cacafire

Display the ASCII fire

$ cacafire

cacafire [-C driver] [-d delay] [-s] [-h] [-v]

-C, --driver=DRIVER
    Select output driver (e.g., ncurses, gem)

-d, --delay=DELAY
    Frame delay in microseconds (default: 20000)

-s, --small
    Enable small mode with reduced font and area

-h, --help
    Display usage help

-v, --version
    Print version information

cacafire is a captivating demo program from the libcaca library, rendering a realistic, flickering fire effect using colored ASCII characters. It simulates flames through algorithmic patterns, creating a mesmerizing animation that fills the terminal screen.

Powered by libcaca's canvas API, it supports various terminal output drivers for optimal display. Users can adjust the animation speed via frame delays and opt for a compact view. Ideal for terminal enthusiasts, it's often used to impress during demos or idle time.

The fire evolves dynamically, with embers rising and colors shifting from orange to red, evoking a real bonfire. No input files needed; it generates the effect procedurally. Package managers like apt install caca-utils provide it on Debian-based systems.

Requires color-supporting terminal; high CPU on slow systems; install via caca-utils package.

Run full fire: cacafire
Fast small fire: cacafire -s -d 10000

Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install caca-utils
Fedora: sudo dnf install caca-utils

Part of libcaca project by Sam Hocevar (2002-2006); demo evolved in utils package for libcaca 0.99+.

cacademo(1), cacaserver(1), sl(6), cmatrix(1)