Re: [Usability] Removing GNOME splash screens? (was: Re: Future of desktop splash screens - some thoughts)

[Logan Rathbone <logan rathbone utoronto ca>]

On Sat, Oct 16, 2004 at 09:27:01PM +0000, Tiago Cogumbreiro wrote:
> On Sat, 2004-10-16 at 17:20, Leonardo Santagada wrote:
> >   Gnome HIG says we shouldn't put version information in title bars,
> > and let it only on the about for release version, so I think that it
> > shouldn't show on the splash.
> The splash is not a title bar.
> 
I don't disagree with you there.  You really can't compare a splash
screen and a title bar, as they're two completely different things.

> >   Second, now with dbus we should start thinking in writting the
> > messages to dbus stream, so in ubuntu or other distros who will have a
> > dbus bootsplash can show it there.
> A dbus bootsplash? You would have to change how every console
> application present on sysvinit works, doesn't seem feasable, also see
> below.
Again, I don't disagree.  Dbus bootsplash?  I can't even imagine how
that would work...

> >  This way from start of you linux
> > system to full desktop loaded you will receive all the information in
> > one place, not kernel to console, init to vt1 or some bootsplash and
> > then gnome to its own splashscreen. 3 Diferent methods of seeing
> > information is very bad for usability.
> GNOME is supposed to be cross OS therefore it can't resolve issues like
> the bootscreen.
>
Here's where I start to disagree a bit.  I see what you're saying --
GNOME needs to stay as platform-neutral as possible.  But the thing
is, I can't see how this will not be at least the second or third load
of information the user will see.  On most Unices, even if
bootsplash/fbsplash is not happening, you've still got the boot
messages and the previous kernel messages.  And then, after that, the
user is brought into X (well again it depends, but let's just say so
for the sake of argument) and is presented with the GNOME splash
screen.  I remember the first time I ran Linux (about a year ago) when
the KDE splash screen appeared, it totally threw me off -- "I thought
the OS already loaded!"  

I think a simple busy cursor would be more appropriate.  That way, the
user has seen the OS load, and with the busy cursor, they know to sit
still while the GUI loads before their eyes.  This is how other OS's
with GUIs do it -- ie: Windows, after you see the bootsplash screen,
you don't see a splash screen that says "Windows Desktop" with all of
its elements loading (starting Explorer, etc)... the user really
doesn't care what's happening -- they have to wait, and that's that.
If GNOME is trying to keep things simple, I don't think that all that
extra information is necessary.  It could be stdouted into a terminal
though -- so that users who _do_ care can just run gnome-session from
a terminal to see what's loading.

Btw.. this is my first post to the list, and I hope I've followed the
proper reply procedures.  If I've done something wrong, please let me
know (but be gentle!)
> > 
> > 
> > On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 23:47:00 +0000, Tiago Cogumbreiro
> > <cogumbreiro linus uac pt> wrote:
> > > I totally agree.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On Fri, 2004-10-15 at 19:05, Brian Skahan wrote:
> > > > Why remove it?
> > > >
> > > > There is a delay, so there should be feedback.
> > > >
> > > > The splash screen does more than provide something to look at it tells
> > > > you which applications gnome-session is starting.
> > > >
> > > > It aesthetically pleasing.  Why revert it to a rather boring status
> > > > bar?
> > > >
> > > > -Brian
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, 2004-10-15 at 16:14 +0200, Christian Neumair wrote:
> > > > > What about removing it completely? Do we really need "Welcome to
> > > > > GNOME"-fashioned branding?
> 
> 
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