Five Ways To Have Fun With The Command Line
Published on October 7, 2015•Updated on November 21, 2023
Once in a while, you maybe wanna entertain yourself through all the updating, maintenance, and configuration tasks of being a system administrator. Linux has quite some popular programs, available in many repositories... so, here are five ways to have some fun while working at the command line!
sl
A train going through your terminal.
Installation: apt-get install sl or yum -y install sl
(@@) ( ) (@) ( ) @@ () @ O @ O @
( )
(@@@@)
( )
(@@@)
==== ________ ___________
_D _| |_______/ \__I_I_____===__|_________|
|(_)--- | H\________/ | | =|___ ___| _________________
/ | | H | | | | ||_| |_|| _| \_____A
| | | H |__--------------------| [___] | =| |
| ________|___H__/__|_____/[][]~\_______| | -| |
|/ | |-----------I_____I [][] [] D |=======|____|________________________|_
__/ =| o |=-~~\ /~~\ /~~\ /~~\ ____Y___________|__|__________________________|_
|/-=|___|= O=====O=====O=====O|_____/~\___/ |_D__D__D_| |_D__D__D_|
\_/ \__/ \__/ \__/ \__/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/fortune
A random joke.
Installation: apt-get install fortune or yum install fortune
root@host:~# fortune
Q: What's a light-year?
A: One-third less calories than a regular year.toilet
Generate ASCII art from the terminal.
Installation: apt-get install toilet or yum install toilet
root@host:~# toilet VULTR
m m m m m mmmmmmm mmmmm
"m m" # # # # # "#
# # # # # # #mmmm"
"mm" # # # # # "m
## "mmmm" #mmmmm # # "
cmatrix
Run a Matrix program like they do in the movie.
Installation: apt-get install cmatrix
root@host:~# cmatrix
{ ) ^ M B u p } W t ^ X f j o G = # c x { ) 0 X , ' W L [ N G R V J 3 7 a 6 ^ r _ + % o Y ' P A V H N r G t 7 F V ] F ;
* w L } t ! 0 T & W E ' ? } % 0 3 G d h n : # = G f k y k 7 0 F 3 k 9 } " | A 6 j M X b 3 Z b 0 v } P p Z v ? k E % &
t 3 q g @ K } f z r p p ] ) v { W k D O c a j . i ( k v F + 1 t > G Z ) h ) / t : D Y y p = x _ H = l U C k & p
5 = r c } g 1 " R % g \ < R k 5 l k 3 - + l . [ Q ^ g y R e ) a ' ] j o q [ q H 0 R = ` ) 9 ! c P L b j
" 6 % * = * x q 4 m o q x # w ^ H 4 e b , $ 2 y Y C ] 4 s U ( - M 3 ) : p p W M 5 D { H : Q R O ` 8 @ y
c ? 8 k Y j a o @ J r x 7 X n C B q 0 X 4 , 8 . 1 e 0 v h ^ O " t , C X _ C / U ^ o O : W [ 8 } v / T L t
w . l 4 u # = R T 6 ' t O K v ^ j G w @ y + M W F > Z j - 4 M J 9 I m G M f h J ) V . D ) U \ ] ; ( $ y L }
9 I 9 ` " " . n } 2 7 ( z V D I 5 b 1 ) _ d . A I . 3 m # M [ : j ! < & _ b R x 5 l k F q + v t . > 8 " ] 8 \
+ t i c { P d < : S 9 h 4 f Q ; } B T @ 4 ' 5 P I v > # F Z x z / [ 0 k e [ > " ] 6 K M S H O X Z ( ` \ ` 2
( v @ ^ G h ( - / 1 H 6 b { ? j c A _ D ! s " ; ^ k ; I S W G P % < c % z , i # o B C K Z u / 4 f ^ Z
* ( ' o X / d Q n ? 5 0 1 r 6 . | j N [ E L W v 9 = 6 $ * C 3 u 7 Y k 9 Y V = P + q ` w W @ 9 ^
u p v P 5 u * ; j o o I l : x ] } E t _ 1 J Z * ( C V < h } X ( d K _ 9 b X o | U K & : X / I
v % C & m y 9 } g W p A ` - } - # ? 8 5 c , ? K B c M $ F b o ] & t ? K + l 9 D H + _ p 9 w z
p S 6 x _ : Q w $ { @ 6 h f [ # N d P < # [ z } J 4 / = N F t & H l 5 " , 6 J Y \ D Y | 3 _ K a
t O ; Z { } m / h [ Y c 9 t O P h ^ d E T U c 2 N + v M d ! ! % 2 O J @ % T p B " F + } 5 b
3 d 8 U % } ; 4 \ 7 9 7 ^ < - z + F ] @ f U + < H h 5 r s " % b # < F E = 8 1 F ] e Q 2 r q
] ) e I a @ % * k @ q r G U S % } e I ] v 3 \ S " g a x p ; o h - ` K ` * j 0 a r M 5
] V 2 c q z 1 ( T J d ! J 9 # U x 3 Y L ? Z V @ y 2 3 + x " 3 # O j : + o ! P D K W G "
& 1 + N ! K ( ] " & { v z b ! - J P q ! D k # , " O \ ' 5 % U x i , q 6 K X P u ^ R , = S
s D G < L ] D - ; W f H 9 N # l r W : ^ H 8 h ` V v r U O { J + n 5 E 6 u y J K # & q ` T 2 L +
; : Y % C / Y 6 { : e j ) # & s _ V t O C V h r z 0 B # 0 - ! E ? v 2 s l x , & Y x l L w W p ` ' $
H N | } l = J 1 f z $ w k = = Q b w } S + 6 o j 0 w & ( 5 M V ! I Z S y f 8 j { { ^ O , @ - p | a = ] _ e t
* 8 s } 8 B 6 ( : p v M x P T M ^ b $ d y 2 V L t z [ r C y I L 7 L 9 7 < h ) o R L K , 9 + X \ ^ ? N L % ^ 7 @
F [ i W A + j N U : x G ; ! ( N n Z J 0 j ^ 8 T ] ) ` . 2 - < \ 0 [ ( [ : 9 ! y : L D a i n 1 $ h & b & b * X 7 i
I u I ^ C : R Y H u ! 1 N j q h - ( ) e ; u / 4 D * _ H T T b J M : ] V A " $ x c B ^ s # K % I q z W y y m = K
P s ? J P ^ A / ^ S 8 x a 9 + R ` e c p U r < 5 j m F k _ : T h ! ' o T * % # ' = o i $ } i = H y u ? Q K *
* e G H A = ! S + ? I T X ) 1 J ( p 0 k 1 n o v 6 D r . T T P y c H U [ g 0 \ e w , O ' B J h 4 ` @ _ i / 9 b
n c + e 2 * 6 X 0 D { p E t v W ; | ' " 3 ! & < k n f i Q I M 1 b q f f I u 0 + 0 d S U F i ? 1 h T # o ' h N 3
t Q u } $ z e 5 ] K n j w e G ) 2 Z V G J , B o z r p b 3 , u F O ( X 1 & # ( ` P 2 6 ) O C + H f } a N ^ a
z ' D @ Q Q ) - ( J c : f ] . w F > $ ) 6 1 - A W ) D ) o H Q ! d p @ { [ z z : ? M H # M 7 | i $ @ & s F
L i g % - y c W 2 L @ f V j G L ) i W r s J ; ) q 0 ] " Q g / ] ; 2 n w & ] f Q D | - { k h } P f
f d } d s 3 R Q L O 4 y c " 8 v % E 8 \ 5 U " v X ? S V K k z 6 . 7 _ Y 6 + [ z b 9 w , { / V 4 X
[ | g ' % / < 8 m q : ' v t T f C N } O ! @ f l n i ! 3 , t Z e q ' R 4 * - H n F c | c N d p P , 7
t f l = $ ; ^ ' P W T 3 ^ _ X 0 M J k r Y s 3 g t n . < % | r p G % 1 E u 8 f C M z F * G X [ % G / S M 2
P Q B x g S d 6 > u f N I ! : K 9 \ H 3 ) F Y 1 + 3 b F i x [ M Y C a T I - M 8 N / B " V b ^ ^ i X F e s
* L : } _ y + X ' R b I A & 4 3 } W ` A k - < k U M O , ; l % P ` N d $ Q f U h 0 - E ` D m y I 5 E 2 b H
H n m ) 2 f M F Z ( ? o % Y [ ? a 9 < ) B ! G % $ i n M R U s C X 5 s : P 7 r 6 H 8 q & n h B [ X 3 | 8 .
