scooter(6)

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

💫 scooter(6) — the XScreenSaver manual, but make it a vibe ✨

okay so bestie, we're in the XScreenSaver manual and this one's called scooter, and it's literally the cutest little space journey you've ever seen 🚀💖

🌈 NAME 🌈

scooter — shows a journey through space tunnel and stars 🌀⭐ no cap, that's the whole plot and it ATE

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

scooter [--display host:display.screen] [--mono] [--delay millisecs]
[--cycles cycles] [--count count] [--size size] [--ncolors colors]
[--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--install | --noinstall]
[--visual visual] [--fps | --no-fps] [--pair]

like, yes, that's a lot of brackets, do not panic, we're gonna walk through every single one 🫶

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

scooter is a screensaver that shows an endless journey through a space tunnel and stars. 🌌 that's it. that's the whole aesthetic and honestly? iconic. main character energy fr fr 💅

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

scooter accepts the following options:

  • --window — Draw on a newly-created window. This is the default, so if you don't say anything it's already doing this 💖
  • --root — Draw on the root window. go big, go fullscreen-wallpaper mode 🖼️
  • --window-id number — Draw on the specified window. very "i know exactly which window i want" of you 👑
  • --install — Install a private colormap for the window. colormap but make it exclusive ✨
  • --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, decimal or hex, your choice bestie 🔢
  • --delay milliseconds — How much of a delay should be introduced between steps of the animation. Default 10, or about 1/100th second. tiny baby pause between frames ⏱️
  • --cycles cycles — How fast/slow the screensaver is. cycles takes number of cycles. The default is 5 cycles. lowkey the speed dial for the whole vibe 🔥
  • --count count — Specifies how many doors in a tunnel can be rendered. Minimum is 4. Default is 24. more doors = more tunnel, obviously 🚪🚪🚪
  • --size size — Specifies how many stars outside the tunnel can be rendered. Default is 100. that's a whole lotta stars ⭐⭐⭐
  • --ncolors colors — Specifies number of colors. A number that is less than or equals 2 means monochrome. --mono achieves the same thing. so yes, mono mode is a thing, slay 🖤🤍
  • --pair — Start screensaver in pairs (Not recommended). okay so the manpage literally says not recommended, so like… proceed with caution bestie 😭🙈
  • --fps — Display the current frame rate and CPU load. for the data girlies who need to see the numbers 📊

🌸 ENVIRONMENT 🌸

  • DISPLAY — to get the default host and display number. this is how it knows where to put the pretty tunnel 🖥️
  • XENVIRONMENT — to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. the override file, iykyk 📁
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — The window ID to use with --root. pairs with --root like 🫶

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

X(1), xscreensaver(1), xscreensaver-settings(1), xscreensaver-getimage(6)

go read those too, they're the friend group 🧚

Copyright © 2001 by Sven Thoennissen. 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.

yes that's the whole legal paragraph, don't skip it, it's giving ✨ law ✨ and it has to stay exactly like that 💀

🌟 AUTHOR 🌟

Sven Thoennissen <posse@gmx.net> — the legend who made the space tunnel happen 💫

and that's the page bestie!! 🎀 this was X Version 11, 6.15 (30-Mar-2026), so like… remember the date, it's part of the lore 🌈💖 goodbye and enjoy your tunnel 🌀🫶

📦 where this page comes from