Usplash doesn't reveal the console when manual intervention is needed, thus leading a user to believe that the computer hangs

[x]

Binary package hint: usplash

I recently ran into a filesystem error on boot, where fsck couldn't automatically fix the problem and the user is expected to manually run fsck.
However, now that usplash is active by default again, the system doesn't even indicate to the user what happened. It just seems to be frozen at the white Ubuntu logo.

I think that this would cause some trouble for new users.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
CurrentDmesg: [ 76.432159] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
Date: Sat Oct 10 21:22:03 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Alpha i386 (20091010)
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: innotek GmbH VirtualBox
Package: usplash 0.5.41
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-13-generic root=UUID=99fef475-02b5-49e4-a6d6-50a6958f92ca ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-13.43-generic
SourcePackage: usplash
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-13-generic i686
UsplashConf:
 # Usplash configuration file
 # These parameters will only apply after running update-initramfs.

 xres=800
 yres=600
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1385): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1385): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (nautilus:1439): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:1457): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
dmi.bios.date: 12/01/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: innotek GmbH
dmi.bios.version: VirtualBox
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvninnotekGmbH:bvrVirtualBox:bd12/01/2006:svninnotekGmbH:pnVirtualBox:pvr1.2:
dmi.product.name: VirtualBox
dmi.product.version: 1.2
dmi.sys.vendor: innotek GmbH

[x (xyzx-deactivatedaccount)]

I just noticed that usplash _does_ fall back to the console. However there is quite some delay with seemingly no activity.

Also this is still valid for a VirtualBox installation, where I first noticed the problem. Here, too, the Ubuntu logo disappears after a certain amount of time, but there is no visible text.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package usplash - 0.5.42

---------------
usplash (0.5.42) karmic; urgency=low

  [ Colin Watson ]
  * Fix the Upstart job's pre-start script to stop the job when conditions
    are such that it shouldn't be started, without using 'normal exit 0 1'.

  [ Steve Langasek ]
  * Stop the job when mountall-shell is running, so that users who've been
    dropped to a shell can actually interact with it. LP: #448214.

 -- Steve Langasek <email address hidden> Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:43:46 -0700

[TheOldFellow (theoldfellow)]

I have updated to 0.5.42, and now after the white logo the bootstrap hangs for over 1 minute 20 seconds with nothing on the screen at all. This is unacceptable, even for old hands, never mind new users. (AMD Phenom x 4 3Ghz + 4G, i386).

[x (xyzx-deactivatedaccount)]

The update works fine for me.