polyominoes(6)

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

💅 polyominoes(6) — the XScreenSaver manual, but make it group chat

okay so bestie, this is polyominoes, a screensaver module from the XScreenSaver manual. It's literally the puzzle game where you keep trying to fill a rectangle with weirdly shaped blocks. Yes, that one. Sit down, we're going through the whole thing together 🧩✨

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

polyominoes [--display host:display.screen] [--visual visual] [--window]
[--root] [--window-id number] [--identical] [--cycles number] [--delay
number] [--ncolors number] [--fps]

that's it, that's the vibe. all those flags in one little line 🫶

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so what it does — and I need you to hear me out — it repeatedly attempts to completely fill a rectangle with irregularly-shaped puzzle pieces. Repeatedly! Attempts! It's giving "trying my best and sometimes failing" energy and honestly? relatable 😭💀

like, it's not just drawing a puzzle, it's out here trying to solve it, over and over. lowkey iconic.

✨ OPTIONS ✨

every single one, bestie, I'm not skipping a thing:

  • --visual visual — picks which visual to use. legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual. pick your fighter 💅
  • --window — draws on a newly-created window. this is the default, so if you do nothing, you get this ✨
  • --root — draws on the root window. main character energy, but make it your desktop background 💜
  • --window-id number — draws on the specified window. you point, it draws 🫶
  • --identical | --no-identical — whether to use identical pieces or not. do you want the puzzle pieces to match or be chaotic little individuals? your call 🦋
  • --cycles number — duration. range is 500 - 5000. default: 2000. ⭐
  • --delay number — per-frame delay, in microseconds. default: 10000 (that's 0.01 seconds., yes the original has a period after "seconds", we respect the lore) 🙈
  • --ncolors number — number of colors. default: 64. so many vibes 🌈
  • --fps — displays the current frame rate and CPU load. numbers! on your screen! slay 📊🔥

🦋 ENVIRONMENT 🦋

the environment variables it cares about, no cap:

  • 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, iykyk:

Copyright © 2002 by Stephen Montgomery-Smith. 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.

okay so important bit: it's "as is", no warranty, no promises, no take-backs. it's the real legal text up there, so read it properly and don't come for me 💀

🎀 AUTHOR 🎀

Stephen Montgomery-Smith.

so that's the whole page, every flag and every line accounted for, nothing skipped, we ate and left no crumbs 🍓🧚

X Version 11 · 6.15 (30-Mar-2026) — mwah, that's the version and the date, see you at the group chat bestie 💖🌸🦋

📦 where this page comes from