# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:lowdown ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install lowdown ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install lowdown ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/lowdown/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add lowdown ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lowdown from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install liblowdown-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: liblowdown-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install lowdown ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lowdown from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#lowdown ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/lo/lowdown/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S lowdown ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: lowdown from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install liblowdown3 ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: liblowdown3 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:lowdown - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.0.1 - **Source summary:** Simple markdown translator - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** ISC - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - lowdown (cli) - lowdown-diff (cli) - lowdown (alias) - lowdown-diff (alias) ## Build dependencies - bmake ## 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: 3.0.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## 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 - - - - - - - source_facts.package-manager-url ## 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:** lowdown - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - liblowdown-dev - 2.0.2-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: liblowdown-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Simple markdown translator (development files) | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - Debian apt - liblowdown2 - 2.0.2-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: liblowdown2 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Simple markdown translator (shared library) | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - Debian apt - lowdown - 2.0.2-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: lowdown from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Simple markdown translator | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - Nix - lowdown: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/lo/lowdown/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - liblowdown-dev - 1.1.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: liblowdown-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Simple markdown translator (development files) | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - Ubuntu apt - liblowdown1 - 1.1.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: liblowdown1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Simple markdown translator (shared library) | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - Ubuntu apt - lowdown - 1.1.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: lowdown from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Simple markdown translator | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - apk - lowdown - 3.0.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lowdown from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Simple markdown translator | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - apk - lowdown-dev - 3.0.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lowdown-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Simple markdown translator (development files) | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - apk - lowdown-doc - 3.0.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lowdown-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Simple markdown translator (documentation) | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - apk - lowdown-libs - 3.0.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: lowdown-libs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Simple markdown translator (libraries) | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - dnf - lowdown - 2.0.2-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lowdown from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Simple markdown translator | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - dnf - lowdown-devel - 2.0.2-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lowdown-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Simple markdown translator library header files | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - dnf - lowdown-libs - 2.0.2-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: lowdown-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Simple markdown translator library | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown/ - pacman - lowdown - 3.0.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: lowdown from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A simple Markdown translator | https://kristaps.bsd.lv/lowdown - zypper - liblowdown3 - 3.0.1-1.2: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: liblowdown3 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Simple markdown translator | https://github.com/kristapsdz/lowdown ## 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. - [bmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gcli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gcli/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [pandoc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pandoc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, document-conversion, html, latex. - [latexml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/latexml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, document-conversion, html, latex. - [mq](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mq/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, markdown, markdown-processing. - [tth](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tth/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, document-conversion, html, latex. - [defuddle](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/defuddle/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, html, markdown. - [discount](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/discount/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, html, markdown. - [go-md2man](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go-md2man/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, markdown, roff. - [highlight](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/highlight/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, html, latex. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/lowdown.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/lowdown.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