xmatrix(6x) XScreenSaver manual xmatrix(6x)
NAME
xmatrix - simulates the computer displays from the movie
SYNOPSIS
xmatrix [-display host:display.screen] [-window] [-root] [-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 Wachowski brothers' film, "The Matrix".
Also see glmatrix(6x) for a 3D rendering of the similar effect that ap-
peared 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.
-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: de-
fault 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 ze-
ros.
-mode hexadecimal
Instead of displaying Matrix glyphs, display hexadecimal dig-
its.
-mode dna
Instead of displaying Matrix glyphs, display genetic code (gua-
nine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine.)
-mode ascii
Instead of displaying Matrix glyphs, display random ASCII char-
acters.
-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 op-
tion 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.
SEE ALSO
glmatrix(6x), X(1), xscreensaver(1)
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 1999-2018 by Jamie Zawinski. Permission to use, copy, mod-
ify, distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for any
purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copy-
right notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice
and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. No rep-
resentations 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 5.45 (08-Dec-2020) xmatrix(6x)
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