kaleidescope(6)

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

💫 kaleidescope — rotating line segments ✨

Hey bestie, welcome to kaleidescope(6) from the XScreenSaver manual — it's a screensaver module that draws rotating line segments in a symmetric pattern that evolves over time, and honestly it's giving main character energy. 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

kaleidescope [--display host:display.screen] [--foreground color]
[--background color] [--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--install]
[--visual visual] [--color_mode mono | nice | greedy] [-nsegments int]
[--ntrails int] [--local_rotation int] [--global_rotation int] [--delay
usecs] [--redmin int] [--greenmin int] [--bluemin int] [--redrange int]
[--greenrange int] [--bluerange int] [--fps]

No cap, that's the whole vibe check up top. 👑

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Okay so the kaleidescope program draws line segments in a symmetric pattern that evolves over time. That's it, that's the whole thing — but the way it slays is the symmetry. 🌈 Periodt.

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

kaleidescope accepts the following options, bestie — I'm listing every single one, no skips:

  • --root — Draw on the root window. Classic move. 🖥️
  • --window-id number — Draw on the specified window. Like, that exact one. You pick. 💅
  • --color_mode mono | nice | greedy — Specify how kaleidescope uses colors. There are three whole flavors:
    • mono uses just the default foreground and background colors. Minimalist queen. 🤍
    • nice uses one color for each segment (specified by nsegments). Thoughtful. 💖
    • greedy uses (ntrails * nsegments) + 1 colors. Greedy is literally in the name, she's not hiding it. 😭🔥
  • --install — Install a private colormap for the window. Fancy private colormap, iykyk. 🎀
  • --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, name or number, both valid, she's flexible. ✨
  • --nsegments integer — The number of segments to draw. Default is 7. A lucky number, lowkey iconic. 🍀
  • --ntrails integer — The number of trails to draw. Default is 100. Yes, one hundred. She's committed. 💀
  • --local_rotation integer — The rate at which segments rotate around their center. Default is -59. (Negative! She spins the other way. Respect.) 🌀
  • --global_rotation integer — The rate at which segments rotate around the center of the window. Default is 1. Slow and steady, main character energy. ⭐
  • --redmin, --greenmin, --bluemin, --redrange, --greenrange, --bluerange — All take an integer argument. When colors are randomly chosen, they are chosen from the interval min to min plus range. The minimums default to 30000. The ranges default to 20000. That's the whole color recipe, bestie — min to min plus range, write it down. 🌈
  • --delay microseconds — How much of a delay should be introduced between steps of the animation. Default is 20000, or about 5 frames a second. Chill pace, she's not rushing. 🧚
  • --fps — Display the current frame rate and CPU load. The nerdy little overlay. Obsessed. 📊

🦋 ENVIRONMENT 🦋

  • DISPLAY — to get the default host and display number. Where am I, who am I, all that. 🫶
  • XENVIRONMENT — to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. The override file, the plot twist. 🙈
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — The window ID to use with --root. 💜

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

X(1), kaleidescope(6)

(Yes, she references herself. Confident. 👑)

Copyright © 1997 by Ron Tapia. 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, that's the legal bit verbatim — it's provided "as is," no warranties, no promises, no cap. 🫡

🌟 AUTHOR 🌟

Ron Tapia <tapia@nmia.com>, 20-Mar-97.

Okay that's the whole page, bestie — you're officially a kaleidescope expert now. 💅✨

Source: X Version 11 · 6.15 (30-Mar-2026) — mwah, go forth and rotate those line segments symmetrically, ily! 🎀🦋💖

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