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

# halo(1)

draw circular patterns

## NAME

halo - draw circular patterns

## SYNOPSIS

**halo** \[-display *host:display.screen*\] \[-foreground *color*\] \[-background *color*\] \[-window\] \[-root\] \[-mono\] \[-install\] \[-visual *visual*\] \[-count *int*\] \[-delay *usecs*\] \[-mode seuss \| ramp \| random \] \[-animate\] \[-colors *integer*\] \[-cycle\] \[-no-cycle\] \[-cycle-delay *usecs*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The *halo* program draws cool patterns based on circles.

## OPTIONS

*halo* 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.

- **-count *integer***

  How many circles to draw.  Default 0, meaning random.

- **-mode seuss \| ramp \| random**

  In *seuss* mode, alternating striped curves will be drawn.

  In *ramp* mode, a color ramp will be drawn.

  *random* means pick the mode randomly.

- **-delay *microseconds***

  How much of a delay should be introduced between steps of the animation. Default 100000, or about 0.1 second.

- **-colors *integer***

  How many colors to use.  Default 100.

- **-animate**

  If specified, then the centerpoints of the circles will bounce around. Otherwise, the circles will be drawn once, erased, and a new set of circles will be drawn.

- **-cycle**

  - **-no-cycle**

  Whether to do colormap cycling.  Default is to cycle.

- **-cycle-delay**

  Number of microseconds between shifts of the colormap; default 100000, or 1/10th second.

## 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)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1993 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\>, 6-jul-93.