rorschach(6)

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

🦋 rorschach — the inkblot one (from the XScreenSaver manual, bestie)

Ok so picture this: a lil program that just... makes random ink-blot patterns, like the psych test but make it screensaver. That's her. That's the whole gig.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

rorschach [--display host:display.screen] [--foreground color]
[--background color] [--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--mono]
[--install] [--visual visual] [--iterations integer] [--offset integer]
[--xsymmetry] [--ysymmetry] [--erase-speed usecs] [--delay secs] [--fps]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

rorschach draws random patterns that are, and I cannot stress this enough, reminiscent of the psychological test of the same name. You know the one — the ink blots where someone asks "what do you see" and you say "a butterfly" and they write something down about your entire soul. Yeah. That. But as pixels. Slay.

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

rorschach accepts the following options, and yes we are going through every single one, no skipping:

  • --window — draws on a brand-new window it just made. This is the default, so she's doing this out of the box, no notes.
  • --root — draws straight on the root window instead. Main character behaviour, honestly.
  • --window-id number — draws on the specific window you point at. You pick, she draws.
  • --mono — if you're on a colour display, this makes her pretend we're on a monochrome one. Delusion, but make it aesthetic.
  • --install — installs a private colormap for the window. Very exclusive, very VIP.
  • --visual visual — tells her 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.
  • --iterations integer — how many dots get drawn each time. Default 4000. That's a lot of lil dots, bestie.
  • --offset integer — how far apart those dots are. Default 4 pixels. Respect the personal space.
  • --xsymmetry — whether the images are horizontally symmetrical. Default true. Mirror mirror on the wall etc.
  • --ysymmetry — whether the images are vertically symmetrical. Default false. She's choosing asymmetry, it's a vibe.
  • --erase-speed usecs — controls the speed at which the screen gets erased (it's the delay between erasing of individual lines). Slow reveal, if you will.
  • --delay seconds — sets the number of seconds the figure stays on screen. A little moment of contemplation before it's gone. 🥲
  • --fps — displays the current frame rate and CPU load. Numbers! On your screen! She's transparent like that.

🧚 ENVIRONMENT 🧚

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

💀 BUGS 💀

May call your sanity into question. That's it. That's the bug. No cap, that's literally what it says.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

X(1), xscreensaver(1) — go read those too, 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.

💅 AUTHOR 💅

Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>, 13-aug-92. Legend behaviour, honestly.

And that's the whole page, bestie — brought to you by X Version 11, 6.15 (dated 30-Mar-2026). Now go stare at some inkblots and tell me what you see. 🫶💖

📦 where this page comes from