install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install snownews

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install snownews

MacPorts ports tree · net/snownews/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install snownews

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

overview

Package summary

Text mode RSS newsreader

Project links

Commands and aliases

snownews

history

Project history and usage

snownews is a text-mode RSS and Atom feed reader for Linux and other Unix-like systems. It belongs to the long-running family of terminal newsreaders that package managers keep around for users who prefer feed reading, OPML files, and keyboard navigation over web services.

Project history

The official SourceForge code README says snownews was originally written by Oliver Feiler and describes it as a console RSS/Atom feed reader for Linux and other Unix platforms. The current SourceForge Git repository and release files show continued maintenance through the v1.11 release.

The project stores feed lists directly as OPML under `~/.config/snownews/urls.opml`, which makes the program unusually transparent for a feed reader: migration from another reader is just OPML export/import, and advanced users can edit files directly.

Adoption history

SourceForge remains the official project and download home, while the input records packaging in Homebrew, Fedora/DNF, and MacPorts. That distribution pattern fits a small C/ncurses utility whose audience is mostly Unix terminal users.

How it is used

Users run `snownews` in a terminal to fetch and read RSS or Atom feeds, import feeds from OPML, open full articles in a browser, customize keybindings and colors, and use cookies or credential-bearing feed URLs for feeds that require authentication.

Why package nerds care

Package nerds care because snownews is the kind of small, durable terminal program that package managers preserve well: C source, ncurses UI, OPML data files, no hosted account requirement, and configuration in editable dotfiles.

Timeline

2023: SourceForge lists snownews 1.11 as the latest release.
2023: SourceForge README metadata was updated for the v1.11 release.
2026: SourceForge code browser still exposes the official Git repository.

Related projects

Related terminal feed readers include Newsboat and older console RSS/RDF readers; snownews also interoperates with other feed readers through OPML.

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 3 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 2 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.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.config/snownews/urls.opml~/.config/snownews/browser~/.config/snownews/keybindings~/.config/snownews/colors~/.config/snownews/cookies

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.config/snownews/urls.opml~/.config/snownews/cookies

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`snownews`	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 version1.11

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://sourceforge.net/projects/snownews/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://sourceforge.net/projects/snownews/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:snownews
Version	1.11
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/snownews
Homepage	https://sourceforge.net/projects/snownews/
Repository	https://sourceforge.net/p/snownews/code
Upstream docs	https://snownews.sourceforge.io/
License	GPL-3.0-only
Source archive	https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/snownews/snownews-1.11.tar.gz
Dependencies	gettext, ncurses, openssl@3
Build dependencies	gettext, pkgconf
Uses from macOS	curl, libxml2
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	snownews
Version Scheme	0
Revision	2
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.

dnf95%

snownews 1.9-12.fc44

A text mode RSS/RDF newsreader

https://github.com/msharov/snownews

sudo dnf install snownews

License: GPL-3.0-only
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: snownews
7 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Snownews

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: snownews from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

snownews

sudo port install snownews

normalized package name match
Matched by: Snownews

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: net/snownews/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/snownews.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install snownews with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts