Fortune generator

fortuneteller.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Have a character tell you a fortune every n minutes

# Dependencies:
#   - sed
#   - shuf
#   - sleep
#   - fortune
#   - cowsay


# configure how often the fortune should change (in seconds)
# prefer to use the command line argument, if there is one.
if [ -z $1 ]; then
    interval=$((60*80)) # default to 80 minutes
else
    interval=$1
fi


echo "displaying a new fortune every ${interval} seconds."
sleep 5


# every n minutes, display a new fortune
while ((1))
do
  clear
  # choose a random character from those available on the system
  character=$(cowsay -l | sed '1d' | sed 's/ /\n/g' | shuf | sed -n '1p')
  cowsay -f ${character} $(fortune)
  sleep ${interval}
done