figlet guide

Author: breezy-codes

content/blog-posts/2025-01-17-all-figlet-fonts.md

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+# 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. We'll provide detailed instructions for both Ubuntu and Arch-based systems, along with tips to enhance your setup.
+
+---
+
+## **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):**
+
+```bash
+sudo pacman -S figlet
+```
+
+### **For Ubuntu-based Systems (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian):**
+
+```bash
+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:**
+```bash
+sudo pacman -S lolcat
+```
+
+### **For Ubuntu-based Systems:**
+```bash
+sudo apt install lolcat
+```
+
+---
+
+## **Step 3: Install Additional Figlet Fonts**
+
+Expand your Figlet experience by adding more fonts to your system. Here’s how:
+
+### **Download and Install Fonts**
+1. Clone the community fonts repository:
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/xero/figlet-fonts.git ~/figlet-fonts
+   ```
+2. Move the fonts to the correct directory:
+   ```bash
+   sudo cp ~/figlet-fonts/* /usr/share/figlet/fonts
+   ```
+
+---
+
+## **Step 4: Verify the Installation**
+Ensure everything is set up correctly:
+
+1. **List Available Fonts:**
+   ```bash
+   figlist
+   ```
+   This command will display all of the available figlet font files on your system.
+
+2. **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:
+   ```bash
+   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](content/blog-posts/2025-01-17-using-figlet-and-lolcat.md)
+
+3. **Test Figlet Output:**
+   
+   Run the following to test Figlet:
+   ```bash
+   figlet -f slant "Success"
+   ```
+
+4. **Combine Figlet with Lolcat:**
+   
+   Add some colour to your output:
+   ```bash
+   figlet -f slant "Success" | lolcat
+   ```
+   You should see a colourful ASCII-styled message in your terminal.
+
+    ![alt text](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet1.png)
+---
+
+## **Example Usage**
+Here are some examples to try:
+
+1. **Custom Welcome Message:**
+   ```bash
+   figlet -f big "Welcome" | lolcat
+   ```
+
+   ![alt text](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet2.png)
+
+2. **Dynamic Output:**
+   Combine Figlet and Lolcat with other commands:
+   ```bash
+   echo "Hello, $(whoami)!" | figlet | lolcat
+   ```
+
+    ![alt text](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet3.png)
+
+## Trying Out Figlet and Lolcat together
+
+Now that you have Figlet working, let’s enhance it with Lolcat’s colourful output.
+
+1. **Basic Test**:  
+   ```bash
+   figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat
+   ```
+   This will display a vibrant, rainbow-colored message.
+
+   ![alt text](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet4.png)
+
+2. **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:  
+     ```bash
+     figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -a
+     ```
+     ![*(Video: First Animation)*](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet5.gif)
+
+   - **`-d` (Delay)**:  
+     Sets the delay in milliseconds for animated frames when `-a` is enabled.  
+     Example:  
+     ```bash
+     figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -a -d 5
+     ```
+    ![*(Video: Delayed Animation)*](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet6.gif)
+
+   - **`-F` (Frequency)**:  
+     Adjusts the rainbow frequency. Lower values create smoother gradients.  
+     Examples:  
+     ```bash
+     figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.3
+     ```
+     ```bash
+     figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.5
+     ```
+     ```bash
+     figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.7
+     ```
+
+     ![*(Image: Higher Frequency Gradient)*](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet7.png)
+
+   - **Without Options**:  
+     By default, `lolcat` applies a static rainbow gradient.  
+     Example:  
+     ```bash
+     figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat
+     ```
+     ![*(Image: Static Gradient)*](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet8.png)
+
+3. **Creative Uses**:  
+   - **Rainbow String**:  
+     ```bash
+     echo "Hello, Breezy!" | lolcat
+     ```
+   - **Animate Directory Listing**:  
+     ```bash
+     ls -la | lolcat -a -d 10
+     ```
+   - **Rainbow File Output**:  
+     ```bash
+     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:
+
+1. Open your terminal configuration file (e.g., `.zshrc` or `.bashrc`).
+2. 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)
+   ```bash
+   figlet -f ansi_shadow "HI BREEZY" | lolcat -F 0.3
+   ```
+
+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](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet9.png)
+
+---
+
+### **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:
+
+1. **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:
+   ```bash
+    # 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](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet11.png)
+
+2. **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.
+
+3. **Preview Colours**:  
+   Here’s an ANSI colour chart to help you choose:
+   ![alt text](../../img/blogs/figlet/figlet10.png)
+
+4. **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.