Random terminal colors

[=CrAzYG33K=]

I want to have random colors on my terminal. Let's say I have a list of 10 pre-defined foreground and background color combinations stored somewhere. Everytime I invoke terminal, I want some script to to pick up a random color from the list and invoke the terminal using that. Is there an app that accomplishes this ? Or a link to a BASH script that does it?

[VastOne]

I want to have random colors on my terminal. Let's say I have a list of 10 pre-defined foreground and background color combinations stored somewhere. Everytime I invoke terminal, I want some script to to pick up a random color from the list and invoke the terminal using that. Is there an app that accomplishes this ? Or a link to a BASH script that does it?

From within terminal, you can have as many profiles as you want and then invoke which one you want when you start terminal. Not as clean as a script, but effective.

[=CrAzYG33K=]

From within terminal, you can have as many profiles as you want and then invoke which one you want when you start terminal. Not as clean as a script, but effective.

I know that, but I wanted an elegant script which would invoke random defined colors from an already defined source everytime I invoked terminal.

[VastOne]

I know that, but I wanted an elegant script which would invoke random defined colors from an already defined source everytime I invoked terminal.

This should give you the know how to create your scripts.

Found by googling Linux + Terminal + Color

[=CrAzYG33K=]

@VastOne

That thing just drives me crazy. I wanted a simple tweak to probably change my terminal color every time I opened up Terminal.. Python is probably the last thing that I'd want to try on.

Something simpler, uhm, like modifying by .bashrc script?

[ibuclaw]

OK, no testing has been done here, just going off on a tangent presuming this will work.

OK, I assume you use Gnome Terminal. Gnome Terminal colours are no longer customisable via a startup switch (and haven't been for some time).

You can, however, write a wrapper script that:

1. Has a predefined list of colours to mix
2. Chooses a random one
3. Sets the random colours via gconftool-2, and starts the real gnome-terminal.

#!/bin/sh

# Predefined colour sets.
BG_COLOURS=(
    FFFFFFFFDDDD  # Cream Yellow
    FFFFFFFFFFFF  # White
    000000000000  # Black
    000000000000  # Black
    000000000000  # Black
)

FG_COLOURS=(
    000000000000  # Black
    000000000000  # Black
    AAAAAAAAAAAA  # Grey
    0000FFFF0000  # Green
    FFFFFFFFFFFF  # White
)

# Number of elems in the array.
NUM=${#FG_COLOURS[@]}

# Pick a random number
ELEM=$(($RANDOM % $NUM))

# Set colours
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/background_color "#${BG_COLOURS[$ELEM]}"
gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/gnome-terminal/profiles/Default/foreground_color "#${FG_COLOURS[$ELEM]}"

# Start gnome-terminal
exec /usr/bin/gnome-terminal.distrib "$@"

And to install:

sudo dpkg-divert --local --rename --add /usr/bin/gnome-terminal
sudo install script-name.sh /usr/bin/gnome-terminal

And to uninstall:

sudo unlink /usr/bin/gnome-terminal
sudo dpkg-divert --local --rename --remove /usr/bin/gnome-terminal

Some playing will be needed, yes. But hopefully a step in the right direction.

[=CrAzYG33K=]

Many thanks for the script, but now I guess I've screwed up my terminal. It wouldn't open up at all anymore..

How do I uninstall it now and come back to the previous state?

EDIT:

I managed to do the 'uninstall' part coz' luckily I had another Terminal window open somewhere else.
So why did Terminal refuse to open ??

[lkjoel]

You could literally create a cheap terminal...
Something with printf, and SH the command.
I am not that good with Shell Scripts, but I hope that can lead you into the right direction.

Just one other question, Why do you want to have random terminal colors?
I guess it could be entertaining to open a terminal...
Actually, I will do the same myself!

EDIT:

How do you receive user input in bash shell scripts?

[Darkness Des]

Like this.

echo -n "O HAI THUR > "
read input
echo "You said $input"

Or for multiple words,

echo -n "Name three colors > "
read color1 color2 color3
echo "You said $color1 $color2 $color3"

To actually do something with this, just use an "if" function. Makes life a lot easier. I'm assuming you know how to do this.

[lkjoel]

Yes I do.
But how do you get the current location? (such as /home/user/test or /root etc...)
And for the if thing, it is IF, ELIF, and ELSE?