pyro(6)

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

🎆 pyro(6) — the XScreenSaver manual, but make it cute 🎆

okay so bestie, you're reading pyro(6) from the XScreenSaver manual and I'm gonna walk you through it like we're texting at 2am 💖

✨ NAME ✨

pyro — it simulates fireworks. that's it. that's the whole vibe. 💥

🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

pyro [--display host:display.screen] [--foreground color] [--background
color] [--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--mono] [--install]
[--visual visual] [--count integer] [--frequency integer] [--scatter
integer] [--fps]

like, copy-paste it exactly, don't get creative with it, mwah 🫶

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so pyro simulates fireworks 🎇 — in a way similar to a Macintosh program of the same name. that's the lore. that's the tea. ✨

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

pyro accepts the following options, and yes we're doing all of them, no skipping:

  • --window — draws on a newly-created window. this is the default, so if you do nothing, congrats, you already chose this 💅
  • --root — draws on the root window instead.
  • --window-id number — draws on the window you specify. you pick the number, you get that window. iconic.
  • --mono — if you're on a color display, this pretends we're on a monochrome display. delusion, but make it intentional 🫶
  • --install — installs a private colormap for the window.
  • --visual visual — specifies which visual to use. legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual. yeah, decimal or hex, she contains multitudes.
  • --count integer — how many particles should be allowed on the screen at once. default 600. that's a lot of little sparkle girlies ✨
  • --frequency integer — how often new missiles should launch. default 30.
  • --scatter integer — how many particles should appear when a missile explodes. default 100. and ok important detail: the actual number used is between N and N+(N/2) 😭 so it's giving ✨range✨
  • --fps — displays the current frame rate and CPU load. numbers girlies rise 👑

🌸 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. say that three times fast, I dare you 💀
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — the window ID to use with --root.

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

X(1), xscreensaver(1) — go read those too, bestie, iykyk 📚

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.

fr fr, that's the legal bit — keep the notice in your copies, don't come for me 🙈

🧚 AUTHOR 🧚

Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>, 13-aug-92. a legend, honestly ⭐

okay that's the whole page, mwah 💜 — this was X Version 11, 6.15 (30-Mar-2026), and you just read pyro(6). slay, go set something on fire (in the simulation) 🔥🎆

📦 where this page comes from