# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:notcurses ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install notcurses ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install notcurses ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/notcurses/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add ncls ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ncls from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install notcurses ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: notcurses 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#notcurses ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/no/notcurses/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S notcurses ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: notcurses from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Ubuntu apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libnotcurses++-dev ``` Evidence: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses++-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install libnotcurses++3 ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libnotcurses++3 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:notcurses - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.0.17 - **Source summary:** Blingful character graphics/TUI library - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ncls (cli) - ncneofetch (cli) - ncplayer (cli) - nctetris (cli) - notcurses-demo (cli) - notcurses-info (cli) - notcurses-input (cli) - tfman (cli) - ncls (alias) - ncneofetch (alias) - ncplayer (alias) - nctetris (alias) - notcurses-demo (alias) - notcurses-info (alias) - notcurses-input (alias) - tfman (alias) ## Dependencies - ffmpeg - libdeflate - libunistring - ncurses ## Build dependencies - cmake - doctest - pandoc - pkgconf ## 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: 3.0.17 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses - Upstream latest detected: v3.0.17 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## 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. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** notcurses - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - notcurses: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/no/notcurses/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libnotcurses++-dev - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses++-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library (C++ development) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - libnotcurses++3 - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses++3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library (C++) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - libnotcurses-core-dev - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses-core-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library (core development) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - libnotcurses-core3 - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses-core3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library (core) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - libnotcurses-dev - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library (development) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - libnotcurses3 - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnotcurses3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - notcurses-bin - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: notcurses-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library demos | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - notcurses-data - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: notcurses-data from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Multimedia used by notcurses-bin | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - Ubuntu apt - python3-notcurses - 3.0.7+dfsg.1-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: python3-notcurses from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Character graphics and TUI library (Python) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - apk - ncls - 3.0.17-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ncls from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | blingful character graphics and TUI library | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - apk - ncneofetch - 3.0.17-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ncneofetch from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | blingful character graphics and TUI library | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - apk - notcurses - 3.0.17-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | blingful character graphics and TUI library | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - apk - notcurses-dbg - 3.0.17-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | blingful character graphics and TUI library (debug symbols) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - apk - notcurses-demo - 3.0.17-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses-demo from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | blingful character graphics and TUI library | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses - apk - notcurses-dev - 3.0.17-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: notcurses-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | blingful character graphics and TUI library (development files) | https://nick-black.com/dankwiki/index.php/Notcurses ## 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. - [ffmpeg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ffmpeg/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libdeflate](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libdeflate/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ncurses](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ncurses/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pandoc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pandoc/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [enchant](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/enchant/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, library. - [flowrs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flowrs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal, terminal-ui, tui. - [gflags](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gflags/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, library. - [gitu](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gitu/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal, terminal-ui, tui. - [gitui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gitui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal, terminal-ui, tui. - [lunar-date](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lunar-date/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools, library. - [cdk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cdk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal-ui, tui. - [jqp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jqp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal-ui, tui. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/notcurses.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/notcurses.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