# Hide boot messages (not using frame/boot/gensplash)

## noisebleed

Hi.

I've a Gentoo system running on a machine without X to be used as an headless system (router).

Nevertheless i need to hide any info from the system as shown on each reboot.

So i need one "simple" thing: stop any messages till the login appears from being shown without using splash screens. Just a blank/silent boot without (possibly) any framebuffer tricks.

Can this be done?

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## schachti

Security by obscurity? Not a good idea...

I do not know how this can be done in software. The hardware solution: If it is a headless device, remove the graphics card.

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## noisebleed

I now this is not the best solution..   :Embarassed:  but i need a quick one that works   :Smile: 

About the hardware solution: graphics card onBoard (Mini-ITX system) :/ (and I'm onto a software solution). 

So rephrasing the question: can this be done using the software way?

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## beandog

Simplest way is to add "quiet" to kernel params so that doesnt print out anything.  Secondly, add / edit an /etc/issue to clear the screen for when  a login displays (clear > /etc/issue).  As far as removing all sysvinit messages on startup .... I have no idea.  Redirect to another console somehow, I guess.  Who knows.

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## noisebleed

Hi beandog. 

I've already added the "ro quiet" options to grub.conf and done the /etc/issue trick (nice one  :Wink:  did not know this)

The next step and more important one is to hide the output from the init system (sysvinit). Let's see what can be done about that.

If someone has some suggestion please post it here. I will try them. Thanks.

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## noisebleed

I've found some info on the karkomaonline blog. The suggestion is to play with /ect/inittab

Now my /etc/inittab looks like this:

```

# System initialization, mount local filesystems, etc.

si::sysinit:/sbin/rc sysinit

# Further system initialization, brings up the boot runlevel.

rc::bootwait:/sbin/rc boot &> /etc/noisebleed/log/boot.log

l0:0:wait:/sbin/rc shutdown &> /etc/noisebleed/log/shutdown.log

l1:S1:wait:/sbin/rc single &> /etc/noisebleed/log/single.log

l2:2:wait:/sbin/rc nonetwork &> /etc/noisebleed/log/nonetwork.log

l3:3:wait:/sbin/rc default &> /etc/noisebleed/log/l3.log

l4:4:wait:/sbin/rc default &> /etc/noisebleed/log/l4.log

l5:5:wait:/sbin/rc default &> /etc/noisebleed/log/l5.log

l6:6:wait:/sbin/rc reboot &> /etc/noisebleed/log/reboot.log

#z6:6:respawn:/sbin/sulogin

```

It has removed some messages but the majority still remains. Even the Gentoo Linux copyright message.

Also when shutting down the system asks for my root password (or Ctrl-D to continue) for maintenance. It has to do to the modifcation of /etc/inittab but don't know how to avoid it.

Still needing help. Suggestions?

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## beandog

Oh yah, inittab ... I totally forgot about that.

Also, why don't you want to worry about the framebuffer stuff?  That's the simplest way to hide everything.

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## noisebleed

 *beandog wrote:*   

> Also, why don't you want to worry about the framebuffer stuff?  That's the simplest way to hide everything.

 

I did... but with no success at all   :Sad: 

Note: I'm using one of those Via mini-itx boxes (maybe not the best hardware to deal with framebuffer stuff)

And I need this to be ready ASAP. Just need one of those quick and dirty solutions my friend  :Very Happy: 

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## noisebleed

 *noisebleed wrote:*   

> Also when shutting down the system asks for my root password (or Ctrl-D to continue) for maintenance. It has to do to the modifcation of /etc/inittab but don't know how to avoid it. 

 

Already solved the issue above. Simply changed the output of reboot and shutdown to /dev/null:

```
l0:0:wait:/sbin/rc shutdown &> /dev/null

l1:S1:wait:/sbin/rc single &> /etc/noisebleed/log/single.log

l2:2:wait:/sbin/rc nonetwork &> /etc/noisebleed/log/nonetwork.log

l3:3:wait:/sbin/rc default &> /etc/noisebleed/log/l3.log

l4:4:wait:/sbin/rc default &> /etc/noisebleed/log/l4.log

l5:5:wait:/sbin/rc default &> /etc/noisebleed/log/l5.log

l6:6:wait:/sbin/rc reboot &> /dev/null

```

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