Installing and Exploring cowsay on Ubuntu
Objective
By the end of this lab, the student will be able to install the cowsay application on
Ubuntu using the terminal, execute basic commands, and explore the variety of
ASCII animals available in cowsay.
Resources
1. Ubuntu System: Virtual Machine or physical installation.
2. Access to the Terminal: Installed and operational.
3. Internet Connection: Required to download packages.
4. Superuser (sudo) privileges.
Instructions
Step 1: Open the Terminal
Launch the terminal on your Ubuntu system by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or
searching for "Terminal" in the application menu.
Step 2: Update the Package Repository
Run the command: sudo apt update
This updates the package list to ensure you download the latest version of
the software.
Step 3: Install cowsay
Run the command: sudo apt install cowsay -y
This installs the cowsay package. The -y flag automatically confirms the
installation process.
Step 4: Verify the Installation
Run the command: cowsay "Hello, World!"
If the installation is successful, an ASCII art cow will appear saying "Hello,
World!".
Step 5: List Available Animals (Cowfiles)
Run the command: cowsay -l
This will list all the available cowfiles (ASCII animals) installed with cowsay.
Common animals include:
o cow
o tux (Linux mascot penguin)
o dragon
o sheep
o elephant
o ghostbusters
o moose
o stegosaurus
o turkey
o vader (Star Wars Darth Vader)
o vader-koala
Step 6: Use Different Animals
Try different animal options by specifying the -f flag with the desired cowfile
name.
Examples:
o cowsay -f tux "Hello from Linux!"
o cowsay -f dragon "Here be dragons!"
o cowsay -f stegosaurus "Dinosaurs are cool!"
o cowsay -f vader "I am your father."
Step 7: Combine with Other Commands
Use pipes to send output from another command to cowsay with a specific
animal.
Examples:
o echo "Welcome to Linux!" | cowsay -f tux
o echo "System update complete" | cowsay -f moose
Step 8: Uninstall cowsay (Optional)
If you wish to remove cowsay, run: sudo apt remove cowsay -y
Confirm the uninstallation by running: cowsay "Test"
The command should no longer work.
Evaluation Rubric
Weig Achieved Not Achieved
Criteria
ht (✔) (✘)
Successfully updated the package
20% ✔ ✘
repository
Successfully installed cowsay 25% ✔ ✘
Verified installation with the default
15% ✔ ✘
cow
Explored additional animals (cowfiles) 20% ✔ ✘
Used cowsay with command piping 10% ✔ ✘
(Optional) Uninstalled cowsay
10% ✔ ✘
correctly
Additional Notes
Screenshots of terminal output with different animals are mandatory for
verification.
Experiment with creative text and animals to make the outputs fun and
engaging.
Document any issues encountered during installation or execution.
