10 Fun Linux Commands to Play with Your Terminal

1. rev command

The rev utility reverses the characters of each input line. After installing (it is usually pre‑installed), run the command and provide a string, e.g., echo shiyanlou | rev, which outputs ulanyihs.

$ rev

2. asciiview command

Displays images as ASCII art in the terminal. First install the required packages:

$ sudo apt-get install aview

$ sudo apt-get install imagemagick

Then run: $ asciiview shiyanlou.png -driver curses The resulting ASCII rendering is shown in the accompanying screenshot.

3. sl command

The sl program displays an animated steam locomotive moving across the screen, a playful alternative to mistyping ls. Install it with: $ sudo apt-get install sl Run the command:

$ sl

4. aafire command

aafire

creates a fire‑like animation using ASCII characters. Install the required library first: $ sudo apt-get install libaa-bin Then execute:

$ aafire

5. cmatrix command

cmatrix

produces the iconic “Matrix” falling‑character effect. Install it with: $ sudo apt-get install cmatrix Run the program: $ cmatrix Press Ctrl+C to stop.

6. factor command

The factor utility decomposes an integer into its prime factors, useful for quick math checks. Example:

$ factor 60

7. oneko command

oneko

displays a small cat that chases the mouse pointer; it sleeps when the cursor stops. Install it: $ sudo apt-get install oneko Run: $ oneko Terminate with Ctrl+C.

8. boxes command

boxes

draws ASCII art boxes around input text. Install it: $ sudo apt-get install boxes Example usage: $ echo "shiyanlou.com" | boxes Or with a specific style:

$ echo "shiyanlou.com" | boxes -d dog

9. xeyes command

xeyes

opens a small X‑window showing a pair of eyes that follow the mouse cursor. Install it: $ sudo apt-get install xeyes Run:

$ xeyes

10. pv command

pv

(Pipe Viewer) visualizes data flow through a pipeline, optionally throttling the rate. Install it: $ sudo apt-get install pv Example to display a message at 10 characters per second:

$ echo "welcome to shiyanlou.com, you can learn IT by doing" | pv -qL 10

These ten commands showcase playful and useful utilities that can be installed on any Debian‑based Linux distribution, providing both entertainment and quick‑look functionality directly in the terminal.