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attogram/bash-screensavers

A collection of terminal screensavers written entirely in Bash, using echo, sleep and tput for animated ASCII art.

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3 months ago

What is it?

Bash Screensavers is a set of animated screensavers that run directly in a terminal. Each one is a plain Bash script, so there are no graphics libraries or external runtimes to install. Effects include matrix-style falling characters, pipes, rain, starfields, fireworks, cellular automata and a digital tunnel.

Running ./screensaver.sh opens a numbered menu, and you can start a specific effect by name or number, or pick one at random with -r. Each screensaver can also be launched directly from its own folder under gallery/. The project targets Bash 3.2 and above.

The repository is organized into a gallery of finished screensavers, a Not Ready For Primetime area for experimental ones, and supporting tools for previews and testing.

Key features

  • 01Runs in any terminal with Bash 3.2 or newer, using only echo, sleep and tput.
  • 02Offers a numbered menu, plus options to launch by name, number or at random.
  • 03Includes about a dozen effects such as matrix, pipes, rain, fireworks and starfield.
  • 04Each screensaver can be run directly from its own script.

Use cases

  • Adding animated visuals to an idle terminal session.
  • Learning terminal drawing techniques with tput in plain Bash.
  • Demonstrating what can be built with shell scripting alone.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/attogram/bash-screensavers.git
  2. 2

    Enter the project directory

    cd bash-screensavers
  3. 3

    Start the screensaver menu

    ./screensaver.sh

Things to know

  • Requires a Bash shell and a terminal, so it is not a graphical screensaver.

Topics

#bash#terminal#screensaver#ascii-art#shell-script#terminal-art#attogram-project#bash-script#fun#screensavers

FAQ

What is bash-screensavers?
A collection of terminal screensavers written entirely in Bash, using echo, sleep and tput for animated ASCII art. Bash Screensavers is a set of animated screensavers that run directly in a terminal. Each one is a plain Bash script, so there are no graphics libraries or external runtimes to install. Effects include matrix-style falling characters, pipes, rain, starfields, fireworks, cellular automata and a digital tunnel.
Is bash-screensavers free to use? What license does it have?
bash-screensavers is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is bash-screensavers still maintained?
Updated within 6 months. The last commit to bash-screensavers was on Jul 23, 2026.
What can I use bash-screensavers for?
Adding animated visuals to an idle terminal session. Learning terminal drawing techniques with tput in plain Bash. Demonstrating what can be built with shell scripting alone.
How do I install bash-screensavers?
Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/attogram/bash-screensavers.git Enter the project directory: cd bash-screensavers Start the screensaver menu: ./screensaver.sh
Where can I get bash-screensavers?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/attogram/bash-screensavers

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