Let us create Linux or Unix console Christmas tree and snow on your Linux desktop just for fun and profit. One can display animated Christmas tree in terminal using either Perl or Bash. First, you need to install a Perl module called Acme::POE::Tree. It is an animated Christmas tree module. I’ve tested this on Linux, OS X and Unix-like system.
How to display animated Christmas tree In Terminal
I tested the following instructions on a Debian/Ubuntu Linux 17.10/18.04 LTS (including 19.10) and CentOS Linux 7.x and macOS Unix desktop system.
Install Perl curses lib for Christmas tree
Type the following apt-get command/apt command to install lib on a Debian/Ubuntu Linux:
$ sudo apt install libcurses-perl libcurses-ui-perl libcurses-widgets-perl
Sample outputs:
[sudo] password for vivek: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following additional packages will be installed: libterm-readkey-perl The following NEW packages will be installed: libcurses-perl libcurses-ui-perl libcurses-widgets-perl libterm-readkey-perl 0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 416 kB of archives. After this operation, 1,338 kB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu eoan/universe amd64 libcurses-perl amd64 1.36-1build3 [85.0 kB] Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu eoan/main amd64 libterm-readkey-perl amd64 2.38-1 [24.4 kB] Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu eoan/universe amd64 libcurses-ui-perl all 0.9609-1 [229 kB] Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu eoan/universe amd64 libcurses-widgets-perl all 1.997-7 [77.0 kB] Fetched 416 kB in 2s (253 kB/s) Selecting previously unselected package libcurses-perl. (Reading database ... 221344 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../libcurses-perl_1.36-1build3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libcurses-perl (1.36-1build3) ... Selecting previously unselected package libterm-readkey-perl. Preparing to unpack .../libterm-readkey-perl_2.38-1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libterm-readkey-perl (2.38-1) ... Selecting previously unselected package libcurses-ui-perl. Preparing to unpack .../libcurses-ui-perl_0.9609-1_all.deb ... Unpacking libcurses-ui-perl (0.9609-1) ... Selecting previously unselected package libcurses-widgets-perl. Preparing to unpack .../libcurses-widgets-perl_1.997-7_all.deb ... Unpacking libcurses-widgets-perl (1.997-7) ... Setting up libcurses-perl (1.36-1build3) ... Setting up libterm-readkey-perl (2.38-1) ... Setting up libcurses-widgets-perl (1.997-7) ... Setting up libcurses-ui-perl (0.9609-1) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.7-3) ...
If you are using a CentOS/RHEL Linux (first turn on EPEL repo on a RHEL/CentOS 7 or turn on EPEL repo on a RHEL/CentOS 6 as described here), using yum command:
$ sudo yum install perl-Curses perl-Curses-UI perl-CPAN perl-POE
If you are using a Fedora Linux, type the following dnf command:
$ sudo dnf install perl-Curses perl-Curses-UI perl-CPAN perl-POE
Install compilers and build tools on Linux
See the following docs:
- CentOS / RHEL 7: Install GCC (C and C++ Compiler) and Development Tools
- Ubuntu Install GNU GCC Compiler and Development Environment
- Debian Install GNU GCC Compiler and Development Environment
- Download and Install C, C++ Compiler on Red Hat Enterprise 5 (RHEL)
Install Acme::POE::Tree
The easiest way to install any perl module is to use the cpan (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network). Open the terminal application and type the following command to install Acme::POE::Tree:
## run as root ## perl -MCPAN -e 'install Acme::POE::Tree'
Sample outputs:
Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::NFA.3pm Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::Kernel.3pm Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::Loop.3pm Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::Resource.3pm Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::Filter::Map.3pm Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::Resource::SIDs.3pm Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::Loop::IO_Poll.3pm Installing /home/vivek/perl5/man/man3/POE::Pipe::TwoWay.3pm Appending installation info to /home/vivek/perl5/lib/perl5/x86_64-linux-gnu-thread-multi/perllocal.pod RCAPUTO/POE-1.367.tar.gz /usr/bin/make install -- OK RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz Has already been unwrapped into directory /home/vivek/.cpan/build/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022-uhlZUz RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz Has already been prepared Running make for R/RC/RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz cp lib/Acme/POE/Tree.pm blib/lib/Acme/POE/Tree.pm Manifying 1 pod document RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz /usr/bin/make -- OK Running make test PERL_DL_NONLAZY=1 "/usr/bin/perl" "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" "-MTest::Harness" "-e" "undef *Test::Harness::Switches; test_harness(0, 'blib/lib', 'blib/arch')" t/*.t t/01_basic.t .. ok All tests successful. Files=1, Tests=2, 6 wallclock secs ( 0.09 usr 0.03 sys + 0.53 cusr 0.06 csys = 0.71 CPU) Result: PASS RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz Tests succeeded but one dependency not OK (Curses) RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz [dependencies] -- NA
Show Christmas tree in the shell
Simply type the following command:
## perl one liner to show Xmas tree ## perl -MAcme::POE::Tree -e 'Acme::POE::Tree->new()->run()'
Sample outputs:
Gif 01: An animated christmas tree in Perl
Tree customization
Here is my tree.pl:
#!/usr/bin/perl # Use cpan module that we installed use Acme::POE::Tree; my $tree = Acme::POE::Tree->new( { star_delay => 1.5, # shimmer star every 1.5 sec light_delay => 2, # twinkle lights every 2 sec run_for => 10, # automatically exit after 10 sec } ); $tree->run();
Now can play with your tree modifying star_delay, run_for, and light_delay. And ,there you have it a a Christmas tree in your shell for fun.
