helix(6)

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

✨ helix(6) — XScreenSaver manual ✨

okay so bestie 💖 welcome to the XScreenSaver manual page for helix, and it's literally about drawing helical string-art patterns. group-chat energy: activated. let's get into it 🫶

🌀 NAME 🌀

helix — draw helical string-art patterns

📜 SYNOPSIS 📜

helix [--display host:display.screen] [--foreground color] [--background
color] [--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--mono] [--erase-speed
usecs] [--erase-mode integer] [--delay seconds] [--install] [--visual
visual] [--fps]

💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

The helix program draws interesting patterns composed of line segments in random colors. that's the whole vibe, and honestly? iconic. 🌈✨

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

helix accepts the following options — yes, all of them, no skipping, periodt:

  • --window — Draw on a newly-created window. This is the default. new window, fresh start, main character energy 💅
  • --root — Draw on the root window.
  • --window-id number — Draw on the specified window.
  • --mono — If on a color display, pretend we're on a monochrome display.
  • --delay seconds — This sets the number of seconds that the helix will be on the screen.
  • --subdelay microseconds — This sets the amount of time to pause periodically while drawing.
  • --install — Install a private colormap for the window.
  • --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.
  • --fps — Display the current frame rate and CPU load.

🌈 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 🦋

X(1), xscreensaver(1)

go read these too, bestie — they're giving helpful-lore 🫶

Copyright © 1992 by Jamie Zawinski. 💖

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.

💌 AUTHOR 💌

Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>, 13-aug-92. Screen eraser improved by Johannes Keukelaar <johannes@nada.kth.se>, 18-sep-97.

💅 xoxo, from the XScreenSaver manual — X Version 11, 6.15 (30-Mar-2026), helix(6) out. 🫶

📦 where this page comes from