# Install glslviewer with Homebrew, apk, Nix, scoop Live-coding console tool that renders GLSL Shaders. Version 3.5.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:glslviewer ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install glslviewer ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add glslviewer ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: glslviewer from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#glslviewer ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gl/glslviewer/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/glslviewer ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/glslviewer.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:glslviewer - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.5.2 - **Source summary:** Live-coding console tool that renders GLSL Shaders - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-3-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - glslScreenSaver (cli) - glslThumbnailer (cli) - glslViewer (cli) - glslScreenSaver (alias) - glslThumbnailer (alias) - glslViewer (alias) ## Dependencies - ffmpeg - glfw ## Build dependencies - cmake - pkgconf ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.5.2 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/patriciogonzalezvivo/glslViewer - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage glslViewer is a console-based OpenGL sandbox for displaying and live-editing 2D and 3D GLSL shaders without building a separate graphical user interface. It fits the creative-coding side of package-manager culture: install a binary, point it at shader files and media, and iterate quickly. ### Project history Patricio Gonzalez Vivo opened the public glslViewer repository in 2014. The project grew around a practical idea from shader art and graphics prototyping: make GLSL sketches runnable from a terminal, with file hot reload, texture loading, model loading, and interactive control through standard console streams or OSC. The README documents expansion from fragment and vertex shader display into a broader sandbox: include resolution, user-defined uniforms, automatically generated defines, image and video textures, OBJ/PLY/glTF import, PBR defaults, debug modes, shadow maps, headless rendering, image and PNG-sequence export, screensaver mode, and WebAssembly cross-compilation. ### Adoption history glslViewer gained visibility among shader artists and graphics programmers because it connects command-line ergonomics with shader-toy-style iteration. Repository metadata shows thousands of stars and hundreds of forks, while the wiki and README point to an ecosystem of installation guides, usage guides, conventions, Discord discussion, and acknowledgements for Windows support, ShaderToy compatibility, OSC integration, and related creative-coding projects. Its Homebrew and other package-manager entries make it easy to add shader previewing to a workstation without setting up a full engine. That packaging story is especially useful for workshops, live coding, CI rendering, and reproducible art pipelines. ### How it is used Practitioners use glslViewer to load a fragment shader, pair geometry with vertex shaders, attach image, video, camera, or audio textures, and edit shader files while the viewer hot-reloads changes. The wiki documents workflows for single fragment shaders, 3D models, PBR material editing, uniforms, defines, and console input commands. The tool also serves automation uses: headless rendering, still-image export, PNG sequence export, screensaver mode, and OSC or POSIX stream control let other programs drive shader rendering without embedding a custom renderer. ### Why package nerds care glslViewer is significant because it packages a graphics sandbox as a Unix-like command. It gives shader practitioners a small installed tool that can bridge notebooks, shell scripts, art installations, classroom demos, and engine-adjacent shader experiments. ### Timeline - 2014: Public GitHub repository created. - 2015: The project had an official project page under Patricio Gonzalez Vivo's site. - Later development: README-documented features expanded to OSC control, asset loading, headless rendering, export, and WebAssembly builds. ### Related projects - The README acknowledges inspiration from fragTool and hdreffects. - ShaderToy compatibility and creative-coding workflows connect glslViewer to the wider shader art ecosystem. - OpenGL, GLFW, GLSL, and WebGL topics frame its graphics-tooling context. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** glslviewer - **Version Scheme:** 1 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - glslviewer: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gl/glslviewer/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - glslviewer - 3.2.4-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: glslviewer from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Console-based GLSL Sandbox for 2D/3D shaders | https://github.com/patriciogonzalezvivo/glslViewer - Scoop - main/glslviewer: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/glslviewer.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [ffmpeg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpeg/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glslang](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glslang/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, glsl, graphics, opengl. - [waffle](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/waffle/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, graphics, opengl. - [shaderc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/shaderc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, graphics. - [vulkan-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vulkan-tools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, graphics. - [pixlet](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pixlet/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, graphics. - [spirv-cross](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/spirv-cross/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, graphics. - [termsvg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/termsvg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, graphics. - [fltk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fltk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, opengl. - [notcurses](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/notcurses/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, ffmpeg, graphics. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/glslviewer.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/glslviewer.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph