lolcat: Rainbow-color terminal output

Brighten Up Your Console: Using Lolcat for Rainbow-Color Terminal Output

If you've spent any significant amount of time in a terminal window, you know it can sometimes be dry. But what if you could make your command line outputs colorful, lively, and fun? Enter Lolcat - a utility that concatenates like the traditional cat command but adds rainbow coloring to its output. This small tool not only makes your terminal more visually appealing but can also make long output streams easier to skim through due to its varied coloring. In this blog post, I'll guide you through the installation of Lolcat for different Linux distributions and show you some fun ways to use it.

What is Lolcat?

Lolcat is a Ruby-based program that enables a rainbow coloring effect for your terminal output. It reads from standard input, or from a file, and outputs the text with a colorful, rainbow effect. It’s a great tool for sprucing up scripts, command outputs, or just adding a splash of color to your system administration tasks.

Installing Lolcat on Various Linux Distributions

Ubuntu (Using apt)

Ubuntu users can install Lolcat directly from the repository. First, ensure that your package list is up-to-date:

sudo apt update

Now, install Lolcat:

sudo apt install lolcat

Fedora (Using dnf)

For Fedora users, Lolcat is available through the default repository. First, update your DNF to make sure you're installing the latest version:

sudo dnf update

Install Lolcat:

sudo dnf install lolcat

openSUSE (Using zypper)

On openSUSE, Lolcat can be installed using the zypper package manager. Like with other distributions, start by refreshing your repositories:

sudo zypper refresh

Install Lolcat:

sudo zypper install lolcat

Basic Usage of Lolcat

The simplest way to use Lolcat is by piping output into it. For example:

echo "Hello, colorful world!" | lolcat

This command will display "Hello, colorful world!" in your terminal with rainbow colors.

More Fun with Lolcat

Lolcat really shines when combined with other commands. Here are some fun examples:

1. Colorful Calendar:

cal | lolcat

This command will display your terminal calendar in full color.

2. Colorized ls Output:

ls -l | lolcat

See your directory contents in a rainbow of colors.

3. Fetch System Information with Neofetch: If you’ve installed Neofetch, try piping it through Lolcat:

neofetch | lolcat

Conclusion

Lolcat is a fun and simple utility that can transform your Linux command line experience. It’s not just about aesthetics; by using varied colors, it can help differentiate between different outputs and make the terminal easier to read and less monotonous. Whether you’re a system administrator, a developer, or just a Linux enthusiast, Lolcat adds a splash of color and a touch of joy to your command line tasks.

So go ahead and give your terminal a rainbow makeover with Lolcat! Who says the command line has to be boring?