[zengravy]

So has anyone found where Apple tucked the Boot Panel in Tiger? It seems they moved the system icons folder too.

[zengravy]

I found the system icons in /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle

Has anyone stumbled across the boot screen PDF yet?

[dggraphics]

Look in /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemStarter/QuartzDisplay.bundle/Resources

[dggraphics]

Copy and paste into browser

file://localhost//System/Library/CoreServices/SystemStarter/QuartzDisplay.bundle/Resources/BootPanel_Original.pdf

[alphasubzero949]

There is no 'SystemStarter' here.

[Randman]

Originally Posted by alphasubzero949

There is no 'SystemStarter' here.

Same here. Checked on two Macs and no go.

[alphasubzero949]

Looks like SystemStarter was replaced by launchd in Tiger along with a host of other services.

[zengravy]

Yep. It appears that the old familar location - SystemStarter is not there anymore. I used EasyFind to search all files (invisible, inside of packages, etc.) for .pdf, .tif, .tiff, and .png and found nothing similar to a boot panel. Any ideas?

[dggraphics]

weird, I have mine still. I did an Update though

[neila]

Sorry I posted false info

[zengravy]

This doesn't work for me. Even when logged in as root I don't see that folder you mentioned. I also can't find it with EasyFind. What's the path?

[zengravy]

That's cool. I've been up that long before, so I know how you feel. I've been digging a fit further and have found several differnt copies of the "Mac OS X" text and the Apple logo that appear on the boot panel, but replacing them only affects the "About This Mac" screen.

Any ideas?

[wa6vvv]

The location of the BootPanel.pdf file used by Panther has been changed significantly in Tiger. It is now located within the file:

/usr/libexec/WaitingForLoginWindow

It starts at offset 11000 and is 30344 bytes long. It is still the same PDF file, its just imbedded in an execuitable started from /etc/rc. There is even a very simple man page for it. I didn't find the source for WaitingForLoginWindows in a quick check of the released source.

[zengravy]

Any idea how this can be changed??!!

[wa6vvv]

The brute force aproach of overlaying the imbedded image with another on didn't work. The new image was a bit smaller so it fit but the program may try to use the entire space rather than directly parse the PDF commands. Can't really tell without the source.

[zengravy]

That sucks... It's strange that Apple chose now to make it so difficult to mod the boot panel.

[wa6vvv]

Made it work. The new pdf must be exactly the same size (bytes) as the original. My new one was smaller so it was padded with nulls before the $EOF. \n's will also work. I don't believe any changes were required to the corresponding ICC but will have to wait till my son gets back online to be sure. The second PDF in that file is the startup screen for Mac OS Server. Now my original startup screen from my Mac+ is alive and well again. Its been on every Mac I have had.

[zengravy]

Can you describe exactly how you made the edit? What tool did you use?

[burgessa23]

how do you crack the executible open to get at the .pdf?


-Andrew

[wa6vvv]

hex dump was used in this case but any number of other approaches will work. The key is be sure the new image is exactly the same size as the original image.

[llee]

I used Photoshop and Resorcerer (HexEdit would do just fine). I'd be interested in better methods for reducing the size of a pdf image. Don't forget the progress bar:

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=256300

Did you launch the executable to preview it? Just select "Go to Folder..." from the Go menu, enter /usr/libexec and enter, then locate the WaitingForLoginWindow file and double-click it. Kill the process with Activity Monitor.