livebootmodule

Overview

Maintained by symbuzzer (based on the pioneering work of Chainfire), LiveBoot replaces standard Android splash animations with a live, Unix-style scrolling console output of logcat and kernel dmesg buffers during device startup.

For kernel developers, ROM builders, and power users, standard OEM boot animations mask critical initialization events. LiveBoot renders hardware initialization, mount operations, daemon startups, and SELinux denials in real time directly to the physical display, making it an invaluable diagnostic tool.

Technical Architecture & How It Works

SurfaceFlinger Native Buffer Rendering

LiveBoot operates before the Android zygote fully initializes:

1. Early Boot Loader: Triggered via loader.sh during post-fs-data. It launches a low-level native daemon compiled to talk directly to Android’s surfaceflinger compositor.
2. Buffer Multiplexing: Captures raw output streams from /dev/kmsg (or dmesg) and the Android logging sockets (/dev/socket/logd).
3. Hardware Display Output: Formats and color-codes log lines according to their severity level (Verbose, Debug, Info, Warning, Error, Fatal) and blits them to the framebuffer until sys.boot_completed triggers the exit sequence.

Installation & Setup

1. Download the latest LiveBoot-v*.zip release.
2. Flash the module in Magisk, KernelSU, or APatch.
3. Reboot your device to immediately see the live boot console stream.

Configuration & Usage

Customize display behavior by editing:

/data/adb/modules/livebootmagisk/config

Configurable Options

• Backgrounds: transparent, dark, or default.
• Logcat Buffers: Select active buffers (M for Main, S for System, R for Radio, C for Crash).
• Log Saving: Set save to preserve the boot log under /data/cache/liveboot.log.
• Exit Timing: Set a custom suicide delay in milliseconds to ensure smooth transitions into the desktop launcher.

Troubleshooting & Common Issues

• Black Screen During Boot: Some custom OEM ROMs implement strict DRM surface constraints that prevent external tools from drawing onto the primary display. If the screen remains dark until the launcher loads, verify ROM compatibility.