Linux / Unix Desktop Fun: Christmas Tree For Your Terminal

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
Sample outputs:

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: