6 Fun Linux Commands That Make Your Terminal Come Alive

This article introduces several interesting Linux commands that add visual effects or fun output to the terminal.

1. pv command

The pv command can display text at a controlled rate, creating a subtitle‑like effect.

# yum install pv    [On RedHat based Systems]
# sudo apt-get install pv    [On Debian based Systems]

Run the following command to see the effect:

$ echo "Tecmint.com is a community of Linux Nerds and Geeks" | pv -qL 10

Result:

2. toilet command

The toilet command adds decorative borders to text output.

Install it via yum or apt‑get, then run:

$ while true; do echo "$(date | toilet -f term -F border –Tecmint)"; sleep 1; done

Result:

3. rig command

rig generates random personal or place names.

Install it via yum or apt‑get, then run: #rig Result:

4. aview command

aview displays an image as ASCII art in the terminal.

Install it via yum or apt‑get, then run: $ asciiview elephant.jpg -driver curses Result:

5. xeyes command

xeyes is a graphical program that shows a pair of eyes following the cursor.

Install it via yum or apt‑get, then run: $ xeyes Result:

6. cowsay command

cowsay prints a message inside an ASCII animal shape.

Install it via yum or apt‑get, then list available shapes: $ cowsay -l Run an example: $ cowsay -f elephant-in-snake Tecmint is Best Result: