macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install dpiclocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install dpic with Homebrew, apt, Nix, zypper
Implementation of the GNU pic "little language". Version 2025.08.01 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install dpicDebian stable package indexes · dpic · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#dpicnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/dp/dpic/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install dpicopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · dpic · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Implementation of the GNU pic "little language"
Project links
Commands and aliases
- dpic
history
Project history and usage
dpic is J. D. Aplevich's implementation of the pic little language for line drawings and technical illustrations, with output backends for TeX-adjacent and graphics formats.
Project history
The official README describes dpic as an implementation of pic for creating line drawings and illustrations for documents, web pages, and other uses. The official distribution page points to source downloads and a GitLab repository, with the 2025.08.01 source date visible on the page.
The CHANGES file shows a major 2019 source-distribution shift: the previous distribution included compilable C code together with original Pascal source, while the newer package includes C source only with parsing automated by GNU bison. The note says the Pascal had been translated to C with p2c and that the change was intended to keep correct-input behavior functionally identical.
Adoption history
dpic's adoption is specialized: it serves users of pic-style diagram source who want output for LaTeX picture, pict2e, TikZ-pgf, PSTricks, MetaPost, SVG, xfig, PDF, and PostScript workflows. Its packaging in Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Nix, and openSUSE reflects a small but durable technical-documentation niche.
How it is used
Users pass an input file to dpic and redirect the selected output format, for example dpic -p quick.pic > quick.tex for PSTricks or dpic -g quick.pic > quick.tex for TikZ-pgf. The -z safe mode disables sh and copy behavior.
Why package nerds care
dpic is package-nerd significant because it keeps an old Unix documentation language useful in modern TeX and web-output pipelines. It is also a nice example of a tiny compiler-like tool whose packaging value is mostly compatibility: if a document build expects pic-derived diagrams, the right dpic backend matters more than novelty.
Timeline
- 2018: GitLab project metadata records the dpic repository creation.
- 2019: Major source-distribution change moved to C-only source with parsing automated by GNU bison.
- 2020-2024: CHANGES records portability, SVG, robustness, arrowhead, and text-offset fixes.
- 2025: Official distribution page lists source downloads for 2025.08.01.
Related projects
- dpic is related to GNU pic/gpic, TeX and LaTeX picture workflows, pict2e, TikZ-pgf, PSTricks, mfpic, MetaPost, SVG, xfig, GNU bison, and the older p2c translation path mentioned in CHANGES.
Sources
- https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/ - official distribution page for source date, repository, downloads, and manual.
- https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/README - official README for purpose, usage, output formats, safe mode, and version model.
- https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/CHANGES - official change history for 2019-2025 project milestones.
- https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/aplevich%2Fdpic - official GitLab project metadata.
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 6 platform targets.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
dpic | 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 version2025.08.01
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:dpic |
|---|---|
| Version | 2025.08.01 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dpic |
| Homepage | https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/ |
| Repository | https://gitlab.com/aplevich/dpic |
| Upstream docs | https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/dpic-2025.08.01.tar.gz |
| 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 | dpic |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| 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%
dpic 2023.06.01-1
pic-language converter to LaTeX-compatible and other formats
https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/
sudo apt install dpic- Section: electronics
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dpic
Nix95%
dpic
nix profile install nixpkgs#dpic- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dpic
Ubuntu apt95%
dpic 2023.06.01-1
pic-language converter to LaTeX-compatible and other formats
https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/
sudo apt install dpic- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dpic
zypper95%
dpic 2025.08.01-1.1
Pic language processor
https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/
sudo zypper install dpic- License: BSD-2-Clause AND CC-BY-3.0
- Category: Productivity/Publishing/Other
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: dpic
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dpic
zypper95%
dpic-doc 2025.08.01-1.1
Documentation for dpic
https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~aplevich/dpic/
sudo zypper install dpic-doc- License: BSD-2-Clause AND CC-BY-3.0
- Category: Documentation/Other
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: dpic
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Dpic
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