macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install catimglocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install catimg with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper
Insanely fast image printing in your terminal. Version 2.8.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add catimgAlpine Linux edge package indexes · catimg · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install catimgDebian stable package indexes · catimg · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install catimgFedora Rawhide package metadata · catimg · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#catimgnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ca/catimg/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S catimgArch Linux sync databases · catimg · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install catimgopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · catimg · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Insanely fast image printing in your terminal
Project links
Commands and aliases
- catimg
history
Project history and usage
Catimg is a terminal image renderer. Its README describes a small C program with no dependencies that prints JPEG, PNG, and GIF images in the terminal.
Project history
The README says catimg was originally a script that used ImageMagick convert before becoming a C implementation. It keeps script-era documentation for the older dependency path while presenting the C version as the fast default.
Adoption history
The README documents Homebrew, Arch Linux, and Fedora installation examples, and the supplied package facts add Alpine, Debian, Nix, Ubuntu, and openSUSE packaging. That spread reflects the appeal of a tiny visual CLI utility across Unix package sets.
How it is used
catimg is used directly from the terminal to render image files using ANSI colors and optional Unicode high-resolution output. The README highlights the tradeoff between the older script's color accuracy and the C version's speed.
Why package nerds care
catimg is the kind of package that makes terminal environments feel playful without bringing in a GUI stack. It is also easy to package because the current C tool is small, MIT-licensed, and largely self-contained.
Timeline
- 2013: The repository links to the author's original catimg article from May 27.
- 2026: Homebrew formula packages v2.8.0 from the official release archive.
- 2026: The README continues to document package-manager installation examples.
Related projects
- Related tools include ImageMagick convert, which powered the original script version, and terminal graphics/image viewers that render media through ANSI colors or Unicode cells.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:image
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
catimg | 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 version2.8.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv2.8.0
https://github.com/posva/catimg
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:catimg |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.8.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/catimg |
| Homepage | https://github.com/posva/catimg |
| Repository | https://github.com/posva/catimg |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/posva/catimg#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/posva/catimg/archive/refs/tags/v2.8.0.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | cmake |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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 | catimg |
| 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 |
|
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%
catimg 2.7.0-4
fast image printing in to your terminal
https://github.com/posva/catimg
sudo apt install catimg- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
Nix95%
catimg
nix profile install nixpkgs#catimg- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
Ubuntu apt95%
catimg 2.7.0-2
fast image printing in to your terminal
https://github.com/posva/catimg
sudo apt install catimg- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
apk95%
catimg 2.8.0-r0
terminal image renderer
https://github.com/posva/catimg
sudo apk add catimg- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: catimg
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
apk95%
catimg-doc 2.8.0-r0
terminal image renderer (documentation)
https://github.com/posva/catimg
sudo apk add catimg-doc- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: catimg
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
dnf95%
catimg 2.8.0-3.fc44
Print images in a terminal with 256 colors support
https://github.com/posva/catimg
sudo dnf install catimg- License: MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: catimg
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
pacman95%
catimg 2.8.0-1
Print images in a terminal with 256 colors support
https://github.com/posva/catimg
sudo pacman -S catimg- License: MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
zypper95%
catimg 2.8.0-1.3
Insanely fast image printing in your terminal
https://posva.net/shell/retro/bash/2013/05/27/catimg
sudo zypper install catimg- License: MIT
- Category: Productivity/Graphics/Viewers
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: catimg
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
zypper95%
catimg-zsh-completion 2.8.0-1.3
ZSH Completion for catimg
https://posva.net/shell/retro/bash/2013/05/27/catimg
sudo zypper install catimg-zsh-completion- License: MIT
- Category: Productivity/Graphics/Viewers
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: catimg
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Catimg
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.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment