How to Install usplash under Debian testing/lenny

update your apt packages

apt-get update

install usplash and a theme from the debian packages

apt-get install usplash usplash-theme-debian

Now you need to create a working directory, and a fifo for usplash

mkdir /var/lib/usplash
mkfifo /var/lib/usplash/usplash_fifo

Then you'll have to rebuild your initrd with all the usplash bits in it

dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-$(uname -r)

and if you don't have an initrd, you'll have to create one

mkinitramfs -k -o /boot/initrd.img-$(uname -r)

I was using grub as my bootloaded, which I think is the default, so this should suffice for all.
You'll need to edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst in your favourite editor

vi /boot/grub/menu.lst

Look for the section where your current kernel is booted. I've added the vga=788 quiet splash, as below
You'll need to add these to your default kernel options.

# defoptions=vga=788 quiet splash

The # infront is important. That line isn't processed by grub, its processed by update-grub. So that when you run the command below, it automatically adds those options to all your kernel boot options.
Then, update the grub settings

update-grub

With any luck, everything will just work after a reboot.

If not, a few things might happen.
If you see nothing, and you're quite sure it should have booted by now, try booting into your failsafe kernel, then troubleshoot
If it tells you that you've got an invalid VGA mode, pick one from the list provided and see if it works. Remember the number that you picked, and update your /boot/grub/menu.lst with it. Don't forget to update-grub


If you're wanting to do a little customisation, and maybe create your own themes for booting, this Ubuntu guide has instructions which will work out for Debian too