gdm doesn't call usplash_down

I've noticed the same behaviour. Can you give a more detailed instructions on how to hide ugly text from shutdown? It also appears for me on shutdown. I.e., gnome logs off, black screen with ugly texts comes up for about four lines, then nice looking shutdown progress usplash appears.

Update: I did a fresh install of Xubuntu 7.10 from live cd and had the same problem, with the same solution.

Speaking of solutions. Here is a detailed set of instructions.

Edit /etc/init.d/gdm using your favorite text editor (backup first!).

Now between the lines:

stop)
      log_begin_msg "Stopping GNOME Display Manager..."

add the following:

stop)
      usplash_down
      log_begin_msg "Stopping GNOME Display Manager..."

Then save. Now the splash screen should start immediatelly after gnome shuts down.

I've figured out why this "bug" is there. Xubuntu uses gdm, but gnome doesn't call usplash from gdm, it calls it from somewhere else. Actually, if anyone knows where, could you tell me? In any case, either Xubuntu is going to have to use a different version of gdm from gnome (one with a usplash_down call), or or things are going to have to be modified in xfce so that it calls usplash_down in the same way that happens for gnome.

I've had the same behaviour after upgrading from Gutsy to Hardy (everything was OK in Gutsy). But I've found solution for this - installed package "startupmanager", then set resolution of screen (1024x768 in my case) and color depth (24 bits in my case) on "Startup Options" tab, hit "Close" and now everything is back again.

I also tried first workaround from Geoff Goehle but for me it showed only statis usplash screen without any "movement" in progress bar (only border). But my solution gives me whole functionality (fully-working progress bar).

I can also add that generally splash_down should be called from initramfs so adding it to gdm script is really only a partial solution.

WARNING: My workaround is OK for linux-image-2.6.24-16. But it breaks with latest package linux-image-2.6.24-17 (from hardy-proposed). I've both packages installed and /etc/init.d/gdm without any modyfications. And it's 100% repeatable - when I boot 2.6.24-16 everything is OK (I've full usplash shutdown screen with working progress bar) but when I boot 2.6.24-17 everything is as in bug report.

So disable hardy-proposed updates section or be prepared for another "problem".

Leszek: It sounds like you are having problems with the spash screen on boot. This post is about the *shut down* splash screen. In xubuntu you don't get a graphical shutdown unless you add the usplash_down call to gdm. It works in ubuntu most of the time without the call for some reason.

As for the startup splash, you are right, that is started using initramfs (using the frame buffer I beleive (but I could be wrong)) and then the "usplash start" call in gdm actually shuts down the spash screen. I've had problems with that too, but I found that my graphics card was happier when the startup splash was a lower resolution.

My problem is with shutdown splash on Ubuntu. And as I see bug is for gdm on Ubuntu. That's why I wrote about my problem here. But I see tha you have problem with Xubuntu. Sorry for misunderstanding.

I had similar problems with an ubuntu installation. I had no shutdown splash screen and adding a usplash_down call to gdm didn't change much. I eventually found that I needed to press Ctrl-Alt-F8. The usplash screen was starting but it wasn't switching the active display.

usplash_down is meant to be invoked by gdm itself when it is shutting down at the user's request, not from the init script (which will run later).

Closing as the splashscreen system has changed with xsplash. Please re-open if can be reproduced in Ubuntu 9.10.