# Install aalib with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Portable ASCII art graphics library. Version 1.4rc5 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:aalib ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install aalib ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install aalib ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/aalib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libaa-bin ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libaa-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install aalib ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#aalib ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/aa/aalib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S aalib ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: aalib from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install aalib ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aalib from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:aalib - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.4rc5 - **Source summary:** Portable ASCII art graphics library - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-19T12:30:01-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - aafire (cli) - aainfo (cli) - aalib-config (cli) - aasavefont (cli) - aatest (cli) - aafire (alias) - aainfo (alias) - aalib-config (alias) - aasavefont (alias) - aatest (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.4rc5 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-19 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage AA-lib is a portable ASCII-art graphics library that renders graphics into text-mode output instead of relying on a graphical display. ### Project history The AA-Project documentation says Jan Hubicka started the project after experiments with old Hercules monochrome displays and an ASCII rendering approach for images and fractals. The manual frames AA-lib as a graphics-library API whose main difference is that it renders to ASCII art. The official manual pages were generated from aalib.texinfo in 1997 and 1998, placing AA-lib squarely in the late-1990s Unix demo, terminal, and low-end-hardware graphics culture. ### Adoption history The AA-Project homepage lists software known to support AA output, including ttyquake, SDL, GIMP, and XaoS-era projects. Its appeal was not merely rendering still images, but making graphical demos, viewers, games, and effects run in text environments. ### How it is used Programs link against AA-lib or use its bundled tools to initialize a text-mode display, parse AA-specific command-line options, tune rendering parameters, and draw images as ASCII. The manual documents the AAOPTS environment variable for setting options across AA-lib programs. ### Why package nerds care AA-lib is a classic package-manager curiosity: small, portable, visibly weird, and useful as both a library and a demo source. Its bundled commands such as aafire and aatest made it memorable on Unix systems because installing it immediately produced terminal graphics. ### Timeline - 1997: aalib.texinfo-generated documentation appears for the ASCII-art library. - 1998: AA-lib manual pages are regenerated and published on the AA-Project site. - 2000s: AA-Project moves from its original home to SourceForge. - 2026: SourceForge still exposes the AA-Project CVS/code area as the project source surface. ### Related projects - Related AA-Project software includes BB, Aview, AAvga, AA3D, and XaoS; the homepage also lists external software with AA output support. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** aalib - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 2 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libaa-bin - 1.4p5-51.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libaa-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | sample programs using aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Debian apt - libaa1 - 1.4p5-51.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libaa1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | ASCII art library | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Debian apt - libaa1-dev - 1.4p5-51.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libaa1-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | ASCII art library, development kit | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Nix - aalib: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/aa/aalib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libaa-bin - 1.4p5-51.1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaa-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | sample programs using aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Ubuntu apt - libaa1 - 1.4p5-51.1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaa1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | ASCII art library | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Ubuntu apt - libaa1-dev - 1.4p5-51.1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaa1-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | ASCII art library, development kit | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - dnf - aalib - 1.4.0-0.58.rc5.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | ASCII art library | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - dnf - aalib-devel - 1.4.0-0.58.rc5.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - dnf - aalib-libs - 1.4.0-0.58.rc5.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Library files for aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - pacman - aalib - 1.4rc5-19: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: aalib from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | ASCII art graphic library | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - zypper - aalib - 1.4.0-518.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aalib from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | An ASCII Art Library | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - aalib-devel - 1.4.0-518.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aalib-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Development Package for AAlib | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - libaa1 - 1.4.0-518.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libaa1 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | An ASCII Art Library | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/ - MacPorts - aalib: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/aalib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [aview](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aview/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [gd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gd/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, graphics, library, media. - [glbinding](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glbinding/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, graphics, library, media. - [libsail](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libsail/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, graphics, library, media. - [libwmf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libwmf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, graphics, library, media. - [ansilove](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ansilove/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: ascii-art, cli, graphics, media. - [batik](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/batik/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, graphics, media. - [dicebear](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dicebear/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, graphics, media. - [durdraw](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/durdraw/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: ascii-art, cli, graphics, media. - [fig2dev](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fig2dev/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, graphics, media. - [xplanet](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xplanet/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, graphics, media. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/aalib.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/aalib.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph