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sl

Stands for "steam locomotive". Yes, the sl command makes a steam locomotive take over your terminal. And there's almost nothing you can do to stop it. Ending the session would be the only alternative, with ⌘ + q for instance. Luckily, it only lasts for seven seconds – after which everything is back to normal. Now, why would we need a tool like that? I have no idea.

I once heard a guy say that it works pretty well as a prank. For example:

  1. Access a friend's computer, assuming you have a developer friend.

  2. Install the sl tool. It's available on most Unix systems out there.

  3. Find and open the .zshrc file, or equivalent.

  4. On that file, create a few aliases. Suggestions:

sh
alias ls='sl'
alias cd='sl'
alias pwd='sl'
alias brew='sl'
alias git='sl'
  1. Grab a coffee.

  2. Watch your good friend go crazy while attempting to use the terminal. If the prank is successfully implemented, the infamous steam locomotive will show up several times – and your unlucky colleague will be trying to figure out what the heck is going on. No reason to worry, though. This is a harmless joke. Just make sure you'll be kind enough to revert the "damage" in due time.

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