Funny commands in Linux with Examples

1. To install pv Command

Run the following command to install pv packages in your system.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# yum install pv                     [On RedHat based Systems]
[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install pv                 [On Debian based Systems]

To view the real time text effect on your screen, execute the below script.

[root@linuxhelp:~]# echo " Linuxhelp.com is good place for linux knowledge"  | pv -qL 10
Linuxhelp[dot]com is good place for linux knowledge

The “ q” option denotes “ quite” which means no output information is available and “ L” option means “ Limit of Transfer of bytes per second” .

2. To install toilet Command

To install toilet command, execute below script. It prints text with border in terminal.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install toilet

Run the following command in the terminal to view the execution of the toilet command.

root@linuxhelp:~# while true  do echo “ $(date | toilet -f term -F border &ndash Linuxhelp)”   sleep 1  done
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 
“ ???????????? ?&ndash Linuxhelp? ????????????” 

Using ctrl+z, you can suspend the above script.

3.To install rig Command

In order to generate a random address and identity every time, install rig package using yum command as given below.

[root@linuxhelp:~]# apt-get install rig

Run the following command to view the rig command in action.

root@linuxhelp:~# rig
Ted Cooper
444 Ellis Terr
Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) xxx-xxxx
root@linuxhelp:~# rig
Isabelle Frederick
279 Old Pinbrick Dr
Beloit, WI 53511
(608) xxx-xxxx
root@linuxhelp:~# rig
Monique Landry
470 Ashland St
Phoenix, AZ 85026
(602) xxx-xxxx

4. To install cowsay Command

Run the following command to install cowsay command.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install cowsay

To view a list of available animals.
Run the following command to list the available animals in cowsay command.

root@linuxhelp:~# cowsay -l
Cow files in /usr/share/cowsay/cows:
apt beavis.zen bong bud-frogs bunny calvin cheese cock cower daemon default
dragon dragon-and-cow duck elephant elephant-in-snake eyes flaming-sheep
ghostbusters gnu head-in hellokitty kiss kitty koala kosh luke-koala
mech-and-cow meow milk moofasa moose mutilated pony pony-smaller ren sheep
skeleton snowman sodomized-sheep stegosaurus stimpy suse three-eyes turkey
turtle tux unipony unipony-smaller vader vader-koala www

Run the following command to view the cowsay command.
Various available animals can be used with cowsay by mentioning in the command.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# cowsay -f snowman Welcome To Linuxhelp

[root@linuxhelp ~]# cowsay -f calvin Welcome To Linuxhelp

5.To install cowsay in graphical

Run the following command to install the xcowsay packages.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install xcowsay

Run the following command to view the xcowsay command.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# xcowsay “ Welcome To LinuxHelp” 

6.To install xeyes Command

Execute the below script to install the xeyes package.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install xeyes

Now run the following command to view in action.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# xeyes

7.To install cmatrix

Run the following command to install the cmatrix packages.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install cmatrix

Use the below command to view cmatrix command in action.

[root@linuxhelp ~]# cmatrix

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install oneko

[root@linuxhelp ~]# oneko

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install libaa-bin

[root@linuxhelp ~]# aafire

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install fortune

root@linuxhelp:~# fortune

In Marseilles they make half the toilet soap we consume in America, but
the Marseillaise only have a vague theoretical idea of its use, which they
have obtained from books of travel.
-- Mark Twain

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install sl

[root@linuxhelp ~]# sl

[root@linuxhelp ~]# telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

[root@linuxhelp ~]# apt-get install figlet

[root@linuxhelp ~]# figlet linuxhelp.com &ndash f lean

[root@linuxhelp ~]#touch snow.sh

#!/bin/bash
 
LINES=$(tput lines)
COLUMNS=$(tput cols)
 
declare -A snowflakes
declare -A lastflakes
 
clear
 
function move_flake() {
i=" $1" 
 
if [ " ${snowflakes[$i]}"  = " "  ] || [ " ${snowflakes[$i]}"  = " $LINES"  ]  then
snowflakes[$i]=0
else
if [ " ${lastflakes[$i]}"  != " "  ]  then
printf " ?33[%s %sH ?33[1 1H "  ${lastflakes[$i]} $i
fi
fi
 
printf " ?33[%s %sH*?33[1 1H"  ${snowflakes[$i]} $i
 
lastflakes[$i]=${snowflakes[$i]}
snowflakes[$i]=$((${snowflakes[$i]}+1))
}
 
while :
do
i=$(($RANDOM % $COLUMNS))
 
move_flake $i
 
for x in " ${!lastflakes[@]}" 
do
move_flake " $x" 
done
 
sleep 0.1
done

[root@linuxhelp ~]#./snow.sh