Science and technology

The Linux terminal isn’t any one-trick pony

Welcome to a different day of the Linux command-line toys creation calendar. If that is your first go to to the sequence, you is perhaps asking your self what a command-line toy even is. We’re figuring that out as we go, however usually, it could possibly be a sport, or any easy diversion that helps you might have enjoyable on the terminal.

Some of you should have seen numerous picks from our calendar earlier than, however we hope there’s no less than one new factor for everybody.

Reader Lori made the suggestion of immediately’s toy in a touch upon my earlier article on cowsay:

“Hmmm, I have been taking part in with one thing referred to as ponysay which appears to be a full-color variant in your cowsay.”

Intrigued, I needed to test it out, and I used to be not disenchanted with what I discovered.

In a nutshell, ponysay is strictly that: a rewrite of cowsay that features many full-color characters from My Little Pony, that you need to use to output phrases on the Linux command line. It’s really a very well-done mission, that options over 400 characters and character combos, and is extremely properly documented in a 78-page PDF protecting full utilization.

To set up ponysay, you will need to take a look at the mission README to pick the set up technique that works finest on your distribution and scenario. Since ponysay did not look like packaged for my distribution, Fedora, I opted to check out the Docker container picture, however do what works finest for you; set up from supply can also be just right for you.

I used to be curious to check out podman as a drop-in alternative for docker for an informal container customers, and for me no less than, it simply labored!

$ podman run -ti --rm mpepping/ponysay 'Ponytastic'

The outputs are superb, and I problem you to attempt it out and let me know your favourite. Here was one among mine:

The neatest thing about ponysay? It’s builders selected to put in writing the code in—watch for it—Pony! Pony is licensed underneath the GPL model three, and you’ll decide up its supply code on GitHub.

Do you might have a favourite command-line toy that you simply suppose I must profile? The calendar for this sequence is usually crammed out however I’ve acquired just a few spots left. Let me know within the feedback beneath, and I am going to test it out. If there’s house, I am going to attempt to embody it. If not, however I get some good submissions, I am going to do a round-up of honorable mentions on the finish.

Check out yesterday’s toy, 
Relax by the fire at your Linux terminal, and examine again tomorrow for one more!

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