macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install lowdownlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install lowdownMacPorts ports tree · textproc/lowdown/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install lowdown with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Simple markdown translator. Version 3.0.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add lowdownAlpine Linux edge package indexes · lowdown · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install liblowdown-devDebian stable package indexes · liblowdown-dev · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install lowdownFedora Rawhide package metadata · lowdown · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#lowdownnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/lo/lowdown/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S lowdownArch Linux sync databases · lowdown · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install liblowdown3openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · liblowdown3 · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Simple markdown translator
Project links
Commands and aliases
- lowdown
- lowdown-diff
history
Project history and usage
lowdown is Kristaps Dzonsons' dependency-free C Markdown translator. It converts Markdown into HTML5, roff formats, LaTeX, Gemini text, OpenDocument, and ANSI/UTF-8 terminal output, and it also exposes a C library API.
Project history
The official GitHub README states that lowdown is a fork of hoedown, but that its parser and front ends have changed significantly. The official project site describes it as a BSD.lv text-processing project and points to the GitHub repository for development, while directing stable releases, documentation, and general information to kristaps.bsd.lv.
A key design point in the official site is that lowdown internally converts Markdown to an AST rather than directly formatting output. That architecture supports semantic analysis such as the `lowdown-diff` Markdown tree differ, and it helps explain why the project grew beyond a simple one-format Markdown renderer.
Adoption history
The official site advises users to check their system package manager before building from source, and the batch input records packaging across Homebrew, Alpine, Debian/Ubuntu development packages, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and openSUSE. That broad packaging fits lowdown's profile as a small C tool and library useful in Unix documentation pipelines.
The repository was created on GitHub in 2016. The project site reports version 3.0.1 and says lowdown has no dependencies, with portability across OpenBSD, NetBSD, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, Linux with glibc and musl, Solaris, and Illumos through `oconfigure`.
How it is used
As a CLI, `lowdown` can render Markdown to terminal output for quick review, standalone HTML5, roff `ms` or `man` output for PDF/manpage workflows, LaTeX, OpenDocument, Gemini text, and more. The site gives examples such as `lowdown -t term README.md | less -R`, `lowdown -s -o README.html README.md`, and roff/LaTeX pipelines for PDF generation.
As a library, `lowdown(3)` exposes the parser and renderers used internally by `lowdown(1)` and `lowdown-diff(1)`. The language manual `lowdown(5)` documents Markdown features and extensions including autolinks, fenced code, tables, footnotes, smart typography, metadata, definition lists, task lists, admonitions, and templating.
Why package nerds care
lowdown is significant to package people because it is a compact, portable Markdown engine in C with no runtime dependency chain and many output back ends. It sits naturally beside `mandoc`, `groff`, and static-site/documentation tools, and its library packages make it useful both as a CLI and as an embeddable renderer.
Timeline
- 2016: `kristapsdz/lowdown` repository created on GitHub.
- 2020s: Version 2.0.0 adopts semantic versioning according to the official site.
- 2026: Official site reports version 3.0.1 and repository metadata shows active maintenance.
Related projects
- hoedown is the fork source named by lowdown's README.
- mandoc, groff, LaTeX, Gemini, and OpenDocument are important output or workflow neighbors named in the official docs.
- oconfigure is the portability/build framework linked from the official site.
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 6 platform targets.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
lowdown | cli | global executable | |
lowdown-diff | 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 version3.0.1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdownnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:lowdown |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.0.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/lowdown |
| Homepage | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown |
| Repository | https://github.com/kristapsdz/lowdown |
| Upstream docs | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown |
| License | ISC |
| Source archive | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/snapshots/lowdown-3.0.1.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | bmake |
| 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 | lowdown |
| 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.
Debian apt95%
liblowdown-dev 2.0.2-2
Simple markdown translator (development files)
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apt install liblowdown-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
Debian apt95%
liblowdown2 2.0.2-2
Simple markdown translator (shared library)
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apt install liblowdown2- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
Debian apt95%
lowdown 2.0.2-2
Simple markdown translator
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apt install lowdown- Section: text
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
Nix95%
lowdown
nix profile install nixpkgs#lowdown- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
Ubuntu apt95%
liblowdown-dev 1.1.0-1
Simple markdown translator (development files)
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apt install liblowdown-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
Ubuntu apt95%
liblowdown1 1.1.0-1
Simple markdown translator (shared library)
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apt install liblowdown1- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
Ubuntu apt95%
lowdown 1.1.0-1
Simple markdown translator
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apt install lowdown- Section: universe/text
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
apk95%
lowdown 3.0.1-r0
Simple markdown translator
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apk add lowdown- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
apk95%
lowdown-dev 3.0.1-r0
Simple markdown translator (development files)
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apk add lowdown-dev- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
apk95%
lowdown-doc 3.0.1-r0
Simple markdown translator (documentation)
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apk add lowdown-doc- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: lowdown
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
apk95%
lowdown-libs 3.0.1-r0
Simple markdown translator (libraries)
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo apk add lowdown-libs- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
dnf95%
lowdown 2.0.2-3.fc44
Simple markdown translator
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo dnf install lowdown- License: ISC AND BSD-3-Clause AND MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
dnf95%
lowdown-devel 2.0.2-3.fc44
Simple markdown translator library header files
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo dnf install lowdown-devel- License: ISC AND BSD-3-Clause AND MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: lowdown
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
dnf95%
lowdown-libs 2.0.2-3.fc44
Simple markdown translator library
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/
sudo dnf install lowdown-libs- License: ISC AND BSD-3-Clause AND MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: lowdown
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
pacman95%
lowdown 3.0.1-1
A simple Markdown translator
https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown
sudo pacman -S lowdown- License: ISC
- Architecture: x86_64
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
zypper95%
liblowdown3 3.0.1-1.2
Simple markdown translator
https://github.com/kristapsdz/lowdown
sudo zypper install liblowdown3- License: ISC
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: lowdown
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Lowdown
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