Set the boot splash to blob_boot.png during install

README.md

@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ It runs these steps, in this order, and every one of them is idempotent:
 | 5. First theme | links `~/wallpapers` to the checkout, applies `flats` headless, picks a background, and links the btop and Neovim theme files, so the first login is not a blank desktop |
 | 6. User units | installs the session services into `~/.config/systemd/user` and enables them |
 | 7. systemd drop-ins | writes the shutdown timeouts, oomd thresholds, plocate prune paths, and sleep hooks under `/etc` |
-| 8. System services | enables NetworkManager, resolved, bluetooth, cups, avahi, docker, power-profiles-daemon, and oomd, and masks `NetworkManager-wait-online` |
+| 8. System services | enables NetworkManager, resolved, bluetooth, cups, avahi, docker, power-profiles-daemon, and oomd, masks `NetworkManager-wait-online`, and sets the boot splash to `branding/blob_boot.png` |
 | 9. Login screen | installs the session entry and the SDDM config, enables `sddm.service`, and sets the default target to `graphical.target` |
 | 10. Reload | reloads systemd, restarts the running user services, and in a running session re-renders the theme, reloads Hyprland, and restarts the Blob shell |
 | 11. Launch | starts the login screen, so the desktop comes up without a reboot |

bin/blob-boot

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 BLOB_PATH="${BLOB_PATH:-$HOME/.local/share/blob}"
-DEFAULT_IMAGE="$BLOB_PATH/branding/boot_flash.png"
+DEFAULT_IMAGE="$BLOB_PATH/branding/blob_boot.png"
 THEME_SOURCE="$BLOB_PATH/default/plymouth"
 THEME_DIR="/usr/share/plymouth/themes/blob"
 PLYMOUTH_LOGO="$THEME_DIR/logo.png"

docs/install.md

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ with `--check`.
 | `install/steps/packages.sh` | repo and AUR packages, and the yay bootstrap |
 | `install/steps/config.sh` | the `BLOB_PATH` symlink, everything under `~/.config`, and the login shell profile |
 | `install/steps/services.sh` | system services, systemd drop-ins, user units |
+| `install/steps/boot.sh` | the Plymouth boot splash |
 | `install/steps/theme.sh` | the wallpaper link, the first theme, the first background |
 | `install/steps/login.sh` | SDDM, the session entry, and the first launch |
 | `install/steps/reload.sh` | reloading systemd, the user services, and a running session |
@@ -78,7 +79,11 @@ with `--check`.
    hold up the login screen, and `plymouth-start.service` and
    `plymouth-quit-wait.service` are masked because an unconfigured plymouth
    holds the console and leaves the machine with neither a greeter nor a TTY.
-   `blob boot` unmasks them when it sets the splash up. See
+   The installer then applies `branding/blob_boot.png` as the boot splash
+   through `blob boot`, which installs the theme, adds the mkinitcpio hook,
+   unmasks the plymouth units and rebuilds the initramfs. It is skipped when
+   the blob theme is already the default with the same image, and once it is
+   in place the plymouth units are no longer masked on later runs. See
    [packages.md](packages.md#the-boot-splash).
 9. **The login screen** is SDDM. It has to be installed first: if
    `sddm.service` is not there, the installer says whether the package is

docs/packages.md

@@ -138,19 +138,18 @@ Omarchy's own package list, because they were installed by hand on this machine:
 
 ## The boot splash
 
-`plymouth` is installed but left inert, and the splash is opt-in through one
-command:
+`install.sh` sets the splash to `branding/blob_boot.png`. To change it later:
 
 ```
-blob boot                    # branding/boot_flash.png
+blob boot                    # branding/blob_boot.png
 blob boot ~/some/image.png   # or any other image
 ```
 
