Most of this comes from Tony Fabris'
Picker and Voladj for Dummies. If you haven't read it, it's much easier to follow than I can write.
Anyway, here's how to get an animation to start on boot:
1) Install a developer image. Mount all partitions read/write:
rw
rwm
2) Rename the binary init in/bin to init.empeg:
cd /bin
mv init init.empeg
chmod +x init.empeg (IMPORTANT)
3) Create or copy a custom init script. Here's what mine looks like:
#!/bin/sh
PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/empeg/bin:./
PS1=empeg:\\w\\$
/bin/mount -n -o nocheck,rw /proc
/bin/mount -n -o nocheck,ro /dev/hda4 /drive0
/bin/mount -n -o nocheck,ro /dev/hdc4 /drive1
echo Running Picker...
/empeg/var/pick_list
/bin/init.empeg
Then:
chmod +x init(IMPORTANT)
4) This init will execute a script called /empeg/var/pick_list. My pick_list script is attached to this post. To run pick_list, you'll also need the binary file called picker(attached in my next post). Put both of these files in /empeg/var and chmod them both +x.
5) The first menu option in this pick_list is "Stick-Fu", which executes a script called /empeg/var/fight. This shell script looks like this: (Replace the < with the Less-than sign)
/empeg/var/empanim 0 1800 < /empeg/var/fight.ema
As you can see, it calls the binary empanim, linked in my original post.
6) The only other thing you will need is to upload fight.gz to /empeg/var, gunzip it and rename it to fight.ema, and chmod it +rx.
If all went well, your machine should allow you to start any animation or program you want at boot-up.
(IMPORTANT) ---> It's really easy to miss a chmod command and make your machine unusable until a re-flash. I've done this about 5 times already.
If you just want to see the animation, but not at boot-up, you just need the empanim executable and the fight.gz file (gunzipped on the player, of course). Just run the above green command to view the anim.
I hope this is helpful, but if not, it's 'cuz I've not yet finished my Mountain Dew this morning.