helix(6x)

✨ helix(6x) — the XScreenSaver manual, but make it cute ✨

okay so bestie, quick vibe check: this is helix, part of the XScreenSaver manual. it draws helical string-art patterns and honestly it's giving main character energy from 1992. let's get into it 💅

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🌀 NAME

helix — draws helical string-art patterns. yes, literally little line-segment spirals. obsessed. 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS

helix [--display host:display.screen] [--foreground color] [--background
color] [--window] [--root] [--window-id number][--mono] [--erase-speed
usecs] [--erase-mode integer] [--delay seconds] [--install] [--visual
visual] [--fps]

copy that exactly, bestie, don't freestyle it 🙈

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💖 DESCRIPTION

The helix program draws interesting patterns composed of line segments in random colors. that's it, that's the whole personality. iconic. ✨

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🌸 OPTIONS

helix accepts the following options:

• --window — draw on a newly-created window. this is the default, so it's already happening unless you say otherwise 💅
• --root — draw on the root window instead.
• --window-id number — draw on the specified window. you pick the window, you get the window 🫶
• --mono — if you're on a color display, pretend we're on a monochrome display. delusion, but make it aesthetic.
• --delay seconds — sets the number of seconds that the helix will be on the screen. how long it stays serving looks 👑
• --subdelay microseconds — sets the amount of time to pause periodically while drawing. little micro-breaks, we respect it 🧚
• --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. so you can go by name or by number, your call 💜
• --fps — display the current frame rate and CPU load. proof it's actually working, no cap 🔥

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🌈 ENVIRONMENT

• DISPLAY — to get the default host and display number. this is the whole "where am I even showing up" situation.
• XENVIRONMENT — to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. the override file, she's in charge now.
• XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — the window ID to use with --root.

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🍓 SEE ALSO

X(1), xscreensaver(1)

go read those too, bestie, they're part of the lore 📚

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💀 COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1992 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: go off and use it, just keep the copyright notice and this permission notice in the supporting documentation. and like… no promises it's suitable for anything, it's "as is" with no express or implied warranty. them's the rules 🙏

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🫶 AUTHOR

Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>, 13-aug-92. Screen eraser improved by Johannes Keukelaar <johannes@nada.kth.se>, 18-sep-97.

shoutout to both of them, absolute legends 💜

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that's the whole page, bestie. this one's from X Version 11, version 6.09 (07-Jun-2024), and it lives under the name helix(6x). now go make some spirals, you got this ✨🎀💖