blocktube(6)

📦
version 6.15 · 2 versions
, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling, nixpkgs unstable

💅 blocktube(6)

okay so bestie, welcome to blocktube — it's an XScreenSaver hack and it is literally the main character of screensavers. consider this your sparknotes for the blocktube(6) manual page, except i kept every single detail because i would never do you dirty like that 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

blocktube — draws a swirling, falling tunnel of reflective slabs 🌈

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

blocktube [--display host:display.screen] [--visual visual] [--window]
[--root] [--window-id number] [--delay number] [--holdtime number]
[--changetime number] [--no-texture] [--no-fog] [--wireframe] [--fps]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Picture it: a swirling, falling tunnel made of reflective slabs. that's the whole vibe. they fade from hue to hue as they go — hue to hue, bestie — like a lava lamp went to art school 💫

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • --visual visual — tells it which visual to use. legal values are either the name of a visual class, or the id number of a specific visual (decimal or hex, both work, we're flexible 💅).
  • --window — draws on a brand-new window that it creates itself. this is the default, so if you do nothing, congrats, you already did this ✨
  • --root — draws on the root window instead. very "i live here now" energy.
  • --window-id number — draws on the specific window you point at. you pick the window, it does the art 🎨
  • --delay number — per-frame delay, measured in microseconds. default: 40000 (that's 0.04 seconds, ngl it's giving chill).
  • --holdtime number — how long it stays on the same color. default: 1000 frames. commitment issues? not here 💖
  • --changetime number — how long the fade to a new color takes. default: 200 frames. the glow-up is gradual, periodt.
  • --no-texture — draws solid blocks instead of reflective blocks. lowkey less shiny, highkey still cute.
  • --no-fog — stops making blocks in the distance be darker. no depth cue for you, bestie, everything's equally visible 🫶
  • --wireframe — only draws outlines. skeleton mode. iconic.
  • --fps — displays the current frame rate, CPU load, and polygon count. numbers!! for the stats girlies 📊

🌸 ENVIRONMENT 🌸

  • DISPLAY — used to get the default host and display number.
  • XENVIRONMENT — used to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. (iykyk)
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — the window ID to use with --root.

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

X(1), xscreensaver(1) — go read those too, they're the supporting cast 💜

Copyright © 2003 by Lars Damerow. Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. No representations are made about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

fr fr, "as is" — no warranty, no promises, no cap 💀

🧚 AUTHOR 🧚

Lars Damerow <lars@oddment.org> — the actual legend behind this whole thing 🙌

and that's the whole page, bestie!! this came to you from X Version 11, version 6.15 (30-Mar-2026) — screenshot it, memorise it, go make a swirling tunnel 💖✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from