# Sketch without Gui - Terminal/Console only

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/sketch-without-gui-terminal-console-only/21336>\
**Category:** Processing for Pi\
**Created:** [May 27, 2020, 7:35am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/sketch-without-gui-terminal-console-only/21336 "2020-05-27T07:35:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MoonMoon](https://discourse.processing.org/u/MoonMoon)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 7:35am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/sketch-without-gui-terminal-console-only/21336/1 "2020-05-27T07:35:56Z")

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Hi!

Is there a way to start a sketch without opening a canvas window?

I want to create a program running in terminal/console only (Linux - Raspbian).  
In this case for a RaspberryPi in headless mode (without X).

Thank you very much in advance!

Kind regards

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**Author:** ![SomeOne](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/someone/32/8639_2.png) [@SomeOne](https://discourse.processing.org/u/SomeOne)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 8:35am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/sketch-without-gui-terminal-console-only/21336/2 "2020-05-27T08:35:21Z")

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With a little bit of googling I hound this older thread pondering on the same issue. Hard to say if it’s still up to date, but it looks solid. @GoToLoop can perhaps verify?

> **[Processing 2.x and 3.x Forum](https://forum.processing.org/two/discussion/10305/building-a-headless-mode)**
>
> Processing is an electronic sketchbook, a language and a worldwide community. This is its forum.

Some info on this page too [https://github.com/processing/processing/wiki/Running-without-a-Display](https://github.com/processing/processing/wiki/Running-without-a-Display)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MoonMoon](https://discourse.processing.org/u/MoonMoon)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 9:53am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/sketch-without-gui-terminal-console-only/21336/3 "2020-05-27T09:53:22Z")

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I already had some experience with xvfb-run. In my opinion it’s a pain in the a… to use. I would prefer to do it inside the code instead of using an external program to redirect everything into a dummy graphical output.

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**Author:** ![kfrajer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/kfrajer/32/196_2.png) [@kfrajer](https://discourse.processing.org/u/kfrajer)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 1:24pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/sketch-without-gui-terminal-console-only/21336/4 "2020-05-27T13:24:16Z")

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Is there something specific that requires Processing? Otherwise I would just write it as simple plain Java code.

Kf