Cleaned up version of random terminal color test script from the interwebz

terminalcolors.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# Copyright (C) 2006 by Johannes Zellner, <johannes@zellner.org>
# modified by mac@calmar.ws to fit my output needs
# modified by crncosta@carloscosta.org to fit my output needs

# modified by theflyinghyrax@gmail.com (2014)
# - use if __name__ == "__main__" to run script stand-alone
# - organize and define more reusable functions (could be more idiomatic)

import sys
import os

def echo(msg):
    os.system('echo -n "' + str(msg) + '"')

def out(n):
    os.system("tput setab " + str(n) + "; echo -n " + ("\"% 4d\"" % n))
    os.system("tput setab 0")

def print_16():
    print_color_range(0, 15, 8)
    echo("\n")

def print_231():
    print_color_range(16, 231)
    echo("\n")

def print_grayscale():
    print_color_range(232, 255)
    echo("\n")

def print_color_range(lo, hi, line_len=6):
    n = lo
    while n <= hi:
        i = 0
        while i < line_len and n <= hi:
            out(n)
            i += 1
            n += 1
        echo("\n")

def print_colors():
    os.system("tput setaf 16")

    print_16()
    print_231()
    print_grayscale()

    os.system("tput setaf 7")
    os.system("tput setab 0")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print_colors()