---
name: "galaxy"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xscreensaver"
version: "3.34-3"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/galaxy"
---

# galaxy(1)

draws spinning galaxies

## NAME

galaxy - draws spinning galaxies

## SYNOPSIS

**galaxy** \[-display *host:display.screen*\] \[-foreground *color*\] \[-background *color*\] \[-window\] \[-root\] \[-mono\] \[-install\] \[-visual *visual*\] \[-ncolors *integer*\] \[-delay *microseconds*\] \[-cycles *integer*\] \[-count *integer*\] \[-size *integer*\] \[-tracks\] \[-no-tracks\]

## DESCRIPTION

The *galaxy* program draws spinning galaxies.

## OPTIONS

*galaxy* accepts the following options:

- **-window**

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

- **-root**

  Draw on the root 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.

- **-ncolors *integer***

  How many colors should be used (if possible).  Default 64. The colors used cycle through the hue, making N stops around the color wheel.

- **-cycles *integer***

  - **-count *integer***

  - **-size *integer***

  - **-tracks**

  - **-no-tracks**

  ## 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.

## SEE ALSO

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

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1994 by Hubert Feyrer.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation.

## AUTHOR

Original Amiga version by Uli Siegmund \<uli@wombat.okapi.sub.org\>\
  for EGS in Cluster.

Ported from Cluster/EGS to C/Intuition by Harald Backert.

Ported to X11 and xlockmore by  Hubert Feyrer \<hubert.feyrer@rz.uni-regensburg.de\>, 30-Sep-94.

Modified by David Bagley \<bagleyd@bigfoot.com\>, 23-Oct-94.

Modified by Dave Mitchell \<davem@magnet.com\>, 7-Apr-97.

Ability to run standalone or with *xscreensaver* added by  Jamie Zawinski \<jwz@jwz.org\>, 10-May-97.