Special thanks to RasTacsko for Militech Boot animation: (Screen used: waveshare oled/lcd)

This repository contains a modification for Pwnagotchi that enables custom boot animations. It modifies the default launcher to inject a Python script that plays an animation on the e-ink/OLED display before the main Pwnagotchi interface loads.

Now you can add boot animations to your Pwnagotchi! I created this project while building a Cyberpunk-themed Pwnagotchi for myself. I will be releasing a complete set as soon as it's finished. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.

• 🐧 Pwnagotchi setup on Raspberry Pi
• 📟 A Supported Screen, list can be found here
• 🔐 SSH access to your Pwnagotchi device
• Tested on Jays image

Open a terminal and SSH into your Pwnagotchi device:

ssh pi@ip_address

Connect to your Pwnagotchi via SSH and clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/itsOwen/pwnagotchi-bootanimations.git
cd pwnagotchi-bootanimations

You can install the mod using the included Makefile. This will back up your existing launcher and install the necessary files.

Standard Installation (Default Animation):

sudo make install

Installation with a Specific Theme: If you have a folder containing your animation images (e.g., inside a themes folder), you can install it directly:

sudo make install THEME=militech
# or any custom path
# sudo make install THEME=./themes/cyberpunk

Note: The theme folder should contain image files (png, jpg, bmp) or a gif.

Restart Pwnagotchi to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart pwnagotchi

To remove the boot animation and restore the original launcher:

sudo make uninstall

This Python script is responsible for rendering the animation. Here is what it does:

1. Configuration Loading: It loads the Pwnagotchi configuration (/etc/pwnagotchi/config.toml) to understand the environment.
2. Display Initialization: It dynamically initializes the correct display driver (e.g., Waveshare v2, v3, v4, Inky, etc.) based on your configuration, ensuring compatibility with whatever hardware you are using.
3. Image Processing: It looks for images in /usr/local/bin/boot_animation_images. It supports both GIF files (extracting frames automatically) and sequences of static images. It resizes and rotates them to match your display's geometry.
4. Cleanup: After the animation finishes (or if an error occurs), it cleanly disables the display driver. This prevents conflicts when the main Pwnagotchi process tries to take control of the screen.

The Makefile automates the installation process to ensure safety and ease of use:

1. Backup: It creates a backup of your original /usr/bin/pwnagotchi-launcher to /usr/bin/pwnagotchi-launcher.bak before making changes.
2. Interpreter Detection: It attempts to locate the correct Python interpreter. It checks for the system pwnagotchi binary or the specific virtual environment path (/home/pi/.pwn/bin/python3) often used in custom images (like Jay's).
3. Launcher Patching: It injects a startup hook directly into your existing pwnagotchi-launcher. This ensures compatibility with other mods and preserves your original launcher logic.
4. Theme Management: If the THEME variable is provided, it clears the destination image directory and copies your new theme files there.
5. Diagnostics: It runs a quick check at the end to verify it can load the Pwnagotchi libraries and read the display configuration.

If the animation does not play:

1. Check the logs at /var/log/bootanim.log.
2. Ensure your display is correctly configured in /etc/pwnagotchi/config.toml.
3. Verify that images exist in /usr/local/bin/boot_animation_images.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pwnagotchi/comments/1ej5fsl/cyberpunk_rebecca_x_pwnagotchi_update_1/

Feel free to replace these placeholders with actual frames from your boot animation to give a visual preview.

Enjoy your new boot animation! 🎉 Your Pwnagotchi is now even more personalized and stylish.

• Open Photoshop and create a new project.
• If you don't have photoshop use Photopea
• Set the dimensions to match your screen resolution (e.g., 250x122 pixels for Waveshare 2.13 V4).

• Design each frame of your animation.
• Make the color of the image black and white which can be done using photoshop with one click, adjust the level of darkness according to yourself.
• Keep each frame as a separate layer or save each frame as a separate file.
• Ensure the background is black or white.

• Export each frame as a PNG file.
  • Go to File > Export > Export As.
  • Choose PNG as the format.
  • Save each frame with a sequential naming convention (e.g., frame001.png, frame002.png, etc.).

• Transfer the exported frames to your Pwnagotchi device using the SCP command provided in step 2 above.

• Ensure the boot_animation.py script points to the directory containing your new frames.

• Run the boot animation script to test your animation.
• Refine your frames in Photoshop as needed and re-export until you achieve the desired effect.

By following these steps, you can create and implement custom boot animations to give your Pwnagotchi a unique and personalized touch.