xmatrix(6) XScreenSaver manual xmatrix(6)

NAME

xmatrix - simulates the computer displays from the movie

SYNOPSIS

xmatrix [--display host:display.screen] [--window] [--root]
[--window-id number][--install] [--visual visual] [--delay usecs]
[--density percentage] [--top | --bottom | --both] [--small |
--large] [--trace] [--mode mode] [--phone number] [--fps]

DESCRIPTION

The xmatrix program draws the 2D "digital rain" effect, as seen on
the computer monitors in the 1999 film, "The Matrix".

Also see glmatrix(6) for a 3D rendering of the similar effect that
appeared in the title sequence of the movie.

OPTIONS

xmatrix accepts the following options:

--window
Draw on a newly-created window. This is the default.

--root Draw on the root window.

--window-id number
Draw on the specified window.

--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.

--delay usecs
The delay between steps of the animation, in microseconds:
default 10000.

--density percentage
The approximate percentage of the screen that should be
filled with characters at any given time. Default 75%.

When running in a window, typing + will increase the density
and typing - will decrease it. Typing 0 will momentarily
drain the screen.

--top | --bottom | --both
If --top is specified, the characters will only drop in from
the top of the screen as sliding columns of characters. If
--bottom is specified, then instead of sliding columns, the
characters will appear as columns that grow downwards and are
erased from above. If --both is specified, then a mixture of
both styles will be used. The default is --both.

When running in a window, typing [ will switch to top-mode,
typing ] will switch to bottom-mode, and typing \ will switch
to both-mode.

--small | --large
These options specify the sizes of the characters. The
default is --large.

--mode trace
Start off with a representation of a phone number being
traced. When the number is finally found, display The Matrix
as usual. This is the default.

--phone number
The phone number to trace, if --trace is specified.

--mode crack
Start off by shutting down the power grid.

--mode binary
Instead of displaying Matrix glyphs, only display ones and
zeros.

--mode hexadecimal
Instead of displaying Matrix glyphs, display hexadecimal
digits.

--mode dna
Instead of displaying Matrix glyphs, display genetic code
(guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine.)

--mode ascii
Instead of displaying Matrix glyphs, display random ASCII
characters.

--mode pipe
Instead of displaying random characters, display the output
of a subprocess, as ASCII.

--program sh-command
The command to run to generate the text to display. This
option may be any string acceptable to /bin/sh. The program
will be run at the end of a pty or pipe, and any characters
that it prints to stdout will be placed in the feeders for
xmatrix. If the program exits, it will be launched again
after xmatrix has processed all the text it produced.

For example:


xmatrix -program 'echo Hello World'
xmatrix -ascii -program 'ps -eo comm | rev'
xmatrix -program 'od -txC -w6 /dev/random'
xmatrix -program 'cat /dev/random'

ENVIRONMENT

DISPLAY to get the default host and display number.

XENVIRONMENT
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

glmatrix(6), X(1), xscreensaver(1)

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 1999-2018 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.

AUTHOR

Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>, 25-Apr-99.

X Version 11 6.09 (07-Jun-2024) xmatrix(6)