install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install boxes

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install boxes

MacPorts ports tree · textproc/boxes/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add boxes

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · boxes · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install boxes

Debian stable package indexes · boxes · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install boxes

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · boxes · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#boxes

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bo/boxes/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/boxes

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/boxes.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Draw boxes around text

Project links

Commands and aliases

boxes

history

Project history and usage

boxes is a long-lived Unix-style text filter for drawing, removing, and repairing ASCII art boxes around text. Its own README describes it as stable software that has existed since 1999 and remains available through many package managers.

Project history

The project is maintained under the ascii-boxes organization and documents Thomas Jensen's official website, manual page, and configuration syntax as its primary user-facing surfaces. The modern GitHub history includes a v1.0 tag in 2014 and ongoing maintenance releases into the 2020s, while the README says the program itself dates back to 1999.

The program's historical shape is classic filter culture: it reads text, applies a named box design, and writes transformed text. Later documentation emphasizes user-defined box designs, shared configuration files, editor integration, and portability across Unix-like systems and Windows.

Adoption history

The official README notes package-manager availability across apt, rpm, choco, brew, and other ecosystems. The Homebrew input also lists boxes in apk, brew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Scoop, and Ubuntu, which matches its role as a small portable utility rather than a single-platform application.

Adoption is helped by its editor-filter workflow: the manual and website describe using boxes from editors that can pipe text through external filters, making it useful for source comments, email, plain-text notes, and README ornamentation.

How it is used

Typical usage pipes text into the command, for example the official README's `echo foo | boxes`, then chooses designs with options such as listing available boxes. The configuration documentation explains that custom designs live in boxes config files and can be shared back through the repository.

Because it is a pure command-line filter, boxes composes naturally with shells, editors, and scripts. Its value is not heavy document rendering; it is quick decoration and comment-block formatting in plain text.

Why package nerds care

boxes is package-nerd catnip because it is tiny, old, portable, and visually obvious: a package manager installs one command and the user immediately sees a text transformation. It represents the ornamental side of Unix filters, where package collections preserve small tools whose usefulness is partly practical and partly cultural.

The project also has an unusually packageable asset: the box-design database. That makes it more than a binary wrapper; distributions are shipping a small command plus a community-curated catalog of ASCII layouts.

Timeline

1999: Project origin date stated in the official README.
2014: v1.0 tag appears in the official GitHub repository.
2021: v2.1.1 tag appears in the official GitHub repository.
2024: Official website documents v2.3.1 as a maintenance release.

Related projects

boxes relates to classic Unix text filters, editor filter commands, figlet-style terminal ornamentation, and other ASCII-art utilities.
Its closest project-specific related artifact is the official boxes-config file, where the bundled and contributed box designs are maintained.

Sources

https://boxes.thomasjensen.com/
https://boxes.thomasjensen.com/boxes-man-1.html
https://boxes.thomasjensen.com/config-syntax.html
https://github.com/ascii-boxes/boxes#readme
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.boxes~/.config/boxes/.boxes/usr/share/boxes

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`boxes`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version2.3.1

manager updated2026-06-22

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv2.3.1

https://github.com/ascii-boxes/boxes

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:boxes
Version	2.3.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/boxes
Homepage	https://boxes.thomasjensen.com/
Repository	https://github.com/ascii-boxes/boxes
Upstream docs	https://boxes.thomasjensen.com/
License	GPL-3.0-only
Source archive	https://github.com/ascii-boxes/boxes/archive/refs/tags/v2.3.1.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-22T14:02:55-07:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	libunistring, pcre2
Build dependencies	bison
Uses from macOS	ncurses
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	boxes
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

boxes 2.3.1-1

textmode box- and comment drawing filter

https://boxes.thomasjensen.com/

sudo apt install boxes

Section: text
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: boxes from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

boxes

nix profile install nixpkgs#boxes

normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bo/boxes/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

boxes 2.2.1-1

textmode box- and comment drawing filter

https://boxes.thomasjensen.com/

sudo apt install boxes

Section: universe/text
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: boxes from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

boxes 2.3.1-r0

Text mode box and comment drawing filter

https://boxes.thomasjensen.com

sudo apk add boxes

License: GPL-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: boxes
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: boxes from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

boxes-doc 2.3.1-r0

Text mode box and comment drawing filter (documentation)

https://boxes.thomasjensen.com

sudo apk add boxes-doc

License: GPL-2.0
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: boxes
normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: boxes-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

boxes 2.3.1-5.fc44

Command line ASCII boxes unlimited!

http://boxes.thomasjensen.com

sudo dnf install boxes

License: GPL-3.0-only
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: boxes
5 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: boxes from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

dnf95%

boxes-vim 2.3.1-5.fc44

Vim plugin for boxes

http://boxes.thomasjensen.com

sudo dnf install boxes-vim

License: GPL-3.0-only
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: boxes
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: boxes-vim from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

boxes

sudo port install boxes

normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: textproc/boxes/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Scoop95%

main/boxes

scoop install main/boxes

normalized package name match
Matched by: Boxes

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/boxes.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/boxes.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install boxes with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, scoop