R _ % = % p % K N # > d B e z x f ) ? + Q 4 Y z o 9 1 } 6 [ 5 6 i \ ] 2 { C c { K O ( D P k 1 \ s + u d f
e 2 d a P ) a ; ? P 9 # K < Z d & } k 8 h i ! 4 4 V y $ \ - N b ^ g F 6 B W X U P b w F ' W l K d ? ] U \ H 3
_ } ? 4 V - u = ! p x _ = X u $ C | e i J q h 2 A ] ' m [ 9 _ ] = T - p ) ) z d 6 S k A W @ 8 ! f O F t 2 F U
_ # _ J * " v F x E < @ R d n X ] B & Q [ ' P f Z s L H X 4 8 ( A ; _ S C D U [ [ Z S & < m N S E U ; z a w $
L G d 3 o / | h \ " T : # h p : X 8 ] 7 k R g ' } 5 o e / 1 [ 6 x g 7 l D l i \ # ^ l B This can cause heavy load on a server though, so make sure you don't execute this in a production environment.
aafire
Set the command line terminal on fire!
Installation: apt-get install libaa-bin
root@host:~# aafire
.. .. . .. .:=+iiIvvvII+:.
. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . .. .. . ..:=+iIvvvvi|=-.
. . . . ---:::-. ..-::.. . .... . .. . . . .. . -:-. . . .-=+|InnnI|=:. . . .. ..
. . .....-:=++|+:... . . ..=++:- . . .:=|i|=:.. .:+|=:.. .. .. . . . . . ..::-- . .:+|InSnnI|+=:-... .. .. . .
. . ..:::::==+||i||+==::.. . . ..----.. .. .-=+++=-. . . .:|vSXSSSI|-. ..+InI|=. . .---. . . ... .. . .... . . -:==:. . ..=|inSSXSnnIi|++=:-........ ..
. . . . .-:=++||iiIInvvvvvnI|=::-:::-:=+iIvvIi|+=-.. ..-:==+:- . ..:|vSZ###ZZSI+. -+vSnni+:=:=|||+:-.. .. ..-:==+=::-----::--------==++=:-... ...=ivnSXXXZZXSnnvIi|++::-===:.
.-::::-....:==+||inSSSnSSSSSXXSSnvIIIIIIIvnXZ###:#ZZSI+-. .. ..-::-...:=inSZ#::###SI+-. ..|vSZXnvIIIvvnnIi|++++=+|iInnnvvIi++:- :+++======||iIvvvvi|=:::=|ISnSXXXZZ:###XXSXnvIi|||+=- .
.:|IvnnvI|===+|iiInXZ:#:#ZZXZ###XXXSSSSSSXXZ##::WQQQWW:Zn+. . .. ... ..:+ISX#:W:W::XI+.. -|nZ##ZZXSXXXXSSSnSnnXXZZZ#::##ZSnI+=-- :=+|+||iIvnnSZ####XSvi|iIvnnnXXXZ###########XXSvnI+:.
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.-|vX#:WWWWW:::#Z#Z##WQ======QQW::#XSnnnnZ::QQQ;Q;;=Q;;QQW:Zn+-. . . . -+vX#WQQQW:Zv+- . - :+ISZ::W::::#ZXXXSZ####:WQ;;==;;QQ:#ZSv|||ivnSXZ#::::WWWQQW::ZnI||||iiIIIIvvnX::WWQQQQW::#Xvi=-.
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.:inZ:WQQQ;;=;===;;QQQ;;==|+||||++==Q:#XvIvS#:Q======QQ;QW:#XSvIi||+==:-:=iISXZ::WQ;=;=Q:ZI=:- =|S#:QQ;QQQQW::::##:WWWQQQQ;====++==QQW:::::::WQQ;;;=;=Q;;QQW#ZSI+++|inXZ#####Z###:WQ;======QQ:Xv+-.
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