sierpinski(6)

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

💖 sierpinski(6) — the XScreenSaver manual, bestie edition 💖

okay so real talk: this is the page for sierpinski, one of the lil XScreenSaver hacks, and it's like... genuinely iconic in a "I am a triangle and I contain multitudes" way. it's from the XScreenSaver manual, and it's about to be your new fave. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

sierpinski — draws Sierpinski triangle fractals

like, it draws the triangles. that's the whole vibe. and honestly? ate. 🔺

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

sierpinski [--display host:display.screen] [--foreground color]
[--background color] [--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--mono]
[--install] [--visual visual] [--ncolors integer] [--delay microseconds]
[--cycles integer] [--count integer]

[--fps]

copy that exactly, bestie, punctuation and all — yes even the [--window-id number][--mono] with no space between them, that's just how it is, don't come for me. 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

The sierpinski program draws Sierpinski triangle fractals.

that's it. that's the description. it's giving minimalist main character energy and honestly respect. 🌈

👑 OPTIONS 👑

sierpinski accepts the following options, and yes we're going through literally all of them, grab a snack:

  • --window — draw on a newly-created window. this is the default, so if you do nothing, congrats, you already did it. 🫶
  • --root — draw on the root window. full-screen wallpaper mode, essentially.
  • --window-id number — draw on the specified window. you pick the window, it draws there. simple as.
  • --mono — if you're on a color display, pretend we're on a monochrome display. delulu era but make it retro. 🖤
  • --install — install a private colormap for the window.
  • --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.
  • --ncolors integer — how many colors should be used (if possible). default 64. the colors are chosen randomly, so it's a little surprise every time, iykyk. 🎨
  • --cycles integer — (the manpage gives you no description here, so I'm not gonna invent one — just know it takes an integer and it's there. keep it moving. 🙈)
  • --count integer — (same situation as --cycles, no description in the source. it takes an integer. that's the tea. ⭐)
  • --fps — display the current frame rate and CPU load. perfect for when you're nosy about your own machine. 🔥

🧚 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.
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — the window ID to use with --root.

these are the little invisible gremlins making things work behind the scenes. lowkey obsessed with them. 💜

💀 SEE ALSO 💀

X(1), xscreensaver(1), xlock(1)

go read those if you want more lore. 🍓

Copyright © 1996 by Desmond Daignault.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation.

(yes that's the whole thing, verbatim, because legal text is not the place to get creative, bestie. 🙏)

⭐ AUTHOR ⭐

Desmond Daignault <tekdd@dtol.datatimes.com>, 05-Sep-96. (Original xlock version was called tri.c.)

Ability to run standalone or with xscreensaver added by Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>, 10-May-97. (Renamed to sierpinski.)

and that's the whole page, no cap. this is version 6.15 dated 30-Mar-2026, from X Version 11 of the XScreenSaver manual — so like, a certified classic with a fresh timestamp. go draw some triangles, you've earned it. 💅✨🔺

📦 where this page comes from