Add neat loading screen (maybe a litte too big :-))

banner.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Welcome to
+ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄       ▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ 
+▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░▌     ▐░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌
+▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█░▌▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█░▌▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▐░▌░▌   ▐░▐░▌▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█░▌▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 
+▐░▌          ▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌          ▐░▌          ▐░▌▐░▌ ▐░▌▐░▌▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌          ▐░▌          
+▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█░▌▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█░▌▐░▌          ▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▐░▌ ▐░▐░▌ ▐░▌▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█░▌▐░▌          ▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ 
+▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░▌          ▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░▌  ▐░▌  ▐░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░▌          ▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌
+ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█░▌▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█░▌▐░▌          ▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▐░▌   ▀   ▐░▌▐░█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█░▌▐░▌           ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█░▌
+          ▐░▌▐░▌          ▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌          ▐░▌          ▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌                    ▐░▌
+ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█░▌▐░▌          ▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█░▌
+▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░▌          ▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░▌       ▐░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌▐░░░░░░░░░░░▌
+ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀            ▀         ▀  ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀         ▀  ▀         ▀  ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 

contribsys.el

@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@ extension.
           (puthash pkg sym spacemacs-all-pre-extensions))
         (dolist (pkg (eval (intern (format "%s-post-extensions"
                                            (symbol-name sym)))))
-          (puthash pkg sym spacemacs-all-post-extensions))))))
+          (puthash pkg sym spacemacs-all-post-extensions)))))
+  ;; number of chuncks for the loading screen
+  (setq loading-dots-chunk-size-max (/ loading-dots-count-max
+                                       loading-dots-chunk-count)))
 
 (defun contribsys/install-packages ()
   "Install the packages all the packages if there are not currently installed."
@@ -117,6 +120,7 @@ extension.
   "Initialize the package PKG from the configuration layer LSYM."
   (let* ((layer (assq lsym spacemacs-config-layers))
          (init-func (intern (format "%s/init-%s" (symbol-name lsym) pkg))))
+    (loading-animation)
     (if (and (package-installed-p pkg) (fboundp init-func))
         (funcall init-func))))
 
@@ -130,6 +134,7 @@ extension.
          (ext-dir (plist-get (cdr layer) :ext-dir))
          (init-func (intern (format "%s/init-%s" (symbol-name lsym) ext))))
        (add-to-list 'load-path (format "%s%s/" ext-dir ext))
+       (loading-animation)
        (if (fboundp init-func) (funcall init-func))))
 
 (defun contribsys/declare-configuration-layers ()

init.el

@@ -3,19 +3,43 @@
 (setq message-log-max 16384)
 (defconst emacs-start-time (current-time))
 
-
-(switch-to-buffer (get-buffer-create "*spacemacs*"))
+(defvar spacemacs-title-length 116)
+(defvar loading-text "Loading")
+(defvar loading-done-text "Ready!")
+(defvar loading-dots-chunk-count 3)
+(defvar loading-dots-chunk-size 0)
+(defvar loading-dots-chunk-size-max 0)
+(defvar loading-dots-count-max
+  (- spacemacs-title-length (length loading-text) (length loading-done-text)))
+(defun create-spacemacs-buf ()
+  "Create and initialize the spacemacs startup buffer."
+  (switch-to-buffer (get-buffer-create "*spacemacs*"))
+  (insert-file-contents (concat user-emacs-directory "banner.txt"))
+  (goto-char (point-max))
+  (insert loading-text)
+  (redisplay))
 (defun append-to-spacemacs-buf (msg)
-  "Append MSG to buffer."
+  "Append MSG to spacemacs buffer."
   (with-current-buffer (get-buffer-create "*spacemacs*")
     (goto-char (point-max))
     (insert (format "%s\n" msg))))
 (defun replace-last-line-of-spacemacs-buf (msg)
-  "Replace the last line of the buffer with MSG."
+  "Replace the last line of the spacemacs buffer with MSG."
   (with-current-buffer (get-buffer-create "*spacemacs*")
     (goto-char (point-max))
     (delete-region (line-beginning-position) (point-max))
     (insert msg)))
+(defun loading-animation ()
+  "Display LOADING-TITLE with trailing dots of max length
+SPACEMACS-TITLE-LENGTH. New loading title is displayed by chunk
+of size LOADING-DOTS-CHUNK-SIZE-MAX."
+  (setq loading-dots-chunk-size (1+ loading-dots-chunk-size))
+  (setq loading-text (concat loading-text "."))
+  (if (>= loading-dots-chunk-size loading-dots-chunk-size-max)
+      (progn 
+        (setq loading-dots-chunk-size 0)
+        (replace-last-line-of-spacemacs-buf loading-text)
+        (redisplay))))
 
 (defconst user-home-directory
   (expand-file-name (concat user-emacs-directory "../"))

spacemacs/extensions.el

@@ -113,4 +113,4 @@
       (deftheme solarized-dark "The dark variant of the Solarized colour theme")
       (create-solarized-theme 'dark 'solarized-dark)
       (spacemacs/set-flycheck-custom-face)
-      )))
+      (create-spacemacs-buf))))