Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bgsuvax!denbeste
From: denbeste@bgsuvax.UUCP (William C. DenBesten)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Unix xmas tree
Message-ID: <3353@bgsuvax.UUCP>
Date: 30 Dec 88 16:02:33 GMT
References: <47800020@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Lines: 23

From article <47800020@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>, by gupta@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu:
> 
> I received this "cute" file last week and when you do a 'cat' or 'more' on
> it then it'll draw a christmas tree and a train circling it. It only works
> on vt100s and I've been trying to figure out how it works. Anyone familiar
> with this?
> 
> p.s.: I'm posting the file as a response.
> 

This file has been around for a while.  It works by embedding escape sequences
directly in the file.  When you cat the file, the terminal responds to these
escape sequences.  Your VT100 manual lists all the sequences, and how the
terminal responds.

You can not post this file directly.  The mail and news software on
the network can not transfer some characters reliably.  One of these,
escape, is used in this file.  If you want to mail the program to
someone, run it through uuencode before you send it.  

-- 
 William C. DenBesten
 denbeste@bgsu.edu