diff --git a/gui/main.js b/gui/main.js
index 47e8f687..8fd9524d 100644
--- a/gui/main.js
+++ b/gui/main.js
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ const path = require('path');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const os = require('os');
 const spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
-const exec = require('child_process').exec;
 
 const log = require('electron-log');
 const mainLog = log.scope('main');
 const daemonProcessLog = log.scope('freedata-daemon');
 const mime = require('mime');
+const net = require('net');
+
   
 const sysInfo = log.scope('system information');
 sysInfo.info("SYSTEM INFORMATION  -----------------------------  ");
@@ -168,10 +169,26 @@ let data = null;
 let logViewer = null;
 var daemonProcess = null;
 
+
+// create a splash screen
+function createSplashScreen(){
+    splashScreen = new BrowserWindow({
+        height: 250,
+        width: 250,
+        transparent: true,
+        frame: false,
+        alwaysOnTop: true
+    });
+    splashScreen.loadFile('src/splash.html');
+    splashScreen.center();
+}
+
+
 function createWindow() {
     win = new BrowserWindow({
         width: config.screen_width,
         height: config.screen_height,
+        show: false,
         autoHideMenuBar: true,
         icon: 'src/img/icon.png',
         webPreferences: {
@@ -285,8 +302,19 @@ function createWindow() {
 }
 
 app.whenReady().then(() => {
+
+    // show splash screen
+    createSplashScreen();
+
+    // create main window
     createWindow();
 
+   // wait some time, then close splash screen and show main windows
+    setTimeout(function() {
+        splashScreen.close();
+        win.show();
+    }, 3000);
+
     // start daemon by checking os
     mainLog.info('Starting freedata-daemon binary');
 
@@ -830,57 +858,31 @@ ipcMain.on('request-stop-rigctld',(event,data)=>{
 
 
 
-// CHECK RIGCTLD
-ipcMain.on('request-check-rigctld',(data)=>{
+// CHECK RIGCTLD CONNECTION
+ipcMain.on('request-check-rigctld',(event, data)=>{
+
+    try{
 
-    try {
         let Data = {
-            state: "unknown",
+                state: "unknown",
         };
 
-        isRunning('rigctld', (status) => {
-            if (status){
-                Data["state"] = "running";
-            } else {
-                Data["state"] = "unknown/stopped";
-            }
-            if (win !== null && win !== ''){
-                win.webContents.send('action-check-rigctld', Data);
-            }
+        var rigctld = new net.Socket();
+        rigctld.connect(data.port, data.ip)
+
+        rigctld.on('error', function() {
+
+            Data["state"] = "unknown/stopped - (" + data.ip + ":" + data.port + ")";
+            win.webContents.send('action-check-rigctld', Data);
         })
 
-    } catch (e) {
-        mainLog.error(e)
+        rigctld.on('connect', function() {
+            Data["state"] = "connection possible - (" + data.ip + ":" + data.port + ")";
+            win.webContents.send('action-check-rigctld', Data);
+        })
+
+    } catch(e) {
+        console.log(e)
     }
 
 });
-
-
-
-
-// https://stackoverflow.com/a/51084163
-// Function for checking if a process is running or not
-/*
-isRunning('rigctld', (status) => {
-            if (status){
-                Data["state"] = "running";
-            } else {
-                Data["state"] = "unknown";
-            }
-            win.webContents.send('action-check-rigctld', Data);
-        })
-*/
-const isRunning = (query, cb) => {
-    let platform = process.platform;
-    let cmd = '';
-    switch (platform) {
-        case 'win32' : cmd = `tasklist`; break;
-        case 'darwin' : cmd = `ps -ax | grep ${query}`; break;
-        case 'linux' : cmd = `ps -A`; break;
-        default: break;
-    }
-    exec(cmd, (err, stdout) => {
-        cb(stdout.toLowerCase().indexOf(query.toLowerCase()) > -1);
-    });
-}
-
diff --git a/gui/preload-chat.js b/gui/preload-chat.js
index c9905661..e056cef3 100644
--- a/gui/preload-chat.js
+++ b/gui/preload-chat.js
@@ -174,18 +174,49 @@ window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
     document.getElementById("chatModuleMessage").addEventListener("input", () => {
         var textarea = document.getElementById("chatModuleMessage");
         var text = textarea.value;
+
+        if(document.getElementById("expand_textarea").checked){
+        var lines = 6
+        } else {
         var lines = text.split("\n").length
-        if (lines >= 10){
-         lines = 10;
+
+        if (lines >= 6){
+         lines = 6;
         }
-        var message_container_height_offset = 90 + (23*lines);
+
+        }
+        var message_container_height_offset = 130 + (20*lines);
         var message_container_height = `calc(100% - ${message_container_height_offset}px)`;
         document.getElementById("message-container").style.height = message_container_height;
         textarea.rows = lines;
 
