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hollywood: Simulate a Hollywood hacking terminal

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Dive into the Cinematic World of Hacking with "Hollywood" on Linux Bash

If you've ever watched a hacker movie, you're probably familiar with the dramatic portrayal of computer hacking: rapid typing, screens flashing with incomprehensible code, constantly changing statistics, and an array of terminal windows. It might not be the most accurate representation of real-world programming or hacking, but it sure looks cool. If you want to turn your Linux terminal into a similar high-tech spectacle, the "Hollywood" utility is just what you need.

What is Hollywood?

Hollywood is a fun utility tool developed by Dustin Kirkland. When run, it fills your screen with a motley array of terminal panes, each running an innocuous command like top, htop, or generating random character streams, offering an overly dramatized Hollywood movie style hacking interface. It's just for entertainment or for impressing your non-geeky friends, so don't expect real hacking tools here!

Getting Started with Hollywood on Linux

Installing Hollywood is pretty straightforward. Currently, it can be installed on Ubuntu and other Debian-based distributions, Fedora, and openSUSE. Below are the detailed steps for each.

Installation on Ubuntu and Debian-based Distributions

For those using Ubuntu or any Debian-based system, you will be using the apt package manager. First, make sure your package list is updated:

sudo apt update

Now, install Hollywood along with some additional utility packages that will enhance the Hollywood experience:

sudo apt install hollywood byobu ccze

byobu is an enhancement for screen and tmux that can be used with Hollywood to manage multiple terminal sessions easily. ccze is a tool that adds color to logs, making them more readable (and cooler in our Hollywood setup).

Installation on Fedora

Fedora and other distributions using the dnf package manager can install Hollywood using the following commands:

sudo dnf update
sudo dnf install hollywood

Fedora's default repositories should contain Hollywood. However, if it's not available, you might need to add an additional repository or check if there's an RPM package available from external sources.

Installation on openSUSE

For openSUSE users, the zypper package manager is your tool of choice. Like with the others, start by refreshing your repositories:

sudo zypper refresh

Then, install Hollywood using:

sudo zypper install hollywood

Again, ensure that Hollywood is available in the repositories. If not, explore additional repositories or external sources that may have the RPM package.

Running Hollywood

After installation, launching Hollywood is as simple as opening a terminal and typing:

hollywood

You can also specify the number of splits/screens directly using:

hollywood 4

This command will divide the terminal into 4 sections. Use CTRL+C to exit anytime.

Conclusion

While Hollywood won't turn you into an instant hacker, it's a great way to spice up your terminal and have a little fun pretending to be a movie-style hacker. Whether you're looking to create a cool screensaver, make a tech-themed video, or just show off at a LAN party, Hollywood is a perfect choice.

Remember, always use such tools responsibly and for entertainment purposes only! Enjoy your cinematic coding environment!

Further Reading

To delve deeper into the themes and tools similar to "Hollywood," consider the following resources:

  1. The Basics of Linux Terminal - A comprehensive guide on using the Linux terminal, an essential skill for advanced utilities like Hollywood.

  2. Understanding byobu - Learn more about Byobu for terminal management, which enhances the Hollywood experience.

  3. Tech in Cinema - An insightful article on how technology is portrayed in movies, focusing on the accuracy of these representations.

  4. Cmatrix and Other Fun Linux Commands - Exploring other fun commands like cmatrix, which can be combined with Hollywood for a more enriched visual display.

  5. Linux Screen Tools - A tutorial on Linux 'screen' tools like tmux, which are integral to maximizing the utility of Hollywood.

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