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go to xkcd.com: The webcomic XKCD now has a command prompt (google.com)
224 points by biotech on April 1, 2010 | hide | past | favorite | 91 comments



I just noticed: Web Results 1 - 10 of about 157 for unixkcd. (0.04 nanocenturies) I didn't know google showed nanocenturies!

EDIT: Apparently google is just having fun as when I refresh I also see:

Web Results 1 - 10 of about 190 for unixkcd. (1.21 gigawatts)

  Web Results 1 - 10 of about 190 for unixkcd. (11.90 parsecs)

Web Results 1 - 10 of about 198 for unixkcd. (0.02 femtogalactic years)

Web Results 1 - 10 of about 198 for unixkcd. (0.09 microfortnights)

Web  Results 1 - 10 of about 190 for unixkcd. (0.12 centibeats)

All interesting units of time. :)


Extra Internet bonus points for nailing 2 April Fools jokes with 1 HN post!


(0.55 times the velocity of an unladen swallow)


I got: Results 1 - 10 of about 297 for unixkcd. (2.00 shakes of a lamb's tail)


I got (28.47 jiffies)


1.07 times the velocity of an unladen swallow, at warp 9.11, 0.31e+43 Planck times


I ran the source through jsbeautifier.org yielding this: http://gist.github.com/351418

Some fun stuff:

* there is a MUD

* find kitten launches a mini-game

* apt-get moo

* i read the source code


It's actually on GitHub, obfuscation-free (and linked from the site): http://github.com/chromakode/xkcdfools


No need to read the source to know that these would work as expected:

* make me a sandwich

* sudo make me a sandwich


For the MUD either light your lamp and go south twice or go south then...

javascript:Adventure.status.alive = true;Adventure.rooms['666'].exits = {'south': 11};void(0);

then go south again. Your choice :).


I was all excited and boggled by the idea of there being a MUD, but it's actually a (small) text adventure - not Multi User as far as I can see.


Doesn't that spoil the fun of hunting for the Easter eggs?


Hunting for Easter eggs on a CLI with no "help" command? Grab a dictionary, and start trying all 1, 2, and 3 word combinations, and let me know what you find. I can wait.


Apparently not according to xkcd. Type

  i read the source code


funny, I didn't see anything that would log attempted commands. I was expecting a comic displaying a graph aggregating attempted commands, perhaps relating to a failed relationship of his.


They do log them, via a GET request to /unixkcd/missing


I hope this is a permanent feature, not just for April Fools day.


  make me a sandwich
and

  sudo make me a sandwich
both work


  find kitten


make me a sandwich and sudo !! don't, though.


http://xkcd.com/

The front page has an embedded command prompt. You can navigate the comics by typing "prev" and "next". It also supports some unix commands.

According to "license.txt":

    Client-side logic for Wordpress CLI theme :: R. McFarland, 2006, 2007, 2008
    jQuery rewrite and overhaul :: Chromakode, 2010


Thanks for the link. When I clicked the submission the first hit on the google search was, um, this page on HN.


.. and now the second link is a reddit page. Since I wasn't able to use the original link (xkcd.com), I used a google search. I probably should have used the google search with the query "q=xkcd" instead. Unfortunately, I can't change the link target.


A good prank in itself.


Interestingly, you can see it log every unrecognized command via a GET request to /unixkcd/missing (look at source/firebug). It appears that he's been updating the source code with things that people commonly try ('rm' didn't used to be supported); I also look forward to a "what you crazy people on my site tried" comic.


This has got to be the coolest website for geeks. props.


Awesome! Today's date is March 32nd.

guest@xkcd:/$ date

March 32nd


What's doubly awesome is that the source code looks like it should say "March 22nd"!


Not if you look at the real source (not the github link above)


Fair.


Protip: sudo rm -rf /


I tried that as well. And was very relieved when everything came back on refresh. :)

I'm impressed at that level of attention to detail. The license.txt file points you to the source of the command line interface, which is a Wordpress plugin:

http://groups.google.com/group/wordpress-cli


if you keep typing "go west" it lists the chorus from the Pet Shop Boys song "Go West"

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/GO-WEST-lyrics-Pet-Sh...


And if you go back to the start and then go south:

   A dark hallway.

   Exits: north, south
   You are eaten by a grue.
   You're dead!
:)


And if you say

light lamp

before you go south, you don't get eaten :)


rm -rf works for the directories listed and will actually remove the link until you reload.


I tried for three seconds and realized I can't use a command line without tab-completion.


