sproingies(6)

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

✨ sproingies(6) — like, the XScreenSaver manual, but make it cute ✨

okay so bestie, you know how sproingies shows up in your XScreenSaver rotation and you're like "what even IS that"? it's from the XScreenSaver manual, and it's literally Q-Bert meets Marble Madness. no cap. let's get into it 💅

🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

sproingies [--display host:display.screen] [--visual visual] [--window]
[--root] [--window-id number] [--count number] [--delay number] [--size
number] [--no-fall] [--wireframe] [--fps]

like, type it, run it, done. 🫶

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

Q-Bert meets Marble Madness!

(that's it. that's the whole description. iconic behavior honestly. it's giving less-is-more. 👑)

💖 OPTIONS 💖

  • --visual visual — pick which visual to use, bestie. legal values are either the name of a visual class, or the id number of a specific visual (decimal or hex, dealer's choice ✨).
  • --window — draw on a newly-created window. this is the default, so it's already what you're getting unless you say otherwise. main character energy 🌸
  • --root — draw on the root window instead. going full backdrop 💅
  • --window-id number — draw on the specific window you point at. you pick the window, it does the thing. 🎯
  • --count number — how many sproingies to draw at once. default: 5. (five little guys. five. 🥺)
  • --delay number — per-frame delay, in microseconds. default: 25000 (which is 0.03 seconds, for the record). so it's a lil speed knob ⏱️
  • --size number — how much to scale the image down. default 0 (which means full screen, bestie — zero scale-down, maximum real estate) 🖼️
  • --no-fall — makes the sproingies "smart", so they do not fall down the edge. like giving them survival instincts fr fr 🙈
  • --wireframe — render in wireframe instead of solid. skeleton mode. lowkey gorgeous 🦋
  • --fps — display the current frame rate, CPU load, and polygon count. nerd stats ON, we love to see it 🔥

🦋 ENVIRONMENT 🦋

  • DISPLAY — to get the default host and display number. classic X behavior, you know the vibe.
  • XENVIRONMENT — to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. fancy override hours 💜
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — the window ID to use with --root. yep, that's the one 🎀

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

X(1), xscreensaver(1)

(go read those too, i believe in you 🫶)

Copyright © 2002 by Ed Mackey. 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 real talk: it's free to use, copy, modify, distribute and sell — for any purpose, no fee — BUT the copyright notice has to show up in all copies, and both that notice and this permission notice have to appear in supporting documentation. and nobody's promising it's suitable for anything. it's "as is", no express or implied warranty. no cap, read that part twice 💀

🌸 AUTHOR 🌸

Ed Mackey. Some additional code by Sergio Gutiérrez "Sergut".

and that's the whole page, bestie 🧚 X Version 11 — 6.15 (30-Mar-2026) — go forth and sproing responsibly 💖✨🍓

📦 where this page comes from