strange(6)

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

💫 strange(6) — the XScreenSaver manual, bestie edition ✨

okay so real talk: this is a page from the XScreenSaver manual, and it's about a program literally called strange. and yes bestie it draws strange attractors. that's the whole vibe. 🌀

🌸 NAME 🌸

strange — draws strange attractors. that's it. that's the program. iconic behaviour, no notes. 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

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

[--fps]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so the strange program draws strange attractors. literally that's the description. she's mysterious, she's chaotic, she's mathematically gorgeous. no cap. 🔥

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

strange accepts the following options — buckle up bestie, there's a bunch:

  • --window — draw on a newly-created window. this is the default btw, so if you do nothing, this is what you get. 👑
  • --root — draw on the root window instead. main character energy, covering your whole desktop.
  • --window-id number — draw on the specified window. you pick the window, she draws on the window. simple as that.
  • --mono — if you're on a color display, just pretend we're on a monochrome display. delusion but make it aesthetic. 💀
  • --install — install a private colormap for the window. fancy!
  • --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. iykyk.
  • --ncolors integer — how many colors should be used (if possible). default 100. and the colors are chosen randomly, so every run is a lil surprise 🎁
  • --points integer — changes the number of points/iterations each frame. default 5500. and heads up: more than 6000 activates the accumulator, which makes parts of the image brighter or darker depending on how often the attractor hits each pixel. that's the glow-up mechanic ✨
  • --point-size integer — changes the size of individual points. default 1.
  • --zoom float — zooms in or out. default 0.9.
  • --brightness float — adjusts the brightness for accumulator mode. default 1.0.
  • --motion-blur float — adds motion blur. default 3.0, and no motion blur is 1.0. so if you want it crisp, set it to 1.0, bestie.
  • --fps — display the current frame rate and CPU load. numbers! on your screen! we love data 🍓

🌈 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.

🔍 SEE ALSO 🔍

X(1), xscreensaver(1), xlock(1) — go read those too, they're the extended universe 🫶

Copyright © 1997 by Massimino Pascal.

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.

💖 AUTHOR 💖

Massimino Pascal <Pascal.Massimon@ens.fr>, 1997.

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

okay that's the whole page bestie, you're officially a strange expert now 🧚💜

this page is from X Version 11, version 6.15 (30-Mar-2026) — mwah, bye! 💅🎀
📦 where this page comes from