Making Your Mac Terminal More Engaging
The Mac Terminal is not just a tool for serious tasks; it can also be a source of entertainment and creativity. Here are some fun commands to beat boredom and make your Terminal experience more engaging.
1. Make it Snow
To create a snowy effect in your Terminal, use the following Ruby script. This command will make snowflakes fall in your Terminal window, adding a touch of winter magic to your screen.
ruby -e 'C=`stty size`.scan(/\d+/).to_i;S=["2743".to_i(16)].pack("U*");a={};puts "\033[2J";loop{a[rand(C)]=0;a.each{|x,o|;a[x]+=1;print "\033[#{o};#{x}H \033[#{a[x]};#{x}H#{S} \033[0;0H"};$stdout.flush;sleep 0.1}'
To stop the snow, press Control + Z.
2. Loop Your Favorite Emojis
Brighten up your day by looping your favorite emojis in the Terminal. Replace the emojis in the script with your preferred ones.
ruby -e 'C=`stty size`.scan(/\d+/).to_i;S=["2743".to_i(16)].pack("U*");a={};loop{a[rand(C)]=0;a.each{|x,o|;a[x]+=1;print "\ ❤️ 🍕 🐶 "};$stdout.flush;sleep 0.1}'
To stop the loop, press Control + Z. You can also increase the size of the emojis by pressing Command + Plus sign (+) while the loop runs.
3. Watch ASCII Star Wars
For Star Wars fans, this command is a treat. It displays the entire Star Wars movie in ASCII format.
For macOS Sierra and later:
nc towel.blinkenlights.nl 23
For earlier macOS versions:
telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
This will start the ASCII Star Wars animation in your Terminal.
4. Create a Banner
Make a banner with your favorite text using the banner command. This is useful for creating eye-catching messages or titles.
banner -w [width] [your message]
Example:
banner -w 20 I love iDB
Replace [width] with the desired width of the banner and [your message] with your text.
5. See Famous Birthdays
If you're curious about famous birthdays, you can use a command to display them. However, this specific command is not detailed here, but you can explore other fun commands that provide similar information.
6. Make Your Mac Talk
Use the say command to make your Mac speak any text you provide. This can be a fun way to prank friends or create an audiobook.
say 'Hello, world!'
You can also customize the voice by going to System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content.
7. Watch an ASCII Train
Install the sl tool using Homebrew to watch an ASCII train chug across your Terminal screen.
brew install sl
sl
This command will display an animated ASCII train.
8. Generate a Talking Cow
Use the cowsay command to create a talking ASCII cow. This can add a bit of humor to your Terminal experience.
brew install cowsay
cowsay 'Hello, world!'
This will display a cow saying your provided text.
9. ASCII Rain (The Matrix Effect)
Install the cmatrix tool to emulate the digital rain from The Matrix.
brew install cmatrix
cmatrix
This command will create a cool, matrix-like effect in your Terminal.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Command Not Found Errors
If you encounter a "command not found" error, it might be because the required package is not installed. For example, if you're trying to use cowsay or cmatrix, ensure you have installed them using Homebrew:
brew install cowsay
brew install cmatrix
Homebrew Installation
If Homebrew is not installed, you can install it by running:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Follow the prompts to complete the installation.
Clearing Command History
If you want to clear your Terminal command history for privacy reasons or to hide commands from other users, use the following command:
history -c
This will clear your command line history. To verify, run the history command again, which should show no previous commands.
By using these fun and creative commands, you can make your Mac Terminal experience more enjoyable and engaging. Whether you're looking to add some humor or create visually appealing effects, these commands are sure to bring a smile to your face.