How do I change the colors of the elements and their location now?
A: There are several ways to do this. The file
Settings.txt is a list of all the settings that you can change.
1. The first way is to edit
Settings.txt. This can be done in any text editor, such as Notepad. Then you can translate this file into a set of files
DEDxxxx.CFG using utility
DED-SET.exe.
2. The second way is to use
"technical" menu items.
Q: What are "
technical" menu items?
A: Let's have a look at your menu (usually it is a menu.lst file):
1. The menu file consists of a sequence of commands.
2. It clearly identifies two parts.
- The first part is called "common". It is a sequence of commands from the beginning of the file to the first "
title"-command.
- The second part is called "body". The "body" consists of several blocks. Each of these blocks starts with the command "
title". Argument to "
title" is a menu item. After the command "
title" there should be a sequence of commands, that GRUB4DOS must execute when you select this menu item.
I think you know all this. But! Did you know that not all the content of the menu is transmitted to gfxboot? Gfxboot gets the values of "
default" and "
timeout" commands, and a list of menu items.
Conclusion: To send in gfxboot some information we need to use the arguments of the commands "
title".
This is one of the main ideas of the
gfxboot @DED-LEGO@!So, let's summ up. Declare the last few menu items "
technical" and use them to pass parameters to the gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@.
These items must have a special syntax. These items will not appear in the menu (it is valid for gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ only).
Q: What is the syntax of "
technical" menu items?
A: The syntax is:
Example 1:title [ded0000] :19:Help.OnOff=0 :42:=15 :43:=10 :41:=25 :54:=645
# This is "technical" entry. [ded0000] - main section of Settings txt.
# IDs :42: and :43: - coordinates of the upper-left corner of the MenuPanel
configfile /menu.lst- Between "
[" and "
]" you must specify the name of section from Settings.txt;
- Between the "
:" and "
:" you must specify a parameter's ID (
NB: the first "
:" contains leading space!)
- Between the second "
:" and "
=" you can write the name of the variable (this is optional and can be omitted);
- After the "
=" you must indicate the value (positive, integer, decimal or hex)
Q: Gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ has too many designer "tricks". Can I disable some of them?
A: Yes, here are two ways. Each "trick" is associated with the data-section of Settings.txt. In each of these section there is an option to disable it (s.___.is.ON).
Method 1. Give the desired parameter value = 0;
Method 2. Remove DEDxxxx.CFG, which is associated with the switchable section.
Q: Let's talk about Logo. Why do I have the same logo shown for all menu items?
A: Well. Use the
DED-prefix.
First, make sure that the gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ contains a set of several
Logo_xx.jpg.
Second, each normal (not "technical") menu item you must associate with any
Logo_xx.jpg.
Example 2:
title [6:] RECALL MENU.lst
configfile /MENU.lst title [11:] REBOOT
reboot
title [3:] SHUTDOWN PC
halt In this example, the number "
xx" of associated Logo is specified between "
[" and "
:]"
Q: My menu item is as follows:
title [3:] SHUTDOWN PC n Just shutdown PC
halt Why does the menu item show only "SHUTDOWN PC"? In text-mode, or splash-mode of
GRUB4DOS, the "Just shutdown PC" string appears at the bottom of the screen. But when using gfxboot it just disappears. Can I use the gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ to display such hints?
A: Yes, it is possible. To do this in the gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ WaitPanel is used. It will also use the
DED-prefix. However, the syntax would look like this:
title [3:Just shutdown PC:] SHUTDOWN PC
halt Note: WaitPanel has its own section in the file Settings.txt. You can change its location on the screen, its size, exposure time, color. You can also specify which of the embedded fonts should be used in
WaitPanel.
Q: By this token! Can I make "
fnt"-files from fonts installed in my system?
A: Yes. For this purpose use
mkblfont.exe utility.
HERE (
http://reboot.pro/13307/) is a topic about ways of creating fonts.
Q: You have removed help support from the gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@. How do I restore it?
A: Gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ offers an alternative approach to help.
Once you associate a menu item with a certain logo, then you have in mind that the picture expresses some idea of the menu item. To describe the details of this idea you can use simple text files that have the same name as the
Logo (
Logo_01.txt, Logo_13.txt, Logo_07.txt ...). To call HelpPanel with
Logo_xx.txt use key
F1. I remind you, that brief remarks to menu items you can place on
WaitPanel.
Q: In my language diacritical signs (national letters) are used . Can I use them in gfxboot?
A: Yes, these characters should be included in the set of characters while creating the fnt-file.
In addition, all text files should be saved in
UTF-8 encoding.
Q: Can a
@DED-LEGO@ to change the screen resolution?
A: Like any gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ has no video drivers. Working with graphics done in VESA mode. Innovation in working with video is a preliminary finding back.jpg's size and the beginning of attempts to switch the graphics mode from those data. Thus, to switch the graphics mode to 1280x1024 or 1024x768 should prepare back.jpg with dimensions of 1280x1024 or 1024x768.
Note: Virtual PC
QEMU does not have proper support for video modes greater than 800x600. Therefore, a more serious video modes check on a real computer.
Q: Why
@DED-LEGO@ does not always have the same behavior when working on a real computer, and when working in a virtual PC?
A: Some algorithms of
@DED-LEGO@ involve video memory. If the video memory is not enough, some functionality is lost. Video
BIOSs for Virtual PCs, are different, so the behavior of
@DED-LEGO@ is not always unique. However, this applies only to design options.
Q: What virtual machine do you use for development?
A: My choice is a
QEMU.
Q: MobaLiveUSB_0.2 is based on
QEMU, but many design options of
@DED-LEGO@ are disabled when I use them. Why?
A: My response - video
BIOS.
MobaLiveUSB uses too simple video BIOS.
Q: How do I know how much memory video
BIOS declares?
A: Start gfxboot
@DED-LEGO@ and press Ins.
Q: Cpio, nconvert,
QEMU... Many different tools are used for preparation and modification of gfxboot. Can you list the tools that you use?
A: Yes, of course. I'll post the whole package of my favorite utilities. You can download it HERE (later).
Q: To use all the tools and to manipulate gfxboots, a program with a GUI could have been developed. Have you ever thought about it?
A: At first I made cmd-files for repetitive actions. Then I combined them into one big cmd-file and got a DOS-like program with a text interface. It's called RIPPER-GFX. However, there are big problems with its localization, because Windows responses are often analyzed in these files. These responses are different for various localizations of Windows. In addition, there are problems with its porting to Windows Vista and Seven. So, I plan to develop a new program NEW-RIPPER-GFX with a GUI.
Q: It seems to me, you have a strange English?
A: It's not me, it's Google-translate
. As for my English... for me, like for Winnie-the-Pooh, the shorter the sentence is - the better ;-{)
Q: In this case, how are you going to write manuals?
A: There's a good idea of Nuno Brito (
http://reboot.pro/11...8796#entry98796). I will try to make video manuals and video answers.
Sequel "Questions from steve6375" is located on the second page 
Video tutorial: menu.lst with @DED-LEGO@ style
(Personally, I have done something similar 
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