xcowsay
Display a message with an animated cow
TLDR
Display a cow saying "hello, world"
Display a cow with output from another command
Display a cow at the specified X and Y coordinates
Display a different sized cow
Display a thought bubble instead of a speech bubble
Display a different image instead of the default cow
SYNOPSIS
xcowsay [options] [message]
PARAMETERS
-c cowfile
Specifies the cowfile to use. Cowfiles are usually located in /usr/share/xcowsay.
-d
Disable word wrapping.
-f font
Specifies the font to use for the message.
-h
Display help message.
-l
List available cowfiles.
-n
Don't display the cow, only the bubble.
-t time
Specifies the time (in seconds) the window should be displayed. Defaults to 3 seconds.
-w width
Specifies the maximum width of the bubble in characters. Defaults to 80.
-x xpos
Specifies the X position of the window. Defaults to centered.
-y ypos
Specifies the Y position of the window. Defaults to centered.
-V
Display version information.
message
The message to display in the speech bubble. If no message is provided, xcowsay reads from standard input.
DESCRIPTION
xcowsay is a graphical version of the classic `cowsay` command. Instead of printing the speech bubble and cow in the terminal, xcowsay displays them in a separate X window. This window, featuring a cow image and the message, appears on the user's desktop. It supports various options to customize the appearance of the cow and the bubble, allowing users to control the cow's image, color, and the style of the speech bubble.
xcowsay is especially useful in scripts or environments where a visual notification or message is desired, providing a more engaging alternative to terminal-based output. It can be configured to use custom cow images, making it a fun and personalized tool for displaying messages, alerts, or even program output. The program offers a graphical interface which increases usability.
CAVEATS
xcowsay requires an X server to be running in order to display the window. It might not function correctly in environments without a graphical display. The appearance of the cow and bubble might vary depending on the font and window manager used.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
xcowsay respects the DISPLAY environment variable to determine which X server to connect to. If DISPLAY is not set, xcowsay will attempt to connect to the default X server.
COWFILE FORMAT
Cowfiles are text files that define the appearance of the cow. They contain ASCII art representing the cow image, and can also include variables for custom cow features. Users can create or modify cowfiles to personalize the appearance of xcowsay.
HISTORY
xcowsay was developed as a graphical alternative to the classic `cowsay` command. It provides a way to display messages with a cow image in a separate window on the desktop, offering a visual notification method that is more noticeable than terminal output. The command gained popularity due to its fun and customizable nature, making it a favorite for displaying system messages or personal notifications.
SEE ALSO
cowsay(1), cowthink(1)