TIL (and so should you) about: xeyes -biblicallyAccurate

https://dreifir.com/get?link=DXlH9M7alMancYge4sZZjEkjLjd5BtHY

As far as I know, Xeyes has "always" been part of GUI oriented Linux installs, and despite using it for mouse testing from time to time for over 25 years at this point, I never read the manpage. Well, my daughter, aged five, likes to play with xeyes and I decided to check the manpage if there was something I could do to change it up a little. Well, there is.

"WTF does this switch do?" *tests* "lol, of course that's what it does..."

Note: The switch is case sensitive. I have version 1.3.0 here, not sure when this option was added.

EDIT: Lemmy won't let me embed .mp4 inline, so I edited this post into a link. I also posted it here for those with cache issues.

54 points · 18 comments · view on lemmy.world

18 Comments

frongt@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 325d (5 replies)

https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/xeyes/-/merge_requests/6

Merged 2023. Not sure which version it released in. The release notes probably mention, but I'm on my phone and I don't care enough to hunt.

notarobot@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 325d (4 replies)

I can't access the site. I've never read the bible. Does the merge request explain why is it "accurate"?

frongt@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 325d

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/biblically-accurate-angels-be-not-afraid

It's just used as a silly demo for creating custom appearances.

schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 325d

It doesn't, but I'm curious too.

waspentalive@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 321d (1 reply)

It makes a hexagonal shape filled with eyes. Be not afraid.

notarobot@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 321d

That doesnt answer the question

Klordok@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 325d (1 reply)

I didn't know about xeyes. Neat. The switch isn't recognized on 1.1.2.

neidu3@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 325d

It's my go-to for whenever I need something on screen from the terminal, such as when I want to test X forwarding over SSH

Magister@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 325d (3 replies)

not in 1.2.0

Those little things, xeyes, xload, xclock, xbiff, I discovered them in 1990 in HP-UX and mwm, but we needed to edit some config file to remove the top banner, border, etc, it was fun

palordrolap@fedia.io · 4 pts · 325d (2 replies)

1.2.0 here too... apparently.

I've also known and used it occasionally since the 90's but have never felt the need to find out its version number until today.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to find that information for my installation. xeyes does not report its own version number like newer programs generally do, and it's not in the manual page or as a hidden string in the executable either as best as I can tell.

I eventually found it in /usr/share/docs/x11-apps/changelog.gz, which in retrospect seems obvious, but it wasn't at the time.

Magister@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 325d (1 reply)

man xeyes gave me the version number at the end of the page

palordrolap@fedia.io · 3 pts · 325d

Welp. If this keeps up I may have to talk to someone about selective blindness.

It must have been there the last time I looked, but part of me is convinced it can't have been.

I even made sure to check the headers and footers.

calliope@retrolemmy.com · 6 pts · 325d

Reminds me a little of my favorite ack (a grep replacement) switches. There’s a Bill the Cat one (—thpppt) one that shows Cathy (—cathy), and Admiral Ackbar (—bar)

hperrin@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 325d (3 replies)

No video? Please video. 🥺

neidu3@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 325d (2 replies)

Added one in the OP

hperrin@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 325d

Thank you for this! That is fantastic! 😂

kcuf@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 325d

First thing I looked for was your prompt, well done on redacting it

Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 324d

Now that you know xeyes, try xroach next.

xroach -roaches 100