xeyes

Launch xeyes on the local machine's default display

$ xeyes

$ xeyes -display [remote_host]:[0].[0]

xeyes [options ...]

-display display
    Specifies the X display to connect to.

-geometry geometry
    Sets the initial size and position of the eyes window, e.g., '100x50+10+10'.

-fg color
    Sets the foreground color (pupils and eyelids). Defaults to black.

-bg color
    Sets the background color (whites of the eyes). Defaults to white.

-bordercolor color
    Specifies the color of the window border.

-borderwidth pixels
    Sets the width of the window border in pixels.

-shape
    If specified, the eyes window will be shaped to the actual eye outline rather than being a rectangular window, providing a more integrated look.

-fork
    Detaches xeyes from the controlling terminal after it starts up, allowing the terminal to be used for other commands.

-name name
    Specifies the application name used for resource lookups.

-title title
    Sets the window title.

-iconic
    Starts the application as an icon.

-rv
    Reverses the foreground and background colors (reverse video).

-help
    Displays a summary of command line options.

-version
    Displays the program version information.

xeyes is a classic graphical utility for the X Window System that displays a pair of animated eyes. These eyes dynamically track the movement of your mouse cursor across the screen, providing a whimsical and interactive visual element to your desktop. It serves primarily as a fun, decorative application, often used to demonstrate the basic capabilities and responsiveness of an X server. Despite its simplicity, xeyes has become an iconic part of the X Window System's history, symbolizing the playful and experimental nature of early graphical environments. It's a lightweight application, consuming minimal system resources, and continues to be available in most modern Linux distributions as part of the X11 application suite.

• xeyes requires an active X Window System server to run, making it incompatible with text-only environments or Wayland by default (though it can run on Wayland via XWayland compatibility layer).
• It is primarily a decorative application and offers no practical utility beyond visual amusement.
• While lightweight, it's considered an older, legacy application by some and might not align with modern minimalist desktop philosophies.

Like many X applications, xeyes can be configured via X resources. These resources can be set in files like `.Xdefaults` or `.Xresources` in your home directory, or via the `xrdb` utility. This allows for persistent customization of its appearance (e.g., colors, geometry) without needing to specify command-line options every time.
Example: xeyes*foreground: red
xeyes*background: blue
xeyes*shape: true

xeyes is often used in educational or demonstration contexts to illustrate basic X client-server interaction, window management, and event handling (specifically mouse motion events) within the X Window System. Its simplicity makes it an excellent visual aid for explaining these fundamental concepts.

xeyes was developed by Jeremy H. N. Smith and first appeared in the X Window System distribution. It dates back to the early days of X11, showcasing its capabilities for simple graphical client applications. It has since been maintained as part of the `x11-apps` or `xorg-apps` package in various Unix-like operating systems, remaining a perennial example of a basic, fun X client. Its enduring presence underscores the longevity and robustness of the X Window System itself.

xlogo(1), xclock(1), xcalc(1), xhost(1), xset(1)