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

# starfish(6)

radially-symmetric throbbing colormap-hacking graphics demo

## NAME

starfish - radially-symmetric throbbing colormap-hacking graphics demo

## SYNOPSIS

**starfish** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--foreground *color*\] \[--background *color*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\]\[--mono\] \[--install\] \[--visual *visual*\] \[--delay *usecs*\] \[--delay2 *secs*\] \[--thickness *pixels*\] \[--rotation *degrees*\] \[--duration *seconds*\] \[--colors *int*\] \[--blob\] \[--no-blob\] \[--fps\]

## DESCRIPTION

The *starfish* program draws radially symmetric objects, which expand, contract, rotate, and turn inside out.  It uses these shapes to lay down a field of smooth colors, and then rotates the colormap.

## OPTIONS

*starfish* 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.

- **--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.

- **--delay *microseconds***

  How much of a delay should be introduced between steps of the animation. Default 10000, or about 1/100th second.

- **--thickness *pixels***

  How wide each color band should be.  Default 0, meaning random (the chosen value will be between 0 and 15.)

- **--rotation *degrees***

  How quickly the objects should rotate at each step.  Default 0, meaning  random (the chosen value will be between 0 and 12 degrees.)

- **--colors *int***

  How many colors to use.  Default 200.  The more colors, the smoother the transitions will be, and the nicer the resultant images.

- **--duration *seconds***

  How long to run before choosing a new shape.  Default 30 seconds.

- **--delay2 *seconds***

  When *duration* expires, how long to wait before starting a new run. Default 5 seconds.

- **--blob**

  - **--no-blob**

  If *blob* option is specified, then the raw shapes will be shown,  instead of a field of colors generated from them.

- **--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)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1997 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\>, 14-Jun-97.