Around Ubuntu there are developing some Usermode bootsplashes which you should check out. One is Splashy/UPower -> http://nanofreesoft.org/index.php/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=1 It's not as nice as the 'native' bootsplashes (yet) but already much nicer than scrolling white text on black ground ;) Greets, Maxi