Not a fan of Perl? Try BASHTree
You can create animated Christmas tree in bash shell running on a Linux, macOS, *BSD, and Unix-like system. Use the wget command to grab the source code:
$ wget https://github.com/sergiolepore/ChristBASHTree/raw/master/tree-EN.sh
Run it as follows:
$ bash tree-EN.sh
Here is what we see:
Gif.02: An animated Christmas tree in Bash for Linux/Unix/macOS desktop
Snow in you screen gnome desktop
Install gsnow gnome extension to snow on your desktop. Open Ubuntu app store and search for gsnow:
Click on the extension and select INSTALL
Once installed you can see snow on your desktop:
gsnow in action (click to enlarge)
Conclusion
I hope you liked this Yule/Christmas tree. Happy holidays. If you enjoyed this desktop fun app, you may also like to use the following apps on Linux:
- Christmas Tree For Your Terminal
- Cat And Mouse Chase All Over Your Screen
- Bastet Tetris(r) clone with block-choosing AI for console
- The Digital Rain: Simulates the display from "The Matrix"
- sl – a mirror version of ls
- Summon Swarms Of Penguins To Waddle About The Desktop
- Run Steam Locomotive On Your Desktop
- Let it Snow On Your Desktop
- Text Mode Box and Comment Drawing
- Gti show jeep or car in the shell when mistyped git
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After Gif 01, I think you meant to say “Tree customization” instead of “Teee customization”. Nice cristmass tutorial though :-)
Thanks for the heads up! :)
Nice find, in the shell script you miss ->run(); though :)
Hah.. yes. I did sorry about that :(
Just a tip for those wanting to run on Fedora: I had to install perl-Curses for this to work for me.
Hi,
thx for the script but I have an error on Manjaro:
Test Summary Report
——————-
t/01_basic.t (Wstat: 7424 Tests: 1 Failed: 1)
Failed test: 1
Non-zero exit status: 29
Parse errors: Bad plan. You planned 2 tests but ran 1.
Files=1, Tests=1, 0 wallclock secs ( 0.02 usr 0.00 sys + 0.02 cusr 0.00 csys = 0.04 CPU)
Result: FAIL
Failed 1/1 test programs. 1/1 subtests failed.
Makefile:852 : la recette pour la cible « test_dynamic » a échouée
make: *** [test_dynamic] Erreur 29
RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz
/usr/bin/make test — NOT OK
//hint// to see the cpan-testers results for installing this module, try:
reports RCAPUTO/Acme-POE-Tree-1.022.tar.gz
I got them same error worked after run
`sudo perl -MCPAN -e ‘install POE’ `
and then
`sudo perl -MCPAN -e ‘install Acme::POE::Tree’`
merry christmas :D
If you are behind a proxy, call cpan, then o conf init /proxy/ enter http://:, as stated, e.g. here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11541428/using-cpan-with-a-proxy-failing-after-o-conf-init-proxy
Remember to o conf commit.
Tested also on Windows 7 with Cygwin. It works well.
Just use the docker image.
docker run --rm -i -t sergiolepore/christbashtree