drift(6)

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

💫 drift(6) — or, the cosmic flame girlies of the XScreenSaver manual 💫

okay so listen bestie, this is a page from the XScreenSaver manual, and it's about drift, which literally draws drifting recursive fractal cosmic flames. yeah. that's the whole vibe. iykyk. 🔥✨

🎀 NAME 🎀

drift — draws drifting recursive fractal cosmic flames

like, it makes flames. that drift. recursively. fractally. cosmically. all of the above, no cap 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

drift [--display host:display.screen] [--foreground color] [--background
color] [--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--mono] [--install]
[--visual visual] [--ncolors integer] [--delay microseconds] [--count
integer] [--grow] [--no-grow] [--liss] [--no-liss]

[--fps]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

The drift program draws drifting recursive fractal cosmic flames.

and that's it. that's the description. it said what it said and it ate 💅

✨ OPTIONS ✨

drift accepts the following options, bestie — here's the full rundown, do not skip a single one:

  • --window — draw on a newly-created window. this one's the default, so it's giving main character energy by default fr fr.
  • --root — draw on the root window instead. going straight to the source, iconic.
  • --window-id number — draw on the specified window. you pick the window, it does the thing. 🫶
  • --mono — if you're on a color display, just pretend we're on a monochrome display. delusion as a feature, honestly obsessed.
  • --install — install a private colormap for the window. fancy.
  • --visual visual — specify which visual to use. legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual. so like, a name or a number, both slay.
  • --ncolors integer — how many colors should be used (if possible). default is 200. the colors cycle through the hue, making N stops around the color wheel. rainbow behavior 🌈
  • --count integer — (the manual literally gives zero explanation for this one, so i'm not about to invent one 🙈 the page just lists it and moves on. take it up with the source.)
  • --grow — (also no standalone explanation on the page — but see the next one, they're a pair 💜)
  • --no-grow — whether fractals should grow; otherwise, they are animated. pick your fighter: growing vs. animated.
  • --liss — (no standalone blurb here either, it's part of the pair below 😭)
  • --no-liss — whether we should use lissajous figures to get points. lissajous figures!! say it with me!!
  • --fps — display the current frame rate and CPU load. number-watching girlies rise 👑
lowkey important: the page really does leave --count integer, --grow, and --liss without their own descriptions — don't let anyone tell you otherwise, i'm not making stuff up 💀

🧚 ENVIRONMENT 🧚

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

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

go read these too bestie, they're the friend group:

Copyright © 1991, 1995 by Scott Draves.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation.

(translation: go off, just keep the copyright notice in there, periodt 🫶)

🌟 AUTHOR 🌟

Scott Draves <spot@cs.cmu.edu>, 06-Jun-91, 01-Jun-95.

Ability to run standalone or with xscreensaver added by Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>, 10-May-97.

that's the whole page, no notes, you're welcome 💅✨

signing off cutely: this masterpiece is X Version 11, 6.15, dated 30-Mar-2026 — the drift(6) page, from the XScreenSaver manual. drink water, run your screensaver, bye bestie 🎀🦋💜

📦 where this page comes from