cubenetic(6x)

📦
version 6.17 · 10 versions
, in fedora 44

✨ cubenetic ✨ (that's section 6x of the XScreenSaver manual, bestie 💖)

okay so. sit down. hydrate. because i'm about to put you onto the most underrated little guy in your entire screensaver folder.

🌈 NAME 🌈

cubenetic — it's a cubist 3D undulating blob. yes literally that. a blob. made of cubes. undulating. cubist. the name is doing exactly what it says on the tin 💅

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

cubenetic [--display host:display.screen] [--visual visual] [--window]
[--root] [--window-id number] [--delay number] [--count number] [--no-
wander] [--no-spin] [--spin [XYZ]] [--wireframe] [--no-texture] [--wave-
speed number] [--wave-radius number] [--waves number] [--fps]

like. look at all those little flags. we're gonna go through every single one. no skipping. i don't skip. 🎀

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so what does it actually do? it draws a pulsating set of overlapping boxes, and across the surfaces of those boxes there are ever-changing blobby patterns just... undulating. that's the whole thing. that's the vibe. it's giving lava lamp but make it geometry. it's giving "my brain at 3am". it's iconic, it's timeless, it's been living on your computer rent-free since 2002 and it deserves your respect. 👑

✨ OPTIONS ✨

okay bestie, here's the full menu. every flag. every default. do not scroll past.

  • --visual visual — tells it which visual to use. legal values are either the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual. pick your fighter. 🌸
  • --window — draws on a newly-created window. this is the default, so if you do nothing, this is what you get. 💖
  • --root — draws on the root window. yes, the whole desktop. go big or go home.
  • --window-id number — draws on the specified window. you point at a window, it draws there. respectful. 🫶
  • --delay number — per-frame delay, in microseconds. default: 20000 (that's 0.02 seconds, for the people not doing math in their head).
  • --count number — how many boxes make up the object. default: 5. five little cubes. five little guys. a squad. 🔥
  • --wander | --no-wander — whether the object should wander around the screen. do we let it roam? or do we keep it contained? your call, main character.
  • --spin [XYZ] — around which axes should the object spin? you literally hand it letters. X, Y, Z. mix and match. it's a build-a-spin workshop.
  • --no-spin — don't spin. stillness. a moment of peace. 🧘
  • --wireframe — render in wireframe instead of solid. skeleton mode. see-through baddie energy. 💀
  • --texture | --no-texture — display solid colors. (yes, that's what the manpage says it does. we report, we don't editorialize.)
  • --wave-speed number — surface pattern speed. range is 5 - 150. default: 80. crank it up if you want the blob to be zooming.
  • --wave-radius number — surface pattern overlap. range is 5 - 600. default: 512. big number, big overlap, big vibes.
  • --wave-radius... wait no. next one:
  • --waves number — surface pattern complexity. range is 1 - 20. default: 3. more waves = more chaos = more art. 🌊
  • --fps — display the current frame rate, CPU load, and polygon count. nerd stats in the corner. iykyk. 📊
lowkey a warning-ish note: those ranges on --wave-speed, --wave-radius and --waves are given ranges. the manpage hands you 5 - 150, 5 - 600, and 1 - 20. stay in your lane and you'll be fine. 🚧

🌸 ENVIRONMENT 🌸

the environment variables. the behind-the-scenes girlies. they're doing work so you don't have to.

  • DISPLAY — used to get the default host and display number.
  • XENVIRONMENT — used 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 👑

go read these too, bestie, they're the extended universe:

Copyright © 2002 by Jamie Zawinski. 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.

(translation: it's free, go wild, just keep the receipt. and no promises that it works. it's giving "as is" and honestly? relatable. 😭)

🎀 AUTHOR 🎀

Jamie Zawinski. a legend. we stan. 🙌

aaand that's the whole page, no cap, every single flag and default faithfully preserved because i would never do you dirty like that.

this was cubenetic(6x) from the XScreenSaver manual, shipped as part of X Version 11, 6.17-1.fc44, dated 13-Oct-2026 — so go run it, stare at the cube blob, and think of me. bye bestie!! 🦋✨💖

📦 where this page comes from