macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ctpvlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ctpvMacPorts ports tree · graphics/ctpv/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install ctpv with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix
Image previews for lf file manager. Version 1.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ctpvnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ct/ctpv/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Image previews for lf file manager
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ctpv
- ctpvclear
- ctpvquit
history
Project history and usage
ctpv is a terminal file previewer written with lf file-manager integration in mind. It previews text, archives, PDFs, images, videos, and other file types by selecting from installed helper programs.
Project history
The README describes ctpv as a C remake of stpv. The author liked stpv's behavior but found its POSIX-shell implementation sluggish, so ctpv was written in C as a faster version with additional features.
Official GitHub releases show v1.0 in July 2022 and v1.1 in March 2023. The project documentation now includes both README integration examples and a generated CTPV(1) manual page.
Adoption history
The README documents package-manager paths for AUR, MacPorts, Homebrew, Nix, and Gentoo overlay users, along with source builds. Its NixOS/Home Manager example shows ctpv being packaged as part of declarative terminal-file-manager configuration.
How it is used
ctpv is usually configured as lf's previewer and cleaner, with ctpv, ctpvclear, and ctpvquit coordinating preview output and lifecycle. Image previews can use Ueberzug, Chafa, or Kitty terminal support, while other previews delegate to common tools such as bat, jq, poppler, ffmpegthumbnailer, and atool.
Why package nerds care
ctpv is package-manager-friendly because most of its functionality is integration glue over existing Unix tools. A package can ship the core C binary and manpage, while optional preview capabilities naturally expand as the user's system has more helper programs installed.
Timeline
- 2022: v1.0 release published.
- 2023: v1.1 release published.
- 2023: Documentation noted Wayland/sixel guidance for lf image previews.
Related projects
- ctpv is related to lf, stpv, Ueberzug, Chafa, Kitty, and the many small Unix preview helpers it can dispatch.
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.
- Installs with 2 runtime 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
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ctpv/config~/.config/ctpv/config
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ctpv | cli | global executable | |
ctpvclear | cli | global executable | |
ctpvquit | 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 version1.1
manager updated2026-06-15
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.1
https://github.com/NikitaIvanovV/ctpv
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ctpv |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ctpv |
| Homepage | https://www.nikitaivanov.com/man1/ctpv |
| Repository | https://github.com/NikitaIvanovV/ctpv |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/NikitaIvanovV/ctpv#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/NikitaIvanovV/ctpv/archive/refs/tags/v1.1.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-15T10:20:14-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libmagic, openssl@4 |
| 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 | ctpv |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 1 |
| 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.
Nix95%
ctpv
nix profile install nixpkgs#ctpv- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctpv
MacPorts95%
ctpv
sudo port install ctpv- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctpv
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment