timetunnel(6)

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

✨ NAME ✨

timetunnel — Plasma tunnels fade in and out 💫

Okay so first things first: this is the timetunnel(6) page from the XScreenSaver manual, and it's about a screensaver that makes plasma tunnels fade in and out. That's it, that's the vibe. 🌀

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

timetunnel [--display host:display.screen] [--visual visual] [--window]
[--root] [--window-id number] [--start number] [--end number] [--dilate
number] [--no-logo] [--reverse] [--no-fog] [--no-texture] [--wireframe]
[--fps] [--tardis texture] [--head texture] [--marquee texture] [--tun1
texture] [--tun2 texture] [--tun3 texture]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

It draws an animation similar to the opening and closing effects on the Dr. Who television show. Like, the whole spinning-tunnel-and-a-weird-logo moment? That. On your screen. For free. No TARDIS required, no cap. 💙

💅 OPTIONS 💅

  • --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. Pick your fave ✨
  • --window — Draw on a newly-created window. This is the default, so it's giving main character energy by default.
  • --root — Draw on the root window. Going full desktop takeover 🫶
  • --window-id number — Draw on the specified window. You point, it draws.
  • --start number — Start time of loop, 0.0 - 30.00. Default 0.0. May be identical to end time. (Yes bestie, you can start and end at the same place. It's allowed.)
  • --end number — End time of loop, 0.0 - 30.00. Default 27.79. May be identical to start time. (Same deal, reversed. Iconic.)
  • --dilate number — Scale time to speed or slow simulation. Numbers less than one slow it down. So 0.5 is a chill little slow-mo moment 🐢
  • --no-logo — Show only tunnels, no logos, etc. Minimalist queen. 💀
  • --reverse — Play in reverse, including tunnels. Going backwards fr fr 🙈
  • --no-fog — Turn off fog. Bye atmospheric haze 🌫️
  • --no-texture — Turn off textures. Smooth mode, lowkey untextured.
  • --wireframe — Show as wire frame. Very "90s hacker movie", obsessed. 🔥
  • --fps | --no-fps — Whether to show a frames-per-second display at the bottom of the screen. Little number, big knowledge. 📊
  • --tardis texture — Specify an xpm file to override default tardis texture. 💙
  • --head texture — Specify an xpm file to override default Dr. Who head texture. 👑
  • --marquee texture — Specify an xpm file to override default show marquee texture. ✨
  • --tun1 texture — Specify an xpm file to override default tardis tunnel texture. 🌀
  • --tun2 texture — Specify an xpm file to override default middle tunnel texture. 🌀
  • --tun3 texture — Specify an xpm file to override default final tunnel texture. 🌀

🌈 ENVIRONMENT 🌈

  • DISPLAY — to get the default host and display number. The classic ✨
  • XENVIRONMENT — to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. Fancy override behavior, we love to see it 🎀
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — The window ID to use with --root.

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

X(1), xscreensaver(1)

Copyright © 2005 by Sean Brennan. 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.

Bestie this is the actual legal bit — don't paraphrase it, don't remix it, just respect it. 🫶

🌸 AUTHOR 🌸

Sean Brennan <zettix@yahoo.com>

And that's the whole thing! Manual entry timetunnel(6), from X Version 11, version 6.15, dated 30-Mar-2026. Go forth and tunnel, angel 💜🧚

📦 where this page comes from