Re: linux-kernel-digest V1 #985

Alan Cox (alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk)
Fri, 11 Jul 1997 20:00:56 +0100 (BST)

> What would work is to keep the /proc/penguin, and have it redisplay
> the penguin if you write to it (I think this is how you turn off the
> penguin, maybe allow redas to turn it off, and writes to turn it back
> on?). No assembler needed.

I think this is overcomplicating a simple issue. We can do the penguin
for the cost of basically no memory as follows

In the console init code set up the font characters, and change the
clear screen sequence at the start of console init to be

clear screen
draw penguins/logo/version string etc
set scrolling region to start at line below penguin. The text will leave
that region nicely untouched until a change scroll region or reset terminal
string occurs.

The penguin and font load are discardable in 2.1 with an __initfunc. We
can also then change this to be useful as well as amusing by having a
boot display looking like

PPP Linux 2.1.44 #3 i586 32Mb RAM 55.42 Bogomips [SMP] PPP
PPP PPP
PPP Linux is free software licensed under the GNU........... PPP

Alan