-The reason it is opt-in is that an installed but *unconfigured* plymouth is not
-harmless: it takes the console at boot and never hands it back, and
-`getty@tty1` waits on `plymouth-quit-wait.service`, so the machine reaches
-neither the greeter nor a TTY. `install.sh` therefore masks
-`plymouth-start.service` and `plymouth-quit-wait.service`, and `blob boot`
+An installed but *unconfigured* plymouth is not harmless: it takes the console
+at boot and never hands it back, and `getty@tty1` waits on
+`plymouth-quit-wait.service`, so the machine reaches neither the greeter nor a
+TTY. `install.sh` therefore masks `plymouth-start.service` and
+`plymouth-quit-wait.service` until the splash is configured, and `blob boot`
 unmasks them as part of configuring everything else - the theme in
 `default/plymouth/`, the `plymouth` mkinitcpio hook, and the initramfs rebuild.
 It finishes by printing the kernel parameters your bootloader still needs

install.sh

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ source "$repo_dir/install/steps/directories.sh"
 source "$repo_dir/install/steps/packages.sh"
 source "$repo_dir/install/steps/config.sh"
 source "$repo_dir/install/steps/services.sh"
+source "$repo_dir/install/steps/boot.sh"
 source "$repo_dir/install/steps/theme.sh"
 source "$repo_dir/install/steps/login.sh"
 source "$repo_dir/install/steps/reload.sh"
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ link_app_themes
 
 enable_system_services
 mask_system_services
+install_boot_splash
 enable_user_units
 
 install_login_config

install/steps/boot.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+boot_splash_image="$repo_dir/branding/blob_boot.png"
+boot_splash_theme_dir="/usr/share/plymouth/themes/blob"
+
+boot_splash_installed() {
+  command -v plymouth-set-default-theme &>/dev/null || return 1
+  [[ -f $boot_splash_theme_dir/blob.plymouth ]] || return 1
+  [[ "$(plymouth-set-default-theme 2>/dev/null)" == blob ]]
+}
+
+install_boot_splash() {
+  if ! command -v plymouth-set-default-theme &>/dev/null; then
+    say "SKIP  boot splash (plymouth not installed)"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  if [[ ! -f $boot_splash_image ]]; then
+    say "SKIP  boot splash (branding/blob_boot.png missing)"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  if boot_splash_installed && cmp -s "$boot_splash_image" "$boot_splash_theme_dir/logo.png"; then
+    say "ok    boot splash"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  note_change
+  if [[ $check == true ]]; then
+    say "would set the boot splash to branding/blob_boot.png and rebuild the initramfs"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  if BLOB_PATH="$blob_path" "$repo_dir/bin/blob-boot" "$boot_splash_image"; then
+    say "set   boot splash to branding/blob_boot.png"
+  else
+    say "WARN  could not set the boot splash; run 'blob boot' to retry"
+  fi
+}

install/steps/services.sh

@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ system_services=(
 # network-online.target must not hold up graphical.target waiting for DHCP or
 # Wi-Fi association. Nothing in the session blocks on the network.
 #
-# Blob configures no boot splash: no mkinitcpio hook, no kernel command line,
-# and no theme. An unconfigured plymouth still takes the console at boot and
-# never hands it back, and getty@tty1 waits on plymouth-quit-wait.service, so
-# the machine comes up with no greeter and no TTY to fix it from.
+# An unconfigured plymouth takes the console at boot and never hands it back,
+# and getty@tty1 waits on plymouth-quit-wait.service, so the machine comes up
+# with no greeter and no TTY to fix it from. The plymouth units are masked
+# until install_boot_splash configures the blob theme, and left alone after.
 masked_services=(
   NetworkManager-wait-online.service
   plymouth-start.service
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ mask_system_services() {
 
   for unit in "${masked_services[@]}"; do
     system_unit_exists "$unit" || continue
+    [[ $unit == plymouth-* ]] && boot_splash_installed && continue
     [[ "$(system_unit_state "$unit")" == masked ]] && continue
     pending+=("$unit")
   done