All commands "xkcd_cli.js":

http://github.com/chromakode/xkcdfools/blob/8602db51189fe555...


guest@xkcd:/$ man next

Request confirmed; you will be reincarnated as a man next.


man cat


Clojurian Fogus has had the same for a while: http://blog.fogus.me/index.php?wptheme=CLI


It looks like the XKCD is made from the same base code, but with a much nicer command interface. I'm going to have to move to their codebase.


guest@xkcd:/$ ping

There is another submarine three miles ahead, bearing 225, forty fathoms down.


COOL. Vimperator totally screws with it though.


<c-z> enters passthrough mode.


  $ vi
  You should really use emacs.
  $ emacs
  You should really use vim.


$ nano

Seriously? Why don't you just use Notepad.exe? Or MS Paint?


Unfortunately, some comics and a robotfindskitten game don't fit to my laptops' 1024x768 screen (I have all unnecessary toolbars removed)

But still, very nice for a one-off feature that will only be available for one day.


the adventure map:

0:{description:'You are at a computer using unixkcd.', exits:{west:1, south:10}},

1:{description:'Life is peaceful there.', exits:{east:0, west:2}},

2:{description:'In the open air.', exits:{east:1, west:3}},

3:{description:'Where the skies are blue.', exits:{east:2, west:4}},

4:{description:'This is what we\'re gonna do.', exits:{east:3, west:5}},

5:{description:'Sun in wintertime.', exits:{east:4, west:6}},

6:{description:'We will do just fine.', exits:{east:5, west:7}},

7:{description:'Where the skies are blue.', exits:{east:6, west:8}},

8:{description:'This is what we\'re gonna do.', exits:{east:7}},

10:{description:'A dark hallway.', exits:{north:0, south:11},


See this video to understand the reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NZ04BG7TfA


guest@xkcd:/$ fuck

I have a headache.


"cat" "look" "man" "go" "light" "light lamp" "reddit" all work


Hey, it uses mibbit for its irc client - congrats axod :)


Following commands work: - ls - emacs - vim - man - cd - random - date - man first - man last - man help - cat - display XXX (shows comic #XXX)


"man cat" also works :)


"hello joshua" is my favorite though.


"man last" kind of turns me on.


pwd as well


With javascript disabled the link to 'Gui interface' is borked.

http://www.xkcd.com/foo


Theres an adventure mode. Try "look" and "go"


don't go south!


Light your lamp before going south and you'll be fine.


~sigh~ Swordfish doesn't do anything Neither does Pass, Password, onMouseOver, or mouseover


lot's of locate commands:

locate ninja for example.

        ninja: "Ninja can not be found!",
        keys: "Have you checked your coat pocket?",
        joke: "Joke found on user.",
        problem: "Problem exists between keyboard and chair.


You can get free shipping at the xkcd store.

  cheat mode
  cd store


Favorite so far: > go Go where? > go there You cannot go there.


  sudo apt-get upgrade
What does Randall have against Firefox?


nothing, it's a joke about upgrading from a command prompt to a gui


No, he put a || where I think it was meant to be &&:

if (($.browser.name == 'msie') || ($.browser.name == 'firefox' || $.browser.versionX < 3)) {


This is true. Sleep deprivation and logic don't mix well. :)


shame, would have been funnier if it were a joke.


This is great, but I wish it supported "find"


Try "find kitten". :)


I want the lost numbers to work 4815162342


guest@xkcd:/$ top

It's up there --^

guest@xkcd:/$ nano

Seriously? Why don't you just use Notepad.exe? Or MS Paint?

guest@xkcd:/$ vi

You should really use emacs.

guest@xkcd:/$ go down

On our first date? guest@xkcd:/$


$dig xkcdsucks.blogspot.com

Unrecognized service.


wget http://xkcd.com


That was neat. I tried to do it recursively. Doesn't seem to work, unfortunately.


also works: sudo shutdown -h now does not work: shutdown -h now


guest@xkcd:/$ xinit

Unrecognized command. Type "help" for assistance.


with no sense of irony re the date either


shutdown -h 100000

And it goes immediately... Not good :)


asl 6/m/battleschool I AM SO PLEASED


Cheat

gets you free shipping?


ASL


guest@xkcd:/$ more

Oh, yes! More! More!


sadly, 'kill' does not work.


Does now


try "asl"

best one yet!


reboot

sudo reboot


  guest@xkcd:/$ whoami
  You are Richard Stallman.
  guest@xkcd:/$ who
  Who are you?
  guest@xkcd:/$ cat
  You're a kitty!




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