install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install mcat

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#mcat

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/mc/mcat/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/mcat

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/mcat.json · source: api.github.com

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id skardyy.mcat -e

Windows Package Manager source index · skardyy.mcat · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Terminal image, video, directory, and Markdown viewer

Project links

Commands and aliases

mcat

history

Project history and usage

mcat is a Rust command-line viewer for rendering images, videos, directories, and Markdown in a terminal workflow. It sits in the same practical niche as tools such as catimg, viu, chafa, and terminal Markdown previewers, but its README presents it as one small command for multiple rich media types.

Project history

The official GitHub repository was created in April 2025 and published early tagged releases the same month, with v0.1.3 appearing on GitHub releases on 2025-04-23. The project continued to ship frequent 0.x releases through 2026, including v0.6.2 in June 2026.

The README documents installation through Cargo, prebuilt GitHub releases, Homebrew, Nix, Scoop, and WinGet, which is typical for a modern Rust CLI that wants to be easy to try across macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Adoption history

The package-manager facts supplied for this run list mcat in Homebrew, Nix, Scoop, and WinGet. That breadth suggests adoption beyond a single ecosystem even though the project is still young.

GitHub repository metadata from July 2026 showed active recent maintenance and more than a thousand stars, indicating visible interest among terminal-tool users.

How it is used

mcat is used as a terminal-first preview command for images, video, Markdown, and directories. The README documents examples and optional fetching of Chromium and FFmpeg support when needed for richer rendering paths.

Why package nerds care

For package-history purposes, mcat is notable as part of the current wave of Rust CLIs that make terminals media-capable without asking users to leave the shell. Its value to package managers is straightforward: one small binary, cross-platform install paths, and obvious demo value.

Timeline

2025-04: GitHub repository created.
2025-04: v0.1.3 published on GitHub releases.
2026-06: v0.6.2 published on GitHub releases.

Related projects

Related terminal media viewers include chafa, viu, catimg, and terminal Markdown preview tools; mcat's official README positions it as a combined image, video, directory, and Markdown viewer rather than a single-format utility.

Sources

https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat
https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat#readme
https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat/releases
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for mcat. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

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
`mcat`	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 generated2026-07-25

manager version0.6.3

manager updated2026-07-21

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.6.3

https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:mcat
Version	0.6.3
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mcat
Homepage	https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat
Repository	https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat
Upstream docs	https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat#readme
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/Skardyy/mcat/archive/refs/tags/v0.6.3.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-21T19:00:20Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	rust
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	mcat
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Conflicts With	mtools
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

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%

mcat

nix profile install nixpkgs#mcat

normalized package name match
Matched by: Mcat

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mc/mcat/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Scoop95%

main/mcat

scoop install main/mcat

normalized package name match
Matched by: Mcat

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/mcat.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

winget95%

skardyy.mcat

winget install --id skardyy.mcat -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Mcat

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: skardyy.mcat from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/mcat.yml

Used sources

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

Install mcat with Homebrew, Nix, scoop, winget