Basics
echo "hello, world" | lolcat
Options
| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
-p, --spread | 3.0 | Rainbow spread |
-F, --freq | 0.1 | Rainbow frequency |
-S, --seed | 0 | Rainbow seed (0 = random) |
-a, --animate | off | Enable animation |
-d, --duration | 12 | Animation duration |
-s, --speed | 300.0 | Animation speed |
-i, --invert | off | Invert colors (color the background) |
-t, --truecolor | off | Force 24-bit truecolor mode |
-f, --force | off | Force color output (e.g. when piping) |
-h, --help | N/A | Show help |
-v, --version | N/A | Show version |
Examples
# pipe anything
ls -la | lolcat
# rainbow several files
lolcat README.md LICENSE
# tighter rainbow
echo "hello" | lolcat --spread 1.0 --freq 0.3
# animate
echo "hello, world" | lolcat -a -d 5
# invert (color the background, not the text)
echo "hello" | lolcat --invert
# force color when piping into less
ls --color=always | lolcat -f | less -R
Why C++?
The original lolcat is a Ruby script. lolcat++ aims to be drop-in compatible while being faster — nice when you want to use it in init scripts, motd output, or anywhere the Ruby startup time becomes noticeable.
Also, why not?