How to run cmatrix without error using '-l' option in Terminal (not console)?

I have installed cmatrix using the command:

sudo apt-get install cmatrix 

And when running the command:

cmatrix -l

In console (the ttys) I get a very cool looking font with matrix like symbols. But when I run it with that option in gnome-terminal I just get this output:

Couldn't get a file descriptor referring to the console

Although it works without the -l in gnome-terminal, it does not give me the special font, so is there any way of running it in gnome-terminal and also getting the same font that running it with the -l option in the console would result in?

OS Information:

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 15.10
Release: 15.10
Codename: wily
Flavour: GNOME
GNOME Version: 3.18

Package Information:

cmatrix: Installed: 1.2a-5build1 Candidate: 1.2a-5build1 Version table: *** 1.2a-5build1 0 500 wily/universe amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

1 Answer

It's -l mode, quoting from the manual page:

 -l Linux mode (sets "matrix.fnt" font in console)

It requires that you run it on one of the Linux consoles (the ones Ctrl+Alt+F1 ... Ctrl+Alt+F6 switch to).

In a graphical terminal emulator it has no way of changing the font of the terminal. You can still use it there without the -l flag.