What are "Super Cow Powers" and why doesn't my aptitude have them?

sudo aptitude help
aptitude 0.4.11.11
Usage: aptitude [-S fname] [-u|-i]
   aptitude [options] <action> ...
  Actions (if none is specified, aptitude will enter interactive mode):

 ...

 This aptitude does not have Super Cow Powers.

brianegge

Posted 2009-09-19T07:55:10.357

Reputation: 1 531

7sounds like a question for the history books - gave me a good laugh when I saw it :P – Phoshi – 2009-09-19T21:08:38.893

Answers

I think it's referring to apt-get moo:

$ apt-get moo  
         (__)  
         (oo)  
   /------\/  
  / |    ||  
 *  /\---/\  
    ~~   ~~  
...."Have you mooed today?"...

To quote Wikipedia:

aptitude states that, unlike Advanced Packaging Tool, it "does not have Super Cow Powers". In apt-get "super cow powers" can be found by issuing the command apt-get moo. However, in aptitude issuing moo will give the user a prompt saying there are no easter eggs.

However, by issuing aptitude -v moo, then aptitude -vv moo, and so on the user will see a series of statements telling them to go away, some ending with a picture not unlike the original apt-get easter egg. Different versions of the program have different sequences.

And, as wRAR commented, the term “Super Cow Powers” is a direct quote from apt-get --help:

This APT has Super Cow Powers.

Joey

Posted 2009-09-19T07:55:10.357

Reputation: 36 381

2It's a snake eating an elephant of course! – Azz – 2010-11-25T07:57:44.707

Doesn't really look like a hat to me ;-) – Joey – 2010-11-25T09:22:20.813

2haha, no easter eggs indeed. – Carson Myers – 2009-09-19T08:15:46.993

1yes, got to vote twice! – Carson Myers – 2009-09-19T08:32:06.820

2And "Super Cow Powers" is a quote from apt-get --help – wRAR – 2009-09-19T09:59:50.590

Not so well known, but there is also ip moo:

 _ __ ___   ___   ___
| '_ ` _ \ / _ \ / _ \
| | | | | | (_) | (_) |
|_| |_| |_|\___/ \___/


P.S. no real cows were harmed for this moo

Cows have been hidden as easter eggs in pinball games.

Anne van Rossum

Posted 2009-09-19T07:55:10.357

Reputation: 201

While inspecting around it ,just have a look at the easter-eggs

BlueBerry - Vignesh4303

Posted 2009-09-19T07:55:10.357

Reputation: 7 221

Please use this:

aptitude -v moo
aptitude -vvvvv moo
aptitude -vvvvvv moo

TungWah

Posted 2009-09-19T07:55:10.357

Reputation: 11

@Chenmunka Doesn't that mean aptitude do have Super Cow Powers? – TungWah – 2014-02-12T19:23:29.423