xclock Command Examples (with examples)

Display an analog clock

The xclock command can be used to display an analog clock on your screen. This can be useful if you need a visual representation of the current time. To display an analog clock, simply run the following command:

xclock

This will open a new window showing the current time in analog format.

Display a 24-hour digital clock with hour and minute fields only

If you prefer a digital representation of the current time, you can use the xclock command to display a 24-hour digital clock with only the hour and minute fields. This can be helpful if you need a simple and concise display of the time.

To achieve this, run the following command:

xclock -digital -brief

This command will open a new window showing the current time in 24-hour format with only the hour and minute fields displayed.

Display a digital clock using a specific strftime format string

The xclock command also allows you to customize the format of the digital clock using a strftime format string. The strftime() function is used in C programming to format date and time.

To display a digital clock using a specific strftime format string, use the following command:

xclock -digital -strftime format

Replace “format” with your desired strftime format string. For example, if you want to display the time in the format “HH:MM”, you can run the following command:

xclock -digital -strftime '%H:%M'

This command will open a new window showing the current time in the specified format.

Display a 24-hour digital clock with hour, minute, and second fields that updates every second

If you need a more precise display of the time, you can use the xclock command to display a digital clock with the hour, minute, and second fields that updates every second.

To achieve this, run the following command:

xclock -digital -strftime '%H:%M:%S' -update 1

This command will open a new window showing the current time in 24-hour format with the hour, minute, and second fields displayed. The clock will update every second to reflect the current time.

Display a 12-hour digital clock with hour and minute fields only

If you prefer a 12-hour format for the digital clock, you can use the xclock command to display a digital clock with the hour and minute fields only. This can be useful if you prefer the AM/PM time format.

To achieve this, run the following command:

xclock -digital -twelve -brief

This command will open a new window showing the current time in 12-hour format with only the hour and minute fields displayed. The clock will update to reflect the current time.

These examples demonstrate some of the different use cases of the xclock command. Whether you need an analog or digital clock, a specific time format, or regular updates, the xclock command provides a versatile solution for displaying the time on your screen.