---
name: "cwaves"
section: "6x"
platform: "linux"
package: "xscreensaver-data"
version: "6.09+dfsg1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cwaves/6x"
---

# cwaves(6x)

languid sinusoidal colors

## NAME

cwaves - languid sinusoidal colors

## SYNOPSIS

**cwaves** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--foreground *color*\] \[--background *color*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\] \[--mono\] \[--install\] \[--visual *visual*\] \[--delay *usecs*\] \[--waves *int*\] \[--colors *int*\] \[--fps\]

## DESCRIPTION

The *cwaves* program draws a languidly-scrolling vertical field of sinusoidal colors.

## OPTIONS

*cwaves* accepts the following options:

- **--window**

  Draw on a newly-created window.  This is the default.

- **--root**

  Draw on the root window.

- **--window-id *number***

  Draw on the specified window.

- **--mono**

  If on a color display, pretend we're on a monochrome display.

- **--install**

  Install a private colormap for the window.

- **--visual *visual***

  Specify which visual to use.  Legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual.

- **--delay *microseconds***

  How much of a delay should be introduced between steps of the animation. Default 20000, or about 1/50th second.

- **--waves *int***

  How many cosines to add together.  The more waves, the more complex the apparent motion.

- **--colors *int***

  How many colors to use.  Default 800.  The more colors, the smoother the blending will be.

- **--fps**

  Display the current frame rate and CPU load.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **DISPLAY**

  to get the default host and display number.

- **XENVIRONMENT**

  to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE\_MANAGER property.

- **XSCREENSAVER\_WINDOW**

  The window ID to use with *--root*.

## SEE ALSO

**X**(1), [**xscreensaver**(1)](/xscreensaver/1.md)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2007 by Jamie Zawinski.  Permission to use, copy, modify,  distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is  hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear  in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation.  No representations are made about the  suitability of this software for any purpose.  It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

## AUTHOR

Jamie Zawinski \<jwz@jwz.org\>, 2-Jul-2007.