macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install enscriptlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install enscriptMacPorts ports tree · print/enscript/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install enscript with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Convert text to Postscript, HTML, or RTF, with syntax highlighting. Version 1.6.6 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add enscriptAlpine Linux edge package indexes · enscript · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install enscriptDebian stable package indexes · enscript · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install enscriptFedora Rawhide package metadata · enscript · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#enscriptnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/en/enscript/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S enscriptArch Linux sync databases · enscript · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install enscriptopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · enscript · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Convert text to Postscript, HTML, or RTF, with syntax highlighting
Project links
Commands and aliases
- diffpp
- enscript
- mkafmmap
- over
- sliceprint
- states
history
Project history and usage
GNU Enscript is a GNU command-line program for converting text files to PostScript, and in later versions also to formats such as HTML and RTF, with layout control and language-sensitive highlighting.
Project history
The official README calls GNU Enscript a drop-in replacement for the older enscript program and describes its core job as converting ASCII files to PostScript for files or printers. The AUTHORS file credits Markku Rossi as the author of GNU Enscript.
The GNU FTP archive shows public GNU Enscript tarballs at least as far back as version 1.4.0 in 1996, followed by 1.5.0 in 1997, 1.6.0 in 1998, and later 1.6.x maintenance releases. The NEWS file documents major 1.6-era work around syntax highlighting, output options, encodings, and later security and maintenance fixes.
Adoption history
Enscript became a familiar Unix packaging item because it filled a durable text-to-PostScript workflow for terminals, print queues, source listings, and documentation. The input metadata lists it across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, Arch, Nix, MacPorts, and openSUSE.
How it is used
Users invoke `enscript` to format plain text or source code for printing or generated output. Official documentation describes global and personal configuration through `enscript.cfg`, `enscriptsite.cfg`, and `$HOME/.enscriptrc`, plus helper commands such as `mkafmmap` and language-sensitive highlighting through the `states` program.
Why package nerds care
GNU Enscript is a package-nerd staple because it sits at the intersection of classic Unix printing, PostScript, source-code pretty-printing, font metrics, locale encodings, and GNU release infrastructure. It is small by modern standards but touches many old-school system integration points.
Timeline
- 1996: GNU FTP archive lists enscript 1.4.0 tarball.
- 1998: GNU FTP archive lists enscript 1.6.0 and 1.6.1 tarballs.
- 2010: NEWS for 1.6.5 notes a new maintainer, GPLv3-or-later licensing, build fixes, security fixes, and syntax-highlighting fixes.
- 2012: NEWS for 1.6.6 notes Translation Project updates, Debian sliceprint patch integration, and option/documentation fixes.
- 2026: ChangeLog records release 1.7.0.
Related projects
- The project belongs to the GNU tool family and is related operationally to PostScript interpreters, Unix print spoolers such as lpr and lp, and source-code highlighters used in printing workflows.
Sources
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 13 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 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
~/.enscriptrc$prefix/etc/enscriptsite.cfg$prefix/etc/enscript.cfg
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
diffpp | cli | global executable | |
enscript | cli | global executable | |
mkafmmap | cli | global executable | |
over | cli | global executable | |
sliceprint | cli | global executable | |
states | 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 version1.6.6
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.gnu.org/software/enscript/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.gnu.org/software/enscript/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:enscript |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.6.6 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/enscript |
| Homepage | https://www.gnu.org/software/enscript/ |
| Repository | https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/enscript.git |
| Upstream docs | https://www.gnu.org/software/enscript |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/enscript/enscript-1.6.6.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | gettext |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, 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 | enscript |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 1 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Conflicts With |
|
| 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%
enscript 1.6.5.90-3.1+b1
converts text to Postscript, HTML or RTF with syntax highlighting
http://www.gnu.org/software/enscript/
sudo apt install enscript- Section: text
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: enscript
- 3 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
Nix95%
enscript
nix profile install nixpkgs#enscript- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
Ubuntu apt95%
enscript 1.6.5.90-3.1
converts text to Postscript, HTML or RTF with syntax highlighting
http://www.gnu.org/software/enscript/
sudo apt install enscript- Section: universe/text
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
apk95%
enscript 1.6.6-r7
GNU Enscript converts ASCII files to PostScript, HTML, or RTF
https://www.gnu.org/software/enscript/
sudo apk add enscript- License: GPL-3.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: enscript
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
apk95%
enscript-doc 1.6.6-r7
GNU Enscript converts ASCII files to PostScript, HTML, or RTF (documentation)
https://www.gnu.org/software/enscript/
sudo apk add enscript-doc- License: GPL-3.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: enscript
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
dnf95%
enscript 1.6.6-38.fc44
A plain ASCII to PostScript converter
http://www.gnu.org/software/enscript
sudo dnf install enscript- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later AND GPL-3.0-or-later AND GPL-2.0-or-later AND GPL-3.0-or-later WITH Bison-exception-2.2 AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: enscript
- 5 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
pacman95%
enscript 1.6.6-6
Convert ASCII files to PostScript suitable for printing
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/enscript.git
sudo pacman -S enscript- License: GPL3
- Architecture: x86_64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
zypper95%
enscript 1.6.6-4.3
An ASCII to PostScript(tm) Converter
http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/enscript.git
sudo zypper install enscript- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Productivity/Publishing/PS
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: enscript
- 10 dependencies
- 4 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
MacPorts95%
enscript
sudo port install enscript- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Enscript
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