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

# noseguy(1)

a little guy with a big nose wanders around being witty

## NAME

noseguy - a little guy with a big nose wanders around being witty

## SYNOPSIS

**noseguy** \[-display *host:display.screen*\] \[-foreground *color*\] \[-background *color*\] \[-text-foreground *color*\] \[-text-background *color*\] \[-font *font*\] \[-window\] \[-root\] \[-install\] \[-visual *visual*\] \[-mode *mode*\] \[-program *program*\] \[-filename *le*\] \[-text *text*\]

## DESCRIPTION

A little man with a big nose and a hat runs around spewing out messages to the screen.  This code (and its bitmaps) were extracted from the *xnlock* program.

## OPTIONS

*noseguy* accepts the following options:

- **-window**

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

- **-root**

  Draw on the root 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.

- **-font *font***

  The font used for the messages.

- **-mode \[ program \| file \| string \]**

  In *program* mode, the messages are gotten by running a program. The program used is controlled by the *-program* option, and  the *.program* resource.

  In *filename* mode, the message used is the contents of a file. The file used is controlled by the *-file* option, and  the *.filename* resource.

  In *string* mode, the message is whatever was specified on the  command line as the *-text* option, or in the resource database as the *.text* resource.

- **-program *program***

  If *mode* is *program* (the default), then this program will be run periodically, and its output will be the text of the messages.  The default program is *"fortune -s"*, but *yow* is also a good choice.

- **-filename *file***

  If *mode* is *file*, then the contents of this file will be used for all messages.

- **-text *string***

  If *mode* is *string*, then this text will be used for all messages.

## 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), [**xnlock**(1)](/xnlock/1.md)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 1985, 1990 by Dan Heller \<argv@danheller.com\>.

## AUTHOR

Dan Heller \<argv@danheller.com\>, 1985.

Ability to run standalone or with *xscreensaver* added by  Jamie Zawinski \<jwz@jwz.org\>, 13-aug-92.