Just a reference base

Already got tired of the default ubuntu usplash theme?
(* for the one’s that don’t know what the ‘usplash’ is: its that nice graphical boot screen used in ubuntu linux)

Here’s the way to change it to a brand new one (first the ‘geeky’ hardway then the easy way)

The hardway

First of course find a nice usplash theme (for some links to site’s with usplash theme’s see below) download it to your desktop and extract the downloaded file to get the .so file and move the new file to /usr/lib/usplash/.
(* note that in ubuntu you can do: sudo apt-get install usplash* to install some already default usplash themes to /usr/lib/usplash)

Then we need to link the new usplash theme to be the default:

And finaly reconfigure the kernel:

To get a preview of your just installed usplash (get out with ‘ctrl’ ‘alt’ ‘F7′):

The easy way

First install the ’startupmanager’ available from apt-get.

Then download your new usplash theme and extract the .so file from the archive and follow the next steps:

• startup the startup manager by going to ’system’ -> ‘Administration’ -> StartUp-Manager or open a console and type ’sudo startupmanager’
• go to the ‘appearance’ tab and select ‘manage usplash themes’
• select ‘add’
• browse to your new usplash theme.so file
• double click the .so file or select it and choose ‘open’
• now select your new theme and choose ‘close’
• press ‘close’ for the 2nd time and the new usplash will be installed

Some sites with usplash themes:

• http://www.ubuntu-art.org
• http://www.gnome-look.org (search for ‘usplash’)

* Note that this is for debian based distro’s.

If you want to connect to your desktop or server that is running X you can install a vnc server to do so..
We will use gdm and xinetd to get it working so that if you boot up the computer it should all work at once.
To install a vnc server you need atleast the following packages installed:

Then you will need to add a new service to the services list in /etc/services

Then you need to change the gdm.conf file

Then add a file in /etc/xinetd.d/ called vncserver

Restart xinetd and you should be done..

Try to connect to the box using a vnc viewer to :0