termlife

README

termlife

A terminal-based Game of Life implementation in Go. Single binary, zero config, just works.

Installation

Via Go

go install github.com/ticktockbent/termlife@latest

Via Homebrew

brew install ticktockbent/tap/termlife

Download Binary

Download prebuilt binaries from the Releases page.

Usage

# Run with defaults (random grid, Conway rules, auto-sized to terminal)
termlife

# Specify a preset pattern
termlife --pattern glider
termlife --pattern gosper-gun

# Customize appearance
termlife --color matrix
termlife --color amber
termlife --fps 15

# Alternate rulesets
termlife --rule "B36/S23"    # HighLife
termlife --rule "B3/S12345"  # Maze

# Grid options
termlife --size 80x40        # explicit dimensions
termlife --wrap              # toroidal wrapping (edges connect)
termlife --density 0.35      # initial fill density for random patterns

# Combine options
termlife --pattern pulsar --color cyan --fps 10 --wrap

GIF Export

Export animations as GIF files for sharing:

# Basic usage
termlife --gif 25 --pattern glider --size 15x15

# Custom output and scale
termlife --gif 100 --pattern gosper-gun --size 80x40 --gif-scale 4 --gif-out gosper.gif

# With color themes
termlife --gif 50 --pattern r-pentomino --size 60x60 --color rainbow

CLI Reference

Flag	Default	Description
--pattern	random	Initial pattern: random, glider, blinker, pulsar, gosper-gun, diehard, acorn, r-pentomino, lwss, block, beehive, loaf, pentadecathlon
--rule	B3/S23	Birth/survival rule string
--color	white	Color theme: white, green, matrix, amber, cyan, rainbow
--fps	10	Frames per second (1-60)
--size	auto	Grid dimensions as WxH, defaults to terminal size
--wrap	false	Enable toroidal wrapping
--density	0.25	Cell density for random initialization (0.0-1.0)
--gif	-	Number of frames to render (enables GIF mode)
--gif-out	termlife.gif	Output file path for GIF
--gif-scale	4	Pixels per cell in GIF output
--gif-delay	100	Milliseconds between GIF frames
--gif-loop	0	Number of times to loop GIF (0 = infinite)
--help		Show help
--version		Show version

Interactive Controls

Key	Action
q / Esc / Ctrl+C	Quit
Space	Pause/resume
n	Step one generation (when paused)
r	Randomize grid
c	Clear grid
+ / =	Increase speed
-	Decrease speed
Arrow keys	Move cursor (when paused)
Enter	Toggle cell at cursor (when paused)

Color Themes

Theme	Description
white	White on black (default, high contrast)
green	Classic green terminal
matrix	Bright green with dark green background
amber	Orange CRT nostalgia
cyan	Cool cyan/blue tones
rainbow	Cells change color based on age

Rule Notation

Standard B/S (Birth/Survival) notation:

• B3/S23 - Conway's Game of Life (birth on 3 neighbors, survive on 2-3)
• B36/S23 - HighLife (adds birth on 6)
• B3/S12345 - Maze
• B1357/S1357 - Replicator
• B2/S - Seeds

License

MIT