pridecat

Print the contents of a file in pride colors to stdout

$ pridecat [path/to/file]

$ pridecat [path/to/file] [[--trans|--transgender]]

$ pridecat [path/to/file] --lesbian [[--bi|--bisexual]]

$ pridecat [path/to/file] [[-b|--background]]

$ ls | pridecat --[flag]

pridecat [OPTION]... [FILE]...

FILE
    One or more files to concatenate and display. If no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

-A, --show-all
    Equivalent to -vET. Displays non-printing characters (except LFD and TAB), line endings ($), and tabs (^I).

-b, --number-nonblank
    Number non-blank output lines, starting at 1.

-E, --show-ends
    Display a '$' at the end of each line.

-n, --number
    Number all output lines, starting at 1.

-s, --squeeze-blank
    Suppress repeated empty output lines, reducing multiple blank lines to a single blank line.

-T, --show-tabs
    Display TAB characters as '^I'.

-v, --show-nonprinting
    Use '^' and 'M-' notation for non-printing characters (except LFD and TAB).

--help
    Display a help message and exit.

--version
    Output version information and exit.

pridecat is a non-standard, community-driven utility that functions as a colorful variation of the traditional cat command. Its primary purpose is to read one or more files sequentially and display their contents to standard output, but with an added vibrant rainbow color effect. Often implemented as a shell script wrapping cat and a text colorizing tool like lolcat, pridecat brings a festive and celebratory visual flair to terminal output. While not a native system command, it is widely recognized and used within Linux communities for displaying text in an eye-catching, often pride-themed, manner. It is particularly popular for presenting code snippets, log files, or any text-based content in an engaging and visually distinct way. The command typically retains most of the file-handling capabilities of cat, making it a drop-in replacement for basic text viewing when a splash of color is desired.

pridecat is not a standard Linux command and does not come pre-installed with most distributions. Its availability depends on user-defined aliases, custom shell scripts, or third-party installations (e.g., lolcat, which is often used as the coloring engine).

The exact behavior and supported options may vary significantly depending on the specific implementation of the pridecat script. Some simple wrappers might only pass file arguments, while more robust versions might support all cat options or even options from the underlying coloring tool.

For very large files, the additional processing for coloring might introduce a slight overhead compared to a plain cat.

Since pridecat is often a custom script or alias, there isn't a single installation method. A common approach involves ensuring a suitable text colorizing tool, such as lolcat, is installed on your system. You can often install lolcat via your distribution's package manager (e.g.,

sudo apt-get install lolcat

sudo yum install lolcat

sudo gem install lolcat

#!/bin/bash
cat "$@" | lolcat

chmod +x /path/to/pridecat

pridecat myfile.txt

ls -l | pridecat

pridecat does not have a formal development history as a standalone project or official command. It emerged organically within the Linux and open-source communities as a creative and fun way to augment the ubiquitous cat command. Its rise in popularity is closely tied to the development and adoption of text colorizing tools like lolcat, which made adding vibrant, animated rainbow colors to terminal output simple and accessible. The concept gained traction as a lighthearted tribute to Pride Month and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, showcasing how command-line utilities can be customized for personal expression and community messaging beyond their utilitarian functions. Its evolution has been driven by individual users sharing simple shell scripts or aliases, rather than a centralized development effort.

cat(1), lolcat(1), grep(1), more(1), less(1)