cacaclock

Display the time

$ cacaclock

$ cacaclock [[-f|--font]] [font]

$ cacaclock [[-d|--dateformat]] [strftime_arguments]

cacaclock [-h | --help] [-V | --version] [-C color | --color=color] [-f fontfile | --font=fontfile] [-s scale | --scale=scale]

-h, --help
    Display help message and exit

-V, --version
    Print version information and exit

-C color, --color=color
    Set foreground color (e.g., white, red, green; default: white)

-f fontfile, --font=fontfile
    Load custom bitmap font file

-s scale, --scale=scale
    Set scaling factor (default: 1, e.g., 2 for double size)

cacaclock is a whimsical utility from the libcaca library's demonstration tools, rendering a live, analog-style clock using vibrant colored ASCII art directly in your terminal emulator. It continuously refreshes to display the current time with hour, minute, and second hands crafted from characters, providing a retro yet eye-catching visual treat.

Powered by libcaca, a graphics library that converts images to ASCII, cacaclock excels in terminals supporting 256 colors or true color. Customize it with foreground colors like red, green, or yellow, scale the clock for larger displays, or load custom bitmap fonts for personalized flair. Ideal for desktop backgrounds, login screens, or just fun terminal eye candy, it runs silently until stopped with Ctrl+C.

Though simple, it showcases libcaca's prowess in character-based graphics, making any shell session more engaging. Best experienced in wide terminals to avoid distortion.

Requires libcaca library; may distort in narrow terminals or non-color-supporting ones. High CPU on small refresh intervals in some setups.
Not in all distros by default.

Install via apt install libcaca-utils (Debian/Ubuntu) or dnf install libcaca (Fedora). Source: libcaca.org.

cacaclock -C cyan -s 1.5
Displays a larger cyan-colored clock.

Developed by Sam Hocevar as part of libcaca demos around 2006 (libcaca 0.99.beta17). Maintained in libcaca-utils package for fun terminal graphics showcases.

aaclock(1), figlet(1), toilet(1), cowsay(1), cacaview(1)