If you're looking to add some fun and flair to your terminal, lolcat is a great choice. It reads input from standard input and writes it to standard output, coloring the text with a rainbow gradient. It's often used alongside commands like cowsay or figlet to create colorful and animated terminal messages.
How to Install Lolcat
Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo apt install lolcat or sudo snap install lolcat
Arch/Manjaro:
sudo pacman -S lolcat
Fedora:
sudo dnf install lolcat
macOS (Homebrew):
brew install lolcat
If your distro doesn't include it, you can install it via Ruby gem:
gem install lolcat
Basic Usage
You can use lolcat by piping text into it:
echo "This is colorful!" | lolcat
Use it with cowsay for fun messages:
cowsay "Hello Linux" | lolcat
Lolcat Parameters and Options
Lolcat supports several options to control how the output is displayed. Here's a quick reference:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-a, --animate |
Enable animation (scrolling rainbow) |
-d, --duration [SECONDS] |
Set duration of the animation |
-s, --speed [FLOAT] |
Set speed of the animation |
-f, --frequency [FLOAT] |
Color frequency (higher = faster gradient) |
-F, --force |
Force color output even when stdout is not a tty |
-v, --version |
Show version and exit |
Example: Animated Cowsay
Combine cowsay with animated lolcat:
cowsay "Tyopical cowsay output!" | lolcat -a
Troubleshooting
If lolcat shows no color, make sure your terminal supports ANSI colors and that you're not redirecting the output to a file or non-interactive shell. Add --force if necessary:
echo "Force it!" | lolcat --force
Conclusion
Lolcat is a lightweight and fun tool that adds some life to your terminal. Whether you're customizing your shell greeting, writing scripts, or just showing off your setup with neofetch, this rainbow output will definitely catch attention.
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