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

# lament(6)

animates the Lament Configuration

## NAME

lament - animates the Lament Configuration

## SYNOPSIS

**lament** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\]\[--install\] \[--visual *visual*\] \[--delay *microseconds*\] \[--fps\] \[--texture\] \[--no-texture\] \[--wireframe\]

## DESCRIPTION

The *lament* program draws an animation of a particular puzzle box repeatedly solving itself.

## OPTIONS

*lament* 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.

- **--texture**

  Use texture maps.  This is the default.

- **--no-texture**

  Do not use texture maps.  This is boring and wrong.

- **--wireframe**

  Only draw outlines.

- **--delay *microseconds***

  How long to pause between frames.  Default is 20000, or 0.02 second.

- **--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*.

## BUGS

This hack is glacially slow on machines lacking hardware texture support.

Occasionally opens doors, admitting theologians of the Order of the Gash.

## SEE ALSO

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

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1998 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\>, 25-Jul-98.