+        console.log(textarea.value)
+
 
     })
 
+ document.getElementById("expand_textarea").addEventListener("click", () => {
+  var textarea = document.getElementById("chatModuleMessage");
+
+if(document.getElementById("expand_textarea").checked){
+    var lines=6
+    document.getElementById("expand_textarea_button").className = "bi bi-chevron-compact-down";
+
+} else {
+    var lines=1
+    document.getElementById("expand_textarea_button").className = "bi bi-chevron-compact-up";
+}
+
+ var message_container_height_offset = 130 + (20*lines);
+ //var message_container_height_offset = 90 + (23*lines);
+        var message_container_height = `calc(100% - ${message_container_height_offset}px)`;
+ document.getElementById("message-container").style.height = message_container_height;
+ textarea.rows = lines;
+ console.log(textarea.rows)
+
+   })
+
+
     // NEW CHAT
 
     document.getElementById("createNewChatButton").addEventListener("click", () => {
@@ -223,10 +254,12 @@ db.post({
         var chatmessage = textarea.value;
 
         // reset textarea size
-        var message_container_height_offset = 110;
+        var message_container_height_offset = 150;
         var message_container_height = `calc(100% - ${message_container_height_offset}px)`;
         document.getElementById("message-container").style.height = message_container_height;
         textarea.rows = 1
+        document.getElementById("expand_textarea_button").className = "bi bi-chevron-compact-up";
+        document.getElementById("expand_textarea").checked = false;
 
         console.log(file);
         console.log(filename);
diff --git a/gui/preload-main.js b/gui/preload-main.js
index 233dd563..30744804 100644
--- a/gui/preload-main.js
+++ b/gui/preload-main.js
@@ -2306,9 +2306,18 @@ function set_setting_switch(setting_switch, enable_object, state){
 
 setInterval(checkRigctld, 500)
 function checkRigctld(){
-    ipcRenderer.send('request-check-rigctld');
+
+    var rigctld_ip = document.getElementById("hamlib_rigctld_ip").value;
+    var rigctld_port = document.getElementById("hamlib_rigctld_port").value;
+
+    let Data = {
+                ip: rigctld_ip,
+                port: rigctld_port
+            };
+    ipcRenderer.send('request-check-rigctld', Data);
 }
+
 ipcRenderer.on('action-check-rigctld', (event, data) => {
         console.log(data)
         document.getElementById("hamlib_rigctld_status").value = data["state"];
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/gui/src/chat-module.html b/gui/src/chat-module.html
index 6ab0ad32..812a1336 100644
--- a/gui/src/chat-module.html
+++ b/gui/src/chat-module.html
@@ -54,11 +54,15 @@
 				</div>
 				<hr class="m-0">
 				<! ------messages area ---------------------------------------------------------------------->
-				<div class="container overflow-auto" id="message-container" style="height: calc(100% - 110px);">
+				<div class="container overflow-auto" id="message-container" style="height: calc(100% - 150px);">
 					<div class="tab-content" id="nav-tabContent"> </div>
 					<!--<div class="container position-absolute bottom-0">--></div>
 				<!-- </div>-->
 				<div class="container-fluid mt-2 p-0">
+
+					<input type="checkbox" id="expand_textarea" class="btn-check" autocomplete="off">
+					<label class="btn d-flex justify-content-center" id="expand_textarea_label" for="expand_textarea"><i id="expand_textarea_button" class="bi bi-chevron-compact-up"></i></label>
+
 					<div class="input-group bottom-0 w-100">
 						<!--<input class="form-control" maxlength="8" style="max-width: 6rem; text-transform:uppercase; display:none" id="chatModuleDxCall" placeholder="DX CALL"></input>-->
 						<!--<button class="btn btn-sm btn-primary me-2" id="emojipickerbutton" type="button">--><i id="emojipickerbutton" class="bi bi-emoji-smile m-1" style="font-size: 1.5rem; color: grey;"></i><!--</button>-->
diff --git a/gui/src/splash.html b/gui/src/splash.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..07bbe511
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gui/src/splash.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+<head>
+    <meta charset="UTF-8">
+</head>
+<body>
+    <img src="./img/icon_cube_border.png" width="100%" height="100%">
+</body>
+
+</html>
diff --git a/gui/src/styles.css b/gui/src/styles.css
index b8c6006e..25a6ee03 100644
--- a/gui/src/styles.css
+++ b/gui/src/styles.css
@@ -27,4 +27,12 @@ html {
   display: none;
 }
 
+#chatModuleMessage {
+    resize: none;
+    border-radius:15px;
+}
 
+#expand_textarea_label{
+    border: 0;
+    padding: 1px;
+}
\ No newline at end of file