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

# noseguy(6)

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** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--foreground *color*\] \[--background *color*\] \[--text-foreground *color*\] \[--text-background *color*\] \[--font *font*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\] \[--install\] \[--visual *visual*\] \[--mode *mode*\] \[--program *program*\] \[--filename *file*\] \[--text *text*\] \[--fps\]

## 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.

- **--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.

- **--font *font***

  The font used for the messages.

- **--program *program***

  This program will be run periodically, and its output will be the text of the messages.  Default:

      xscreensaver-text --cols 40 \| head -n15

  You can configure the text printed through the "Advanced" tab of [**xscreensaver-settings**(1)](/xscreensaver-settings/1.md), or by editing your ~/.xscreensaver file.

- **--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.

- **--fps**

  Display the current frame rate and CPU load.

## 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), [**xscreensaver-text**(6)](/xscreensaver-text/6.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.