Get your daily dose of Pony wisdom via Ponysay, cowsay-like terminal utility
Ubuntu provides an easy-to-use intuitive interface, useful to navigate through folders, copy files, install applications, tweak Unity configurations, add startup scripts, etc, nevertheless, there are specific tasks that, for various reasons ("depth", habit, one-"line" powerful usage, etc), are sometimes performed via the terminal, terminal usable for both versed users and newcomers, according to intended needs, intentions and skills, in use cases ranging from listing a directory to applying gsettings, removing kernels, etc.
While the terminal is perceived as a sober utility with more specific functionalities, there are, across the internets, various development efforts focused on beautifying the terminal and/or its prompt, via interesting tools like Cowsay, custom prompts, displayed-on-launch additional informations, etc, bits that, while not interfering with terminal's power, add a visual pleasant balance to the "dark" text-only attitude.
Ponysay is a cowsay wrapper for ponies, an interesting in-depth ponyfication of the already known cowsay, adding colored ponies to one's terminal.
Ponysay features numerous use cases, thus allowing the user to choose both a manual and automatic mode for displaying ponies in the terminal.
First, Ponysay can be used manually, by typing
ponysay "Ubuntu is great"
command that displays a pony on the terminal and the entered text linked to the pony with a line
ponythink "Ubuntu is great"
is the same command as ponysay, but links the typed message to the pony with circles
The above commands render the typed text as "spoken" by a different pony, meaning, typing the same command in the terminal, displays a different pony (randomly chosen) per entered command.
Ponysay can utilize a specific pony, selected from a massive pony list
ponysay -f allie "Ubuntu"
ponythink -f allie "Ubuntu"
(allie, aloe, amethyststar, angel, applebloom, applebumkin, applecore, applefritter, applejack, applejackscarecrow, archer, berrypinch, berrypunch, bigmac, blinkie, blossomforth, blues, bonbon, bonbonstand, bonvoyage, boxxy, braeburn, cadance, caesar, candymane, caramel, carecake, carrot, carrottop, celestia, celestiasmall, changeling, changelingqueen, cheerilee, cheerilee80, cherryberry, chrysalis, clyde, colgate, colton, cottoncloudy, craftycrate, cupcake, daisy, daringdo, davenport, derpy, derpysit, derpystand, derpystandwing, diamondmint, diamondtiara, dinky, discord, discordamused, discordpuppetmaster, djpon-3, doctor, doctornohat, elsie, fancypants, fido, fillistia, fillycadance, fillycelestia, fillydash, fillydashfly, fillyjack, fillyjacktravel, fillypinkie, fillypinkiecurly, fillyrarity, fillyshy, fillytwilight, flam, fleurdelis, fleurdelishair, fleurdelislay, flim, fluttershy, fluttershygala, fluttershyshy, fluttershystare, gilda, gildastand, goldenharvest, granny, grannychair, grannysleep, gummy, harpass, heartstrings, hoity, horsepower, horte, inky, ironwillwalk, laflour, lightning, lily, lintsalot, lotus, lulamoon, luna, lunafly, lyra, lyrasit, magnum, maredowellfly, maredowellgallop, master, mayor, minuette, mjolna, mrssparkle, nightmare, noteworthy, octavia, oinkoinkoink, opal, orange, owl, parasprite, pearl, perry, perrypierce, petunia, philomena, philomenaphoenix, photofinish, pinacolada, pinkamina, pinkie, pinkiebounce, pinkiecannon, pinkiecannonfront, pinkiecannonhappy, pinkiechicken, pinkiegala, pinkiegummy, pinkiehugfluttershy, pinkiehugsfluttershy, pinkiepartycannon, pinkieprincess, pinkiesilly, pinkietongue, pinkiewhoops, pinkiewhoopseat, pinkiewhoopsout, pipsqueak, pokey, pokeypierce, powderrouge, rainbow, rainbowdrag, rainbowfly, rainbowgala, rainbowsalute, rainbowshine, rainbowsleep, raindrops, rarity, raritydrama, rarityfly, raritygala, rarityponder, raritysdad, raritysmom, redheart, rocky, rose, roseluck, rover, royalguard, royalnightguard, royalribbon, ruby, sapphire, scootaloo, screwball, shadowbolts, shiningarmor, shiningarmorguard, silverspoon, silverstar, sindy, skyra, snails, snips, snowflake, soarin, soigne, sparkler, spike, spikefloat, spikelove, spikemustache, spitfire, spot, stella, stevenmagnet, stevenmagnettrue, strongheart, sue, suedance, sweetie, tank, timeturner, trixie, trixielulamoon, trixiestage, trixiestand, truffleshuffle, turnip, twilight, twilightcrazyfromball, twilightrage, twilightvelvet, twilightzero, twist, vinyl, violet, wildfire, winona, woona, zecora).
Ponysay can be used in relation with fortune, consequently, displaying fortune-based messages with a pony "attached"
fortune | ponysay
How do we install Ponysay 1.1?
Download the DEB package and install it via Ubuntu Software Center.
In order to use Ponysay with fortune, the fortune-mod package must be installed
sudo apt-get install fortune-mod
How do we use Ponysay?
Along with the mentioned functionalities, Ponysay can be launched when the terminal is opened by simply pasting a command in the .bashrc file, as such:
open .bashrc (press Ctrl+H in order to make it visible) under the home folder and paste at its bottom
fortune | ponysay
action that will display a pony "telling" a fortune every time the terminal is opened
ponysay "Ubuntu"
action that will display a randomly generated pony saying Ubuntu when the terminal is launched
ponysay -f allie "Ubuntu"
command that will display the pony named Allie saying Ubuntu (select a different pony by changing allie with a pony name from the above pony list)
fortune | ponysay -f allie
command that will display the pony Allie telling a fortune when the terminal is launched
For a full list of commands and command combinations, type info ponysay in a terminal.
