#Fun commands

Okay, we have a terminal and a Linux server. What are we going to do now?

So what can you do with a Unix terminal as a tool? Let’s start with a few, maybe not always as useful tools but a little fun. Who knows, maybe there is a usecase for commands like cowsay?

If you are not sure how to use the command, use the man page. There is always a man page for a Unix command.

man cowsay

If you do not understand the man-page then there is a man-page to the man-pages.

man man

Much like the strip says (read the RTFM-strip on xckcd)…

If you wonder what RTFM means? Read more about Unix-slang in The Jargon File.

Now to the “fun” and “useful” commands.

#Cowsay

# Debian
apt-get install cowsay

# Mac
brew install cowsay

Draws a cow – or other nice animals – together with a message.

#Fortune

# Debian
apt-get install fortune

# Mac
brew install fortune

Display a quote from a known or unknown person.

#Figlet

# Debian
apt-get install figlet

# Mac
brew install figlet

Draw an ASCII banner.

#CMatrix

# Debian
apt-get install cmatrix

# Mac
brew install cmatrix

Feel like Neo and try to look into The Matrix.

#Convert an image to ASCII with jp2a

# Debian
apt-get install jp2a

# Mac
brew install jp2a

Download an image from the web and convert it to ASCII-art.

#More suggestions?

Add your own suggestion to the forum in the thread for fun terminal commands.

#Revision history