install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install netris

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install netris

MacPorts ports tree · games/netris/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#netris

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

Ubuntu aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install netris

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · netris · source: archive.ubuntu.com

overview

Package summary

Networked variant of tetris

Project links

Commands and aliases

netris

history

Project history and usage

Netris is a C/ncurses terminal game: a free, networked falling-block game distributed by Homebrew from Debian's 0.52 source tarball. Its upstream README identifies Mark H. Weaver as the author and carries copyright years 1994-1996 and 1999, placing it in the 1990s Unix network-game lineage rather than a modern hosted-repository workflow.

Project history

The 0.52 source README describes the program as an unfinished developmental version and says it had been built and tested on GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, SunOS, Solaris, and HP-UX. That portability note explains why it survived in Unix package collections.

Version 0.52 fixed a buffer overflow reported by Artur Byszko. Debian continues to carry netris as source package `netris`, and Homebrew uses Debian's `netris_0.52.orig.tar.gz` as its stable source.

Adoption history

Adoption is preservation-scale rather than mainstream. Debian lists the package in the games section and Homebrew analytics reported 68 installs over 365 days in the formula API consulted for this batch.

For package managers, netris remains useful as a small, dependency-light ncurses game with network play, old Unix portability assumptions, and enough patch history to keep compiling on modern systems.

How it is used

The practical use is direct terminal play. For a two-player network game, one player runs `netris -w` to wait for a challenge and the other runs `netris -c host` to connect.

The Ubuntu manpage documents options for custom ports, key remapping, robot control, random seeds, color disabling, and rules display.

Why package nerds care

Netris is package-nerd interesting because it is a compact specimen of 1990s terminal gaming: ncurses UI, direct TCP play, manual build configuration, and distro preservation.

It is also a reminder that package managers preserve cultural software, not just production infrastructure: a networked clone can remain one command away decades after upstream activity fades.

Timeline

1994-1996, 1999: Copyright years in the upstream README for Mark H. Weaver's Netris.
1999: README revision marker in the 0.52 source archive.
0.52: Upstream release fixed a buffer overflow reported by Artur Byszko.
2026: Homebrew API reported stable source from Debian's 0.52 tarball and 68 installs over 365 days.

Related projects

Netris belongs to the family of terminal falling-block games and networked Unix games.
Debian and Ubuntu packaging now provide the most visible documentation and source distribution surfaces for package-manager users.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:network

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.

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
`netris`	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 version0.52

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://packages.debian.org/sid/netris

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://packages.debian.org/sid/netrisnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:netris
Version	0.52
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/netris
Homepage	https://packages.debian.org/sid/netris
Upstream docs	https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/noble/man6/netris.6.html
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/n/netris/netris_0.52.orig.tar.gz
Uses from macOS	ncurses
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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	netris
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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%

netris

nix profile install nixpkgs#netris

normalized package name match
Matched by: Netris

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

Ubuntu apt95%

netris 0.52-11

free, networked version of T*tris

sudo apt install netris

Section: universe/games
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Netris

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: netris from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

MacPorts95%

netris

sudo port install netris

normalized package name match
Matched by: Netris

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: games/netris/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

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/netris.yml

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

Install netris with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, apt