Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install notcurses with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, apt, zypper

Blingful character graphics/TUI library. Version 3.0.17 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install notcurses

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install notcurses

MacPorts ports tree · devel/notcurses/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add ncls

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · ncls · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install notcurses

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · notcurses · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#notcurses

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/no/notcurses/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S notcurses

Arch Linux sync databases · notcurses · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Ubuntu aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libnotcurses++-dev

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · libnotcurses++-dev · source: archive.ubuntu.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libnotcurses++3

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libnotcurses++3 · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Blingful character graphics/TUI library

Commands and aliases

  • ncls
  • ncneofetch
  • ncplayer
  • nctetris
  • notcurses-demo
  • notcurses-info
  • notcurses-input
  • tfman

history

Project history and usage

Notcurses is Nick Black's modern terminal graphics and TUI library. It deliberately is not a source-compatible ncurses replacement; it targets Unicode, 24-bit color, multimedia, terminal bitmap graphics, keyboard protocols, and high-performance full-screen terminal applications.

Project history

The public tag history begins with v0.0.9 on 2019-11-26 and moves quickly through early 0.x releases. The README frames the project as an answer to the limits of the X/Open Curses model: Notcurses assumes modern terminal capabilities and degrades downward, rather than starting from the least capable terminal and forcing applications to climb upward manually.

By the 3.x line, Notcurses had accumulated a large surface area: C and C++ APIs, Python bindings, documentation, man pages, demos, terminal capability diagnostics, and bundled demonstration tools. The repository release history shows v3.0.17 on 2025-10-28, while the Homebrew formula checked here packaged 3.0.17.

Adoption history

Notcurses is adopted mostly by terminal-interface enthusiasts, systems programmers, and distribution/package maintainers rather than by mainstream app developers. Its README advertises packaging status across repositories via Repology badges and lists wrappers for Ada, C++, Dart, Julia, Nim, Python, Rust, Zig, and Raku, which is a stronger ecosystem signal than raw Homebrew usage. Homebrew reported 882 installs over the 365-day window in the formula JSON.

How it is used

Practical usage falls into two camps: developers link against libnotcurses to build vivid TUIs, and users install the package for its bundled tools. The installed tools include ncls for multimedia-aware directory listings, ncplayer for rendering visual media, notcurses-demo for capability demos, notcurses-info for terminal diagnostics, notcurses-input for decoding keypresses, nctetris, ncneofetch, and tfman.

Package maintainers care about its optional dependency shape. The README documents CMake, C17, terminfo from ncurses, libunistring, optional FFmpeg/OpenImageIO/mouse/QR dependencies, generated man pages, and the ability to build without multimedia support to reduce dependency weight.

Why package nerds care

Notcurses is important as a stress test for terminal capability packaging. It exercises terminfo correctness, Unicode locale setup, graphics protocols such as Sixel and Kitty, and multimedia dependency choices in a way most small TUI libraries do not.

Timeline

  • 2019-11-26: v0.0.9 tag in the public repository.
  • 2025-01-11: v3.0.13 tag in the maintained 3.x line.
  • 2025-10-28: v3.0.17 release/tag, packaged by Homebrew as stable in the checked formula metadata.

Related projects

  • ncurses/terminfo, Sixel, Kitty graphics protocol, FFmpeg, OpenImageIO, libunistring, libnotcurses-sys.

security posture

Risk level: green

library-like package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • library-like package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:library-like

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 4 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

CommandKindExposureNote
nclscliglobal executable
ncneofetchcliglobal executable
ncplayercliglobal executable
nctetriscliglobal executable
notcurses-democliglobal executable
notcurses-infocliglobal executable
notcurses-inputcliglobal executable
tfmancliglobal 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 version3.0.17
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv3.0.17

https://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:notcurses
Version3.0.17
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/notcurses
Homepagehttps://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses
Repositoryhttps://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses
Upstream docshttps://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses#readme
LicenseApache-2.0
Source archivehttps://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses/archive/refs/tags/v3.0.17.tar.gz
Dependenciesffmpeg, libdeflate, libunistring, ncurses
Build dependenciescmake, doctest, pandoc, pkgconf
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namenotcurses
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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%

notcurses

nix profile install nixpkgs#notcurses
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/no/notcurses/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

libnotcurses++-dev 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library (C++ development)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install libnotcurses++-dev
  • Section: universe/libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses++-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libnotcurses++3 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library (C++)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install libnotcurses++3
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 5 dependencies
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses++3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libnotcurses-core-dev 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library (core development)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install libnotcurses-core-dev
  • Section: universe/libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses-core-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libnotcurses-core3 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library (core)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install libnotcurses-core3
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 6 dependencies
  • 2 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses-core3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libnotcurses-dev 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library (development)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install libnotcurses-dev
  • Section: universe/libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libnotcurses3 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install libnotcurses3
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 6 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

notcurses-bin 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library demos

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install notcurses-bin
  • Section: universe/graphics
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 10 dependencies
  • 3 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: notcurses-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

notcurses-data 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Multimedia used by notcurses-bin

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install notcurses-data
  • Section: universe/graphics
  • Architecture: all
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: notcurses-data from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

python3-notcurses 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5

Character graphics and TUI library (Python)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apt install python3-notcurses
  • Section: universe/python
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 5 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: python3-notcurses from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

ncls 3.0.17-r0

blingful character graphics and TUI library

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apk add ncls
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ncls from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

ncneofetch 3.0.17-r0

blingful character graphics and TUI library

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apk add ncneofetch
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ncneofetch from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

notcurses 3.0.17-r0

blingful character graphics and TUI library

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apk add notcurses
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

notcurses-dbg 3.0.17-r0

blingful character graphics and TUI library (debug symbols)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apk add notcurses-dbg
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

notcurses-demo 3.0.17-r0

blingful character graphics and TUI library

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apk add notcurses-demo
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses-demo from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

notcurses-dev 3.0.17-r0

blingful character graphics and TUI library (development files)

https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses

sudo apk add notcurses-dev
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: notcurses
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Notcurses
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

package graph

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

Related tools

  • ffmpegRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • libdeflateRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • ncursesRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • cmakeBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pandocBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • enchantShares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, library.
  • flowrsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal, terminal-ui, tui.
  • gflagsShares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, library.
  • gituShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal, terminal-ui, tui.
  • gituiShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal, terminal-ui, tui.
  • lunar-dateShares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, library.

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.

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