Boot Experience

Registered by James Hunt

= Overview =

There are a few UI I/O issues with the current boot that need to be resolved:

- fsck feedback not being displayed:
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mountall/+bug/765735
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/plymouth/+bug/540645
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/plymouth/+bug/660151

- "lightdm tries (and fails) to start too early"
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lightdm/+bug/969489

- ensuring initramfs contains all necessary fonts
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/plymouth/+bug/1003480
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/plymouth/+bug/1067348

- "plymouth should warn when caps lock is set with "ask-for-password" command"
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/plymouth/+bug/608954

= Plan =

Discuss the above issues and add shake out any further issues folk are aware of.

= Thoughts =

- mountall (and ideally plymouth too) need to grow a set of DEP-8 tests to validate behaviour.
- Provide a hotkey/kernel command-line option to start an "emergency console"
  (see also bug 702574).

 - Plymouth should exit when the boot has finished with it, not when lightdm starts (would be fixed by having system compositor).
  - System compositor addresses this issue, but possibly for only a subset of graphics hardware (nvidia?)
- End-user unfriendly text-mode messages during shutdown, OEM Priority bug (logout phase fixed in lightdm)
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/plymouth/+bug/967229
  Requires either system compositor, or removing output messages from offending software, or other solution to at least keep the text mode screen clean

Blueprint information

Status:
Not started
Approver:
Steve Langasek
Priority:
Undefined
Drafter:
James Hunt
Direction:
Needs approval
Assignee:
None
Definition:
Review
Series goal:
Accepted for trusty
Implementation:
Unknown
Milestone target:
None

Related branches

Sprints

Whiteboard

What about making the boot UI nicer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKhI2vabnGg

Out of scope for this discussion. Changes to the UI design should be discussed with (and approved by) the design team; this session is focused on sanding the rough edges off the existing boot experience, not replacing the existing UI design.

-making sure all messages are translatable. Many aren't (many bugs filed against ubuntu-translations)

(?)

Work Items

Work items:
[jamesodhunt] talk to cert whether they've seen bug #969489 in lightdm: DONE
[jamesodhunt] talk to serge to see if he can still recreate bug 969489: TODO
[xnox] modify plymouth to better handle output to console when splash is not in use: TODO
[jamesodhunt] Identify installer issue re fix for bug 702574: DONE
[xnox] implement a build-time test suite for mountall that allows us to validate mountall's interpretation of various fstabs: TODO
[vorlon] follow up on boot speed regressions in plumbing, desktop as of June 2013: http://ci.ubuntu.com/bootspeed/machine/1/amd64/: TODO
[xnox] bug #540645 no fsck progress in details plugin: DONE
[xnox] bug #660151 no fsck progress in ubuntu-text plugin: TODO