Toni McQueen
Project Group

Terminal Slideshow Apps

A grouped terminal media toolkit rather than one script with a few flags. This project collects multiple slideshow and scrolling viewers built around different render backends so the user can choose between visual quality, terminal compatibility, and interaction style.

Kitty icat chafa catimg ffmpeg terminal-first UX
Viewer Matrix
One repo, four distinct tools, four different render moods.
image-slideshow-chafa.sh
broadest compatibility, slideshow + feed, strongest all-rounder
image-slideshow.sh
Kitty-native path for richer media rendering inside Kitty
minicatimgslideshow
smaller direct slideshow path through catimg
scrolling-feed-catimg.sh
continuous feed-style wall of media instead of slide stepping
Why It Exists

Different Backends, Different Results

This project exists because terminal media display is not one solved problem. Different terminals, different image protocols, and different user moods need different tools. The repo keeps those differences explicit instead of pretending one renderer does everything equally well.

Terminal Workflow First

The goal was richer media browsing without leaving a keyboard-driven desktop flow for a heavyweight GUI app. That means slideshow timing, scrolling feed behavior, width tuning, rotation, and video conversion all stay inside the terminal environment.

Comparison

Tool Breakdown

Tool Renderer Best For Notes
image-slideshow-chafa.sh chafa General-purpose terminal slideshow Most feature-rich mixed viewer in the repo. Strong first choice.
image-slideshow.sh Kitty icat Best visual quality inside Kitty Requires Kitty, but gives the richest media presentation.
minicatimgslideshow catimg Smaller direct slideshow path Lower overhead and simpler mental model.
scrolling-feed-catimg.sh catimg Continuous scrolling media wall Different UX entirely. Better for feed mood than discrete slides.
Flow

Runtime Shape

Media Directory -> image-slideshow-chafa.sh -> chafa render -> slideshow mode or feed mode Media Directory -> image-slideshow.sh -> kitty +kitten icat -> slideshow mode or feed mode
Media Directory -> minicatimgslideshow -> catimg render -> compact slideshow flow Media Directory -> scrolling-feed-catimg.sh -> catimg render -> continuous scrolling feed
Highlights

Technical Notes

image-slideshow-chafa.sh

Broad compatibility path. Handles slideshow and feed behavior, supports width tuning and rotation, and is the strongest all-round viewer when the user wants one sane starting point.

image-slideshow.sh

Kitty-native route. Stronger rendering quality when the runtime matches, but intentionally narrower because it depends on Kitty’s media path.

minicatimgslideshow

Simpler catimg slideshow for users who want a lighter viewer with less conceptual overhead and faster direct use.

scrolling-feed-catimg.sh

Feed-style tool for an ambient terminal art wall rather than deliberate slide-by-slide review. Same general media domain, different UX target.

settings under $HOME cleaned of personal source paths toolkit, not fake one-size-fits-all wrapper