Using Figlet and Lolcat for Eye-Catching Terminal Messages

Using Figlet and Lolcat for Eye-Catching Terminal Messages#

This guide will help you set up Figlet and Lolcat on Linux to create colourful, ASCII-styled terminal messages. I’ve provide detailed instructions for both Ubuntu and Arch-based systems.

Step 1: Install Figlet#

Figlet is a tool for generating ASCII art from text. Use the appropriate commands based on your Linux distribution:

For Arch-based Systems (e.g., Arch, Manjaro):#

sudo pacman -S figlet

Then do -

yay -S figlet-fonts

For Ubuntu-based Systems (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian):#

sudo apt update
sudo apt install figlet figlet-data

Step 2: Install Lolcat#

Lolcat adds vibrant rainbow colours to your terminal output, making your Figlet creations even more eye-catching.

For Arch-based Systems:#

sudo pacman -S lolcat

For Ubuntu-based Systems:#

sudo apt install lolcat

Step 4: Verify the Installation#

Ensure everything is set up correctly:

List Available Fonts:
```
figlist
```
This command will display all of the available figlet font files on your system.
Output all fonts to a txt file:

To preview all of the available fonts, you can output them to a text file by running the following commands:
```
cd ~/Desktop
showfigfonts > figlet_fonts.txt
```
This command will save the list of available figlet fonts to a text file named figlet_fonts.txt. Outputting to a txt file is a handy way to be able to preview all of the fonts available to you as there is a lot of them and your terminal may not be able to display them all at once. I’ve also added the output as a page if you’d like to view it all figlet fonts
Test Figlet Output:

Run the following to test Figlet:
```
figlet -f slant "Success"
```
Combine Figlet with Lolcat:

Add some colour to your output:
```
figlet -f slant "Success" | lolcat
```
You should see a colourful ASCII-styled message in your terminal.

Example Usage#

Here are some examples to try:

Custom Welcome Message:
```
figlet -f big "Welcome" | lolcat
```
Dynamic Output:

Combine Figlet and Lolcat with other commands:
```
echo "Hello, $(whoami)!" | figlet | lolcat
```

Trying Out Figlet and Lolcat together#

Now that you have Figlet working, let’s enhance it with Lolcat’s colourful output.

Basic Test:
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat
```
This will display a vibrant, rainbow-colored message.
Lolcat Options Explained:
Lolcat comes with a variety of options to customise the colour output:
- -a (Animation):
  Enables animated colouring that cycles through colours over time.
  Example:
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -a
```
- -d (Delay):
  Sets the delay in milliseconds for animated frames when -a is enabled.
  Example:
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -a -d 5
```
- -F (Frequency):
  Adjusts the rainbow frequency. Lower values create smoother gradients.
  Examples:
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.3
```
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.5
```
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.7
```
- Without Options:
  By default, lolcat applies a static rainbow gradient.
  Example:
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat
```

Creative Uses:

Rainbow String:
```
echo "Hello, Breezy!" | lolcat
```
Animate Directory Listing:
```
ls -la | lolcat -a -d 10
```
Rainbow File Output:
```
cat yourfile.txt | lolcat -a -d 3
```

Customising Your Terminal#

Using Figlet and Lolcat#

Decide on the text you’d like to display, whether to use Lolcat, and which fonts and styles suit your preferences. For example, I chose the ANSI Shadow font and custom colours for my terminal setup. Here’s how you can add your own customisation:

Open your terminal configuration file (e.g., .zshrc or .bashrc).
Add the following line at the very beginning to display your message every time you open the terminal:

(can change the message, font and lolcat options to whatever you’d like)
```
figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.3
```
Save the file and restart your terminal to see the magic in action.

Here’s an example of how it looks when I first open my terminal: alt text

Using Figlet with Custom Colours#

For a more personalised touch, you can use ANSI colour codes to apply specific colours to your Figlet output. Here’s how to preview and customise your terminal message with your favorite colours:

Run the Following Script:
This script uses a set of predefined ANSI colours to apply vibrant hues to Figlet text, cycling through them line by line:

 # Define colors
 colors=(
 "\033[38;5;171m"
 "\033[38;5;135m"
 "\033[38;5;175m"
 "\033[38;5;141m"
 "\033[38;5;212m"
 )

 # Generate Figlet text with ANSI Shadow font
 figlet_text=$(figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY")

 # Split the Figlet text into lines (zsh-compatible)
 lines=("${(f)figlet_text}")

 # Apply colors to each line and print
 for i in {1..${#lines[@]}}; do
 color=${colors[$(( (i - 1) % ${#colors[@]} + 1 ))]}  # Cycle through colors
 echo -e "${color}${lines[i-1]}\033[0m"  # Reset color at the end
 done

Here’s how the output will look: alt text

Customise It:
- Replace ansi_shadow with your preferred Figlet font.
- Change the colours by updating the ANSI codes in the colours array. Use the colour chart below to pick your favorite shades.
Preview Colours:
Here’s an ANSI colour chart to help you choose:
Enjoy Your Setup:
Save the script to a file or add it to your shell configuration to make your terminal display colourful, personalised messages every time it starts.