How to start Xorg while showing splashscreen?

Question

I'm creating a simple device with a Raspberry Pi and a touchscreen display connected to it.

On boot, I want to show a loading image (a simple gif or jpg) while X is starting. Then a chromium-browser instance will be started in kiosk mode showing my web-app.

What I have done

1. I created a simple script which shows the splashscreen using fbi (as suggested in this answer):

   #! /bin/sh
   ### BEGIN INIT INFO
   # Provides:         splashscreen.sh
   # Required-Start:
   # Required-Stop:
   # Should-Start: 
   # Default-Start:     S
   # Default-Stop: 5
   # Short-Description: Show custom splashscreen
   # Description:       Show custom splashscreen
   ### END INIT INFO
   
   do_start () {
   
       fbi -T 1 -noverbose -a /home/splash.jpg
       exit 0
   }
   
   case "$1" in
     start|"")
       do_start
       ;;
     restart|reload|force-reload)
       echo "Error: argument '$1' not supported" >&2
       exit 3
       ;;
     stop)
       # No-op
       ;;
     status)
       exit 0
       ;;
     *)
       echo "Usage: asplashscreen [start|stop]" >&2
       exit 3
       ;;
   esac
   

2. I added a simple script which starts X and chromium:

   #!/bin/bash
   ### BEGIN INIT INFO
   # Provides:          myapp.sh
   # Required-Start:
   # Required-Stop:
   # Should-Start:
   # Should-Stop:
   # Default-Start:     5
   # Default-Stop:
   # Short-Description: Avvia l'applicazione
   # Description:       Avvia l'applicazione
   ### END INIT INFO
   
   if [ $1 == "start" ] 
       then
   
       echo "Starting X server - $(date)"
       sudo X -nocursor >/dev/null 2>&1 &
   
       echo "Waiting X server start - $(date)"
       while [ ! -x /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 ]; do
           sleep 0.001
       done
   
       echo "Starting chromium-browser - $(date)"
       sudo DISPLAY=:0 chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-pinch --kiosk --start-full-screen --incognito http://localhost >/dev/null 2>&1 &
   
       exit 0
   fi
   

Everything works fine, except that the splash screen disappears as soon as the sudo X -nocursor >/dev/null 2>&1 & command is run, which makes the screen black until X ends loading (and chromium appears).

I also created a simple python script which starts again fbi, but it is hidden almost immediately.

So, how can I show the loading image while X loads in the "background"?

Any advice is accepted. My goal is to give the best experience to the user (in fact, I've hidden all of the console messages).

Consider that I'm using jessie-lite on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B.

Thank you!

Answer 1

There is no way to do like you ask the reason is also the tty login (I think you have it enable) To perform a clean boot to X without make the splashscreen disappear you can follow these steps:

1. Add quiet in kernel parameter (cmdline.txt)
2. Install plymouth to manage the splash image while kernel booting
3. Configure autologin (and startx during the autologin)
4. Set the X background to the same used in splash image (so if you have to start Chrome for example, you dont see the X black background while loading it)

Answer 2

See if adding xsetroot -solid "#ffffff" to .xinitrc (or whatever Xorg startup script you've configured) has an effect (it should change the background color to white). If that works, you may be able to display your splashscreen with xsetroot -bitmap.