---
title: ASCINIT
section: 1
header: User Manual
footer: ascinit 3.0.2
date: May 04, 2022
---

## NAME

ascinit - Asciiville initialization script

## SYNOPSIS

**ascinit** [-a] [-c] [-d] [-m] [-M] [-n] [-N] [-q] [-r] [-y] [-u] [arg]

## DESCRIPTION

The _ascinit_ command should be run as a normal user with `sudo` privilege
after installing Asciiville. It performs several configuration initializations
for the user. These include:

- The Kitty terminal emulator is installed and configured
- The Neovim text editor is installed and configured
- Mutt and/or NeoMutt startup files are customized
- Tmux configuration is created
- default Ranger and Rifle configuration files are created
- Asciimatics installation is performed
- Optionally additional terminal emulators can be installed and configured
- Asciiville profiles in Gnome and Tilix terminals are created, if installed

Although command line options are provided to control the action(s) of the
`ascinit` command (see below), the typical invocation will simply be `ascinit`
with no options. This default invocation performs a NeoMutt configuration,
does not configure Mutt, configures Tmux and Ranger and Rifle, installs
Asciimatics if not already installed, installs the Kitty terminal emulator, installs
the Neovim text editor, installs ASCII games, and creates an Asciiville profile
in gnome-terminal and tilix if installed.

If initialization is being performed on a headless system or a system
without graphical capabilities then execute the command `ascinit -c`
rather than `ascinit`. When invoked with the `-c` option the `ascinit`
command will not install the terminal emulators or create the terminal profiles.

A minimal initialization can be performed with the command:

```shell
ascinit minimal
```

The "minimal" Asciiville initialization does not install optional components
like `NeoMutt`, `Neovim`, Ascii games, `cbftp`, and `aewan`. These components
can be installed subsequently by rerunning `ascinit` without arguments.

An initialization can be performed using Homebrew rather than the native
package manager with the command:

```shell
ascinit brew
```

In addition to initialization of Asciiville components, `ascinit` can be used
to individually install and remove the ASCII games, Kitty terminal emulator,
and Neovim text editor. To install one of these components, issue the command:

```shell
ascinit <component>
```

where _component_ is one of _games_, _kitty_, or _neovim_.
To remove one of these componenents, run:

```shell
ascinit -r <component>
```

## COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

**-a**
: indicates ask to play an animation when done

**-c**
: indicates console-only mode, no terminal emulators are installed or configured and several mailcap configurations specifically tailored for console use are installed

**-d**
: indicates debug mode

**-m**
: indicates setup user Mutt configuration

**-M**
: indicates setup both Mutt and NeoMutt configurations

**-n**
: indicates setup user NeoMutt configuration

**-N**
: indicates prompt for installation of additional terminal emulators

**-q**
: indicates quiet mode, messages are suppressed. In quiet mode initialization all Asciiville components are installed.

**-r**
: indicates remove service/package

**-y**
: indicates answer yes to all prompts except tmux configuration

**-u**
: indicates display this usage message and exit

## AUTHORS

Written by Ronald Record <github@ronrecord.com>

## LICENSING

ASCINIT is distributed under an Open Source license.
See the file LICENSE in the ASCINIT source distribution
for information on terms &amp; conditions for accessing and
otherwise using ASCINIT and for a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.

## BUGS

Submit bug reports online at:

<https://github.com/doctorfree/Asciiville/issues>

## SEE ALSO

**asciiart**(1), **asciimpplus**(1), **asciiplasma**(1), **asciisplash**(1), **asciisplash-tmux**(1), **asciiville**(1)

Full documentation and sources at:

<https://github.com/doctorfree/Asciiville>