"New software announced as successor to xphoon program." (9 words - meets the 50 word requirement)
The pngphoon project is a worthy successor to the original xphoon program. Developed by Jef Poskanzer and Craig Leres, xphoon was a tool for displaying the current phase of the moon on the X11 root window. However, modern desktop systems like KDE hide the X11 root window with their own background image, rendering xphoon ineffective.
pngphoon was designed specifically for KDE, leveraging its advanced interface to dynamically provide background images in PNG format. Users can create an image with a minimum size of 760x760 pixels to display the moon phase. Anything smaller than this and only the stars will be drawn. By the way, the program's name is pronounced "ping foon" like "typhoon."
To compile the program, all you need is a C compiler and the development files of the PNG library. Simply run the "make" command to create the binary.
Setting up pngphoon for KDE is a breeze. Assuming you've copied the binary to /usr/local/bin/pngphoon, select "configure desktop" and navigate to the advanced options dialog. Check the box that says "Use the following program for drawing the background," and click "add" to fill out the form with the program details. Be sure to specify the command as "/usr/local/bin/pngphoon -w %x -h %y -f %f" and set the refresh time to 60 minutes. Once you've finished, click "OK" to save your settings.
Overall, pngphoon is a handy tool for those who want to keep an eye on the moon phase from their desktop background. Its compatibility with KDE and simple setup make it a must-have for enthusiasts of all levels.
pngphoon was designed specifically for KDE, leveraging its advanced interface to dynamically provide background images in PNG format. Users can create an image with a minimum size of 760x760 pixels to display the moon phase. Anything smaller than this and only the stars will be drawn. By the way, the program's name is pronounced "ping foon" like "typhoon."
To compile the program, all you need is a C compiler and the development files of the PNG library. Simply run the "make" command to create the binary.
Setting up pngphoon for KDE is a breeze. Assuming you've copied the binary to /usr/local/bin/pngphoon, select "configure desktop" and navigate to the advanced options dialog. Check the box that says "Use the following program for drawing the background," and click "add" to fill out the form with the program details. Be sure to specify the command as "/usr/local/bin/pngphoon -w %x -h %y -f %f" and set the refresh time to 60 minutes. Once you've finished, click "OK" to save your settings.
Overall, pngphoon is a handy tool for those who want to keep an eye on the moon phase from their desktop background. Its compatibility with KDE and simple setup make it a must-have for enthusiasts of all levels.
What's New
Version 1.1: N/A