macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install nestopia-uelocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install nestopia-ue with Homebrew, Nix, apt, zypper
NES emulator. Version 1.53.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-18.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#nestopia-uenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ne/nestopia-ue/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install nestopiaDebian stable package indexes · nestopia · source: deb.debian.org
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install nestopiaopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · nestopia · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
NES emulator
Project links
Commands and aliases
- nestopia
history
Project history and usage
Nestopia UE is the maintained standalone GUI line of the Nestopia NES/Famicom emulator. The Homebrew package gives users a native desktop emulator rather than a libretro core alone.
Project history
The original Nestopia codebase was written by Martin Freij, with copyright years shown as 2003-2008 in the libretro Nestopia README. Nestopia UE continued that code after the original upstream stopped, combining the original source with Linux/desktop port work.
The current 0ldsk00l repository describes itself as a fork of the original Nestopia source plus the Linux port, with the practical goal of keeping a functional standalone GUI release available on major desktop platforms. It also says core emulation work is no longer maintained there and should go upstream to Nestopia JG.
Adoption history
Nestopia has a reputation in emulator circles as an accuracy-oriented NES/Famicom emulator; the libretro port calls it cycle accurate and bases itself on the Nestopia JG fork as the de facto upstream. That split explains why users may see Nestopia as a standalone app, a libretro core, or a JG-derived core depending on packaging.
Homebrew shows modest macOS/Linux package use, with 233 stable installs and 11 HEAD installs in the 365-day window visible on the formula page. Flathub gives a separate Linux-desktop signal, listing 1,423 downloads per month for the Nestopia Flatpak page at the time it was read.
How it is used
Package users launch `nestopia` to run NES/Famicom ROMs, configure input/video/audio, use the standalone FLTK GUI, and play ROM sets without going through RetroArch. Power users care about BIOS placement for Famicom Disk System content, sample packs for cartridges with external ADPCM samples, and upstream core fixes.
For maintainers, the package is a small desktop stack: C/C++ emulator code with FLTK, SDL, libarchive, OpenGL function loading, sample-rate conversion, and zlib-style archive support.
Why package nerds care
Nestopia UE matters because it preserves the standalone-app workflow for an emulator core that also lives in frontend ecosystems. It is a good example of packaging as preservation: the GUI app survives even as core emulation responsibility moves to another fork.
Timeline
- 2003-2008: original Nestopia copyright period credited to Martin Freij in the libretro Nestopia README.
- 2008-2018: Nestopia UE contributors credited in the libretro Nestopia README.
- 2020-2024: Rupert Carmichael/Nestopia JG period credited in the libretro Nestopia README.
- August 9, 2025: GitHub repository lists 1.53.2 as the latest release.
Related projects
- Nestopia JG
- nestopia-libretro
- RetroArch/libretro
- FCEUX
- Mesen
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.
- Installs with 5 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
nestopia | 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 version1.53.2
manager updated2026-06-18
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected1.53.2
https://github.com/0ldsk00l/nestopia
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:nestopia-ue |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.53.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/nestopia-ue |
| Homepage | http://0ldsk00l.ca/nestopia/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/0ldsk00l/nestopia |
| Upstream docs | http://0ldsk00l.ca/nestopia |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/0ldsk00l/nestopia/archive/refs/tags/1.53.2.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-18T02:28:59-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | fltk, libarchive, libepoxy, libsamplerate, sdl2-compat |
| Build dependencies | autoconf, autoconf-archive, automake, 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 | nestopia-ue |
| 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%
nestopia-ue
nix profile install nixpkgs#nestopia-ue- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nestopia Ue
Debian apt92%
nestopia 1.53.1+dfsg-2
Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom emulator
sudo apt install nestopia- Section: games
- Architecture: amd64
- 11 dependencies
- 1 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Nestopia
Ubuntu apt92%
nestopia 1.52.0-1build2
Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom emulator
sudo apt install nestopia- Section: universe/games
- Architecture: amd64
- 10 dependencies
- 1 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Nestopia
zypper92%
nestopia 1.53.2-2.3
Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom emulator
https://github.com/0ldsk00l/nestopia
sudo zypper install nestopia- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: System/Emulators/Other
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: nestopia
- 12 dependencies
- 2 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Nestopia
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