---
name: "gears"
section: "6"
platform: "linux"
package: "xscreensaver"
version: "6.15-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gears"
---

# gears(6)

draw interlocking gears, for xscreensaver.

## NAME

gears - draw interlocking gears, for xscreensaver.

## SYNOPSIS

**gears** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\]\[--install\] \[--visual *visual*\] \[--delay *usecs*\]  \[--speed *float*\]  \[--no-spin\] \[--no-wander\] \[-count *integer*\] \[-wireframe\] \[-fps\]

## DESCRIPTION

This draws a set of rotating gears.

## OPTIONS

*gears* 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.

- **--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 *usecs***

  The delay between frames of the animation, in microseconds. Default: 30000 (0.03 seconds.)

- **--speed *float***

  Larger numbers mean run faster.  Default: 1.0.

- **--no-spin**

  Don't rotate the object.

- **--no-wander**

  Don't wander the object around the screen.

- **--count *integer***

  How many gears to draw.  Default: 0 for random.

- **--wireframe**

  Render in wireframe instead of solid.

- **--fps**

  Display the current frame rate, CPU load, and polygon count.

## 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.

An earlier version of this program by Brian Paul was written in 1997; this version was rewritten from scratch by jwz in 2007.