15 Fun Linux Commands to Wow Your Terminal (Install & Play)

1. sl command

Shows an animated train moving across the screen. Install with sudo apt-get install sl and run with sl. Options:

-a  An accident seems to happen. You'll feel pity for people who cry for help.
-l  shows little one.
-F  It flies.
-e  Allow interrupt by Ctrl+C.

2. fortune command

Prints a random quote, joke or proverb. Install with sudo apt-get install fortune and run with fortune.

3. cowsay command

Prints an ASCII animal (default cow) saying a message. Install with sudo apt-get install cowsay and run with cowsay "I am not a cow, hahaha". Use cowsay -l to list animals and cowsay -f tux "Message" to choose one. Combine with fortune | cowsay for random sayings.

4. cmatrix command

Displays a Matrix‑style falling‑code animation. Install with sudo apt-get install cmatrix and run with cmatrix.

5. figlet / toilet commands

Generate large ASCII art text. Install with

sudo apt-get install figlet
sudo apt-get install toilet

. Example usage:

figlet "fuck you !"
toilet "i love you"

. toilet -f mono12 -F gay a girl adds color.

6. oneko command

Shows a cat chasing the mouse pointer; it sleeps when idle. Install with sudo apt-get install oneko and run with oneko. Stop with Ctrl+C.

7. xeyes command

Displays a pair of eyes that follow the mouse pointer. Install and run the same way as oneko.

8. yes command

Outputs a string repeatedly until interrupted. Example: yes 我很NB.

9. cal 9 1752 command

Prints a quirky calendar for September 1752.

10. shred command

Securely overwrites files to make them unrecoverable. Useful for destroying sensitive data.

11. factor command

Factorizes an integer into its prime components; suitable for simple math experiments.

12. aptitude moo variations

Various aptitude moo invocations that display Easter eggs.

13. blessed‑contrib dashboard

Installs Node.js and the blessed‑contrib library to run a fancy terminal dashboard.

sudo apt-get install npm
sudo apt install nodejs-legacy
git clone https://github.com/yaronn/blessed-contrib.git
cd blessed-contrib
npm install
node ./examples/dashboard.js

14. hollywood dashboard

Installs and runs a visually impressive terminal demo.

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:hollywood/ppa
sudo apt-get install hollywood
sudo apt-get install byobu
hollywood

15. aafire command

Displays a burning string effect. Install with sudo apt-get install libaa-bin and run aafire.

16. boxes command

Creates ASCII art frames. Install with sudo apt-get install boxes and use echo "Tongji University" | boxes. Combine with fortune | boxes -d cat | lolcat for colorful output.

17. aafire (string fire) again

Same as command 15; shows how to install and run.

18. Image‑to‑ASCII conversion

Install sudo apt-get install aview imagemagick, download an image, then run asciiview Linus.png to view it as ASCII art.

19. sudo rm -rf /*

Dangerous command that recursively deletes all files from the root directory. Explanation of each part is provided; a strong warning advises never to run it on production systems.