Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH v2 0/3] kvm:showing a splash picture when start

[Anthony Liguori]

On 06/23/2011 07:00 AM, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 05:18:57PM +0800, Wayne Xia wrote:
> > Hi,
> >      these 3 patch simply enable qemu-kvm to show a logo picture when it
> > s start up, following is how to configurate it:
> >      invoke it with params:
> >      -boot (splash_time=<N>,) (splash_filename=<N>,)
> >      the splash_time is in the unit of ms, and its max value is 65535.
> > this feature is by default on with 5000ms showing up.
> >      Patch 1 contains the source modification for qemu-kvm, Patch 2 and
> > 3 are binary patches that added a default logo picture file, alternated
> > the bios.bin to make the sea-bios showing it. Patch 3 is just used to
> > provide a convenient way to test the Patch, waiting for newer version
> > of seabios that provide the support officially.
> >      Any comments would be very nice.
>
> Splash screens are a terrible idea.

No, they're not.

> We should work instead on making the boot even faster.

Having the ability to have an optional splash screen does not slow down 
boot for the cases when it's not enabled.  It's extremely valuable in 
many use-cases to enable branding.

> And having it *default* to 5 seconds!  That's like, nearly double the
> time it takes to launch libguestfs completely!!

No one is saying that libguestfs has to enable a splash screen during 
it's guest start up.

Regards,

Anthony Liguori

> Please don't accept these patches.
>
> Rich.