pipes.sh: Pipe animation for the terminal

Dive into the Tranquil World of Terminal Graphics with pipes.sh

If you’re a fan of the classic Unix/Linux terminal and always on the lookout for quirky and interesting ways to enhance its appearance, then you might find pipes.sh an intriguing addition to your toolkit. pipes.sh is a small, fun script that creates a mesmerizing maze of pipes, reminiscent of the classic screensavers found in older operating systems, directly in your terminal. It's a perfect blend of nostalgia and terminal-based aesthetic, adding a moving piece of art to a usually static screen.

What is pipes.sh?

pipes.sh is a simple bash script that generates an animated pipes screensaver in the terminal. Initially inspired by the screensaver modules from systems like Windows and older Unix systems, this script uses simple characters available in the terminal to draw pipes that grow in random directions and at random junctures, providing a visually soothing and mildly hypnotic experience.

How to Install pipes.sh on Various Linux Distributions

Installing pipes.sh is straightforward, and because it is a bash script, it doesn't require heavy dependencies. Below, I'll guide you through the installation process across different popular Linux package managers like apt, dnf, and zypper.

For Debian/Ubuntu (Using apt):

To install pipes.sh on Debian, Ubuntu, or any other Debian-based distribution, you can easily fetch the script from the package repositories. First, open your terminal and update your package index:

sudo apt update

Then, install pipes.sh by running:

sudo apt install pipes-sh

That's it! Now, the script should be installed on your system.

For Fedora (Using dnf):

If you are a Fedora user, pipes.sh can also be installed using the dnf package manager. First, ensure your packages are up-to-date:

sudo dnf check-update

Proceed to install pipes.sh:

sudo dnf install pipes-sh

After running the command, pipes.sh will be installed and ready to use.

For openSUSE (Using zypper):

For those on openSUSE or any distribution using zypper, the process remains simple. Open your terminal, and first refresh your repository index:

sudo zypper refresh

Now, install pipes.sh:

sudo zypper install pipes-sh

Running pipes.sh

Once you've installed pipes.sh, running it is as simple as typing the following in the terminal:

pipes.sh

You’ll then see the animated pipes start appearing. You can tweak its behavior and appearance with various options, like setting the maximum number of pipes, changing the colors, and the types of characters used for the pipes. For example:

pipes.sh -p 5 -c 4 -t 8

This command configures the animation to have five pipes (-p 5), with color scheme 4 (-c 4), and using character set 8 for drawing the pipes (-t 8).

Conclusion

Whether you're looking to spruce up your terminal for a demonstration, taking a break while watching something soothing, or simply giving your eyes a fun and relaxing visual while your scripts run in the background, pipes.sh offers a delightful and nostalgic screen enhancement. Feel free to explore its options and integrate a creative flair into your terminal sessions. Happy piping!