Random ASCII Art Splash Screen on Linux/macOS

Get Started with ASCII Art Splash Screen on Linux/macOS 🎨

Want to add a touch of personality to your terminal? Imagine launching your terminal window and being greeted by a cool ASCII art display! This guide will show you how to set up an ASCII Art Splash Screen on your Unix-like system, such as Linux or macOS. It's a simple, fun way to customize your command-line experience.

Random ASCII Art Splash Screen on Linux/macOS 

This awesome utility uses a Python script and a collection of ASCII art to give your terminal a unique look every time you open it. Let's dive in!

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What You'll Need (Prerequisites) 🛠️

Before we begin, make sure you have these essentials installed on your system:

• Python 3: The heart of our ASCII art script.
• curl: A command-line tool for transferring data, which we'll use for downloads.
• git: To easily clone the ASCII Art Splash Screen project.

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Installing Python 3 (If You Don't Have It) 🐍

Python 3 is crucial for the ASCII Art Splash Screen to work. Follow the instructions for your specific operating system.

For RHEL & CentOS 7:

This process involves compiling Python from source, which might take a bit of time. But don't worry, it's straightforward!

1. Update your system:

   yum -y update

2. Install yum-utils: This provides helpful utilities for yum.

   yum -y install yum-utils

3. Install development tools: These are needed to build software from source.

   yum -y install group-install development

   yum -y install zlib-devel

4. Download and install Python 3.6.3:

   wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.6.3/Python-3.6.3.tar.xz

   tar xJf Python-3.6.3.tar.xz

   cd Python-3.6.3

   ./configure

   make

   make install

   This step will take some time, so grab a coffee! ☕

5. Verify Python 3 installation:

   python3 -V

   You should see an output like: python 3.6.3

For Ubuntu 16.10, Debian 9, and Later Versions:

Installing Python 3 on Debian-based systems is usually much simpler!

1. Add the deadsnakes PPA repository (for newer Python versions): This repository provides more up-to-date Python versions.

   add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa

2. Update your system's package list:

   apt-get update

3. Install Python 3.6:

   apt-get install python3.6

Note for Ubuntu Users:

• For Ubuntu 16.10 & 17.04, Python 3 is often already available in the universal repository. You just need to run:

  apt-get install python3.6

• If you're on Ubuntu 17.10 or a newer version, Python 3 is typically installed by default! You likely won't need to do anything here. 🎉

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Installing curl (If You Don't Have It) 🌐

curl is a handy tool we'll use for downloading files. Installation is quick!

To install curl on Ubuntu and Debian:

apt-get install curl

To install curl on RHEL and CentOS 7:

yum -y install curl

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Installing git (If You Don't Have It) 🐙

git is essential for downloading the ASCII Art Splash Screen project.

To install git on Ubuntu and Debian:

apt-get install git

To install git on RHEL and CentOS 7:

yum -y install git

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Setting Up Your ASCII Art Splash Screen! ✨

Now for the fun part – installing the ASCII Art Splash Screen itself!

1. Clone the repository using git: This downloads all the necessary files.

   git clone https://github.com/DanCRichards/ASCII-Art-Splash-Screen.git

2. Navigate into the project directory:

   cd ASCII-Art-Splash-Screen/

3. Copy the ascii.py script to your home directory: This makes it easy to access.

   cp ascii.py ~/

4. Add the script to your .bashrc file: This is the magic step! It tells your terminal to run the ascii.py script every time you open a new window.

   echo "python3 ascii.py" >> ~/.bashrc

   The .bashrc file is a configuration file that's executed whenever you start an interactive shell session. By adding this line, you're automating the display of ASCII art.

That's it! Going forward, every time you launch a new terminal window, you'll be greeted with a fantastic piece of ASCII art. Enjoy your newly customized command line! 🎉

Rickrolling Your Terminal with ASCII Art

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FAQs about ASCII Art Splash Screen 🤔

Q1: What exactly is an ASCII Art Splash Screen?

A1: An ASCII Art Splash Screen is a small program that displays images made purely out of text characters (ASCII art) every time you open a new terminal window. It's a fun way to customize your command-line interface.

Q2: Why do I need Python 3, curl, and git for this?

A2: You need Python 3 because the core script that generates and displays the ASCII art is written in Python. Curl is used to download the Python installer (especially on RHEL/CentOS) and other web content. Git is used to easily download (clone) the entire ASCII Art Splash Screen project from its online repository.

Q3: Will this work on Windows?

A3: This specific guide is tailored for Unix-like systems such as Linux (like Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL, CentOS) and macOS. While you can run Python scripts on Windows, the terminal setup (like .bashrc) is different. You might need to adjust the final step for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) or alternative terminal emulators.

Q4: How can I disable the ASCII art if I don't want it anymore?

A4: To disable it, you just need to remove the line you added to your .bashrc file. Open your .bashrc file using a text editor (e.g., nano ~/.bashrc or vi ~/.bashrc), find the line python3 ascii.py, and delete it. Save the file, and the ASCII art will no longer appear on new terminal launches.

Q5: Can I add my own ASCII art?

A5: Yes, absolutely! The ASCII Art Splash Screen project usually includes a directory where the ASCII art files are stored. You can create your own .txt files with ASCII art inside that directory, and the script should pick them up and display them randomly. Explore the cloned ASCII-Art-Splash-Screen/ directory to see how the existing art files are structured.

Q6: What if python3 -V doesn't show "python 3.6.3"?

A6: If you're on a newer system, you might have a later version of Python 3 (e.g., 3.8, 3.9, or higher). That's perfectly fine! The ASCII Art Splash Screen script should work with most Python 3 versions. The guide specifies 3.6.3 as a common baseline, but newer versions are generally compatible. Just ensure python3 -V outputs any Python 3 version.