Random Avatar Generator

A simple Ruby app that generates unique visual avatar patterns (identicons) from a username or email.
Inspired by how GitHub, GitLab, and Gravatar provide random avatars when users don’t upload a profile picture.

This project is:

• Terminal-based
• No Rails — just plain Ruby + Minitest
• Deterministic — same input → same avatar
• Uses a simple 6×6 grid, generated from a SHA-256 hash

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How It Works

✅ You provide a username or email
✅ The app hashes the input using SHA-256
✅ The hash is converted into a stream of bits
✅ Those bits control a 6×6 grid of cells (on/off)
✅ The grid is optionally mirrored for visual symmetry
✅ The result is shown as ASCII art in the terminal
✅ (Planned) Option to output as PNG image

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Example Output

 █   ██   █ 
 █   ██   █ 
 █ █ ██ █ █ 
 ██      ██ 
 █ █ ██ █ █ 
 ██ █  █ ██ 

Each unique input will generate a different pattern.

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Project Goals

• Simple and readable algorithm
• Deterministic output
• Good test coverage with Minitest
• Output as ASCII art
• (Planned) PNG image export with ChunkyPNG
• (Planned) Add color
• (Planned) CLI interface

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How to Run

bin/run "your_username_or_email"

Why?

🧑‍💻 A fun project to learn:

• Hashing and entropy
• Grid-based drawing
• Deterministic pattern generation
• Test-driven development
• Building apps in plain Ruby (no Rails)

Roadmap

Version	Milestone
v0.1.0	Basic working version, ASCII grid, tests
v0.2.0	PNG export
v0.3.0	CLI options (size, color, output file)
v1.0.0	Stable release

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