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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.
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  • 7
    sounds like a question for the history books - gave me a good laugh when I saw it :P
    – Phoshi
    Sep 19, 2009 at 21:08

4 Answers 4

92

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.

5
  • 2
    haha, no easter eggs indeed. Sep 19, 2009 at 8:15
  • 1
    yes, got to vote twice! Sep 19, 2009 at 8:32
  • 2
    And "Super Cow Powers" is a quote from apt-get --help
    – wRAR
    Sep 19, 2009 at 9:59
  • 2
    It's a snake eating an elephant of course!
    – Azz
    Nov 25, 2010 at 7:57
  • Doesn't really look like a hat to me ;-)
    – Joey
    Nov 25, 2010 at 9:22
11

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.

6

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

enter image description here

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  • do aptitude -vvvvvv moo Aug 20, 2023 at 3:45
2

Please use this:

aptitude -v moo
aptitude -vvvvv moo
aptitude -vvvvvv moo
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  • @Chenmunka Doesn't that mean aptitude do have Super Cow Powers?
    – TungWah
    Feb 12, 2014 at 19:23

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