rain

rain [OPTIONS]

While rain is not a standard command, its common implementations often follow a similar invocation pattern, allowing for customization through various options.

-s, --speed
    Controls the animation speed, typically in milliseconds per frame. A lower value means faster rain.

-c, --color
    Specifies the color of the raindrops, often using ANSI color codes or named colors like 'green', 'blue', etc.

-C, --char
    Sets the character used to represent individual raindrops, e.g., '|', ':', '.', etc.

--no-clear
    Prevents the screen from being cleared at startup, allowing rain to appear over existing terminal content.

-h, --help
    Displays a brief help message and usage information for the command.

The rain command typically provides a captivating visual effect, simulating falling rain directly within the terminal.
Unlike standard utility commands, rain is usually a non-standard script or a small program, often written in Bash or C, leveraging ANSI escape codes to manipulate cursor position and character output. Its primary purpose is aesthetic, offering a relaxing or entertaining backdrop to a command-line interface. It's a popular choice among users looking to personalize their terminal environment or simply for a bit of visual flair.
The effect usually involves vertical lines or characters that appear to fall from the top of the terminal to the bottom, continuously clearing and redrawing to create the illusion of movement.

The rain command is not a standard Linux utility and its availability depends on specific installations or custom scripts.
Performance can vary; intensive animations might consume CPU resources, especially on older systems or with very high speeds.
Compatibility with all terminal emulators and configurations (e.g., font settings) is not guaranteed, and visual artifacts might occur.
Ensure you know how to terminate the command (usually Ctrl+C), as it often runs in an infinite loop.

Since rain is often a script, you might need to make it executable (e.g., chmod +x rain.sh) and place it in your PATH (e.g., /usr/local/bin) to run it simply as rain.
To stop the animation, press Ctrl+C.

Many rain scripts are easily modifiable by editing the source code directly, allowing users to fine-tune colors, characters, and animation logic beyond command-line options.

The rain command does not have a formal standardized history like core Linux utilities. Instead, it represents a popular genre of terminal entertainment programs and scripts that emerged with the widespread use of Unix-like systems.
Typically, these implementations are hobby projects or examples demonstrating the power of ANSI escape sequences for terminal manipulation. They showcase how simple character output and cursor positioning can create complex visual effects.
Many variations exist across different programming languages and shell scripting environments, reflecting the creative freedom and community contributions prevalent in the open-source world.

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