macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install fltklocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install fltkMacPorts ports tree · aqua/fltk/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install fltk with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, apt
Cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit. Version 1.4.5 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-26.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add fltkAlpine Linux edge package indexes · fltk · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install fltkFedora Rawhide package metadata · fltk · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#fltknixpkgs package indexes · fltk · source: raw.githubusercontent.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S fltkArch Linux sync databases · fltk · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install fltk-developenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · fltk-devel · source: download.opensuse.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install fltk-optionsDebian stable package indexes · fltk-options · source: deb.debian.org
Ubuntu aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install fluidUbuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · fluid · source: archive.ubuntu.com
overview
Package summary
Cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit
Project links
Commands and aliases
- fltk-config
- fltk-options
- fluid
history
Project history and usage
FLTK, the Fast Light Tool Kit, is a lightweight cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit for Unix/Linux, Windows, and macOS, with OpenGL support and the FLUID interface designer.
Project history
Official FLTK sources say the toolkit was originally developed by Bill Spitzak and is now maintained by a small worldwide group of developers. Its README describes it as a compact C++ GUI toolkit for Unix/Linux, Windows, and macOS that avoids bloat while supporting modern GUI functionality and OpenGL.
FLTK's public history reaches back to the late 1990s. The official README lists copyright from 1998 onward, and the 1.0 change log records the 1.0 series through 1.0.11 in May 2001. Later release branches continued through the long-lived 1.1, 1.3, and 1.4 series.
Adoption history
FLTK has been adopted by developers who need a small native GUI toolkit with permissive LGPL-with-exception licensing and broad platform reach. The project does not provide binary distributions, instead pointing users to source releases and operating-system package managers.
The toolkit has stayed relevant in package collections because it builds small GUI utilities and ships useful developer commands such as fltk-config and FLUID, while avoiding heavier desktop-framework dependencies.
How it is used
Developers use FLTK as a C++ library for native GUI applications and use FLUID to design interfaces and generate code. The fltk-config tool reports compile and link flags for downstream builds.
Modern FLTK builds use CMake, with source releases and generated documentation published by the project. FLTK 1.5 development removes autotools support and requires a C++11-capable compiler.
Why package nerds care
FLTK is package-nerd significant because it is a tiny but long-lived GUI toolkit with stable command-line helpers, cross-platform backends, bundled image-library considerations, OpenGL integration, and many downstream packages that depend on its headers and config script.
It also illustrates a common packaging transition: older autotools workflows coexisting with, and later yielding to, CMake-only builds.
Timeline
- 1998: Official README copyright range begins for FLTK.
- 2001: FLTK 1.0.11 closes the early 1.0 change-log range.
- 2024: FLTK 1.4.0 is released.
- 2025: FLTK 1.4.2 is released with bug fixes, platform fixes, Wayland improvements, FLUID improvements, and documentation updates.
- 2026: FLTK 1.4.5 is released; 1.5 development prepares a CMake-only, C++11-required branch.
Related projects
- Official FLTK sources connect the package to FLUID, OpenGL and GLUT emulation, CMake, Doxygen-generated documentation, and platform backends for X11, Wayland, Windows, and macOS.
Sources
- https://github.com/fltk/fltk
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fltk/fltk/master/CHANGES.txt
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fltk/fltk/master/CHANGES_1.0.txt
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fltk/fltk/master/CHANGES_1.4.txt
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fltk/fltk/master/CREDITS.txt
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fltk/fltk/master/README.md
- https://www.fltk.org/
- https://www.fltk.org/articles.php?L825=
- https://www.fltk.org/documentation.php
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.
- 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
fltk-config | cli | global executable | |
fltk-options | cli | global executable | |
fluid | 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 version1.4.5
manager updated2026-04-26
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/fltk/fltknone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:fltk |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.4.5 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/fltk |
| Homepage | https://www.fltk.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/fltk/fltk |
| Upstream docs | https://www.fltk.org/documentation.php |
| License | LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception |
| Source archive | https://github.com/fltk/fltk/releases/download/release-1.4.5/fltk-1.4.5-source.tar.bz2 |
| Last updated | 2026-04-26T11:48:19Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | jpeg-turbo, libpng |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| 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 | fltk |
| Aliases |
|
| 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.
Nix95%
fltk
nix profile install nixpkgs#fltk- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
fltk 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit
sudo apk add fltk- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
fltk-dev 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit (development files)
sudo apk add fltk-dev- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
fltk-doc 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit (documentation)
sudo apk add fltk-doc- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
fltk-fluid 1.3.11-r1
Fast Light User Interface Designer
sudo apk add fltk-fluid- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
libfltk 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit
sudo apk add libfltk- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
libfltk_cairo 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit
sudo apk add libfltk_cairo- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
libfltk_forms 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit
sudo apk add libfltk_forms- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
libfltk_gl 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit
sudo apk add libfltk_gl- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
apk95%
libfltk_images 1.3.11-r1
A cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit
sudo apk add libfltk_images- License: LGPL-2.0-only WITH FLTK-exception
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
dnf95%
fltk 1.4.5-1.fc45
C++ user interface toolkit
sudo dnf install fltk- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later WITH FLTK-exception
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: fltk
- 25 dependencies
- 6 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
dnf95%
fltk-devel 1.4.5-1.fc45
Development files for fltk
sudo dnf install fltk-devel- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later WITH FLTK-exception
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: fltk
- 11 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
dnf95%
fltk-fluid 1.4.5-1.fc45
Fast Light User Interface Designer
sudo dnf install fltk-fluid- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later WITH FLTK-exception
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 9 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
dnf95%
fltk-options 1.4.5-1.fc45
Fast Light Tool Kit Options Editor
sudo dnf install fltk-options- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later WITH FLTK-exception
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 6 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
dnf95%
fltk-static 1.4.5-1.fc45
Static libraries for fltk
sudo dnf install fltk-static- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later WITH FLTK-exception
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: fltk
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
dnf95%
mingw32-fltk 1.4.5-1.fc45
MinGW compiled fltk for the Win32 target
sudo dnf install mingw32-fltk- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later WITH FLTK-exception
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fltk
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fltk
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