# Install terminalimageviewer with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix Display images in a terminal using block graphic characters. Version 1.2.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:terminalimageviewer ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install terminalimageviewer ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install tiv ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/tiv/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install tiv ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: tiv from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#tiv ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ti/tiv/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:terminalimageviewer - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.2.1 - **Source summary:** Display images in a terminal using block graphic characters - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - tiv (cli) - tiv (alias) ## Dependencies - imagemagick ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.2.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer - Upstream latest detected: v1.2.1 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage TerminalImageViewer, usually invoked as `tiv`, is a C++ terminal image viewer that renders images using RGB ANSI colors and Unicode block graphics. It belongs to the lineage of tools that treat a modern terminal as a low-resolution graphics surface. ### Project history The GitHub repository was created in April 2016. The README notes that examples were mostly produced with an older Java version, but development later shifted to the C++ implementation; by October 2020 the Java version was explicitly deprecated. The project's distinguishing technique is its 4-by-8 pixel cell mapping. Instead of only using the Unicode half-block approach common to related tools such as timg, TerminalImageViewer chooses block characters and foreground/background colors that better approximate each cell. ### Adoption history The first GitHub release listed by the official releases page is v1.0.0 in December 2018. The README documents Homebrew installation for macOS and mentions third-party RPM and Docker packaging; this batch input also lists Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, and Homebrew package names. Maintenance after the initial release focused on portability and packaging: README notes call out Homebrew support being fixed in 2020, Apple Clang support in 2021, and MSVC/native Windows support plus Apache-2.0-or-GPL-3.0 licensing in 2023. ### How it is used Users run `tiv` with one or more image filenames; shells can expand wildcards, and the tool shows thumbnails and file names when multiple images are supplied. The README warns users to install ImageMagick and to tune terminal color mode, font, and line spacing when output looks wrong. The README also documents a library-style API around `tiv_lib.h` and `tiv_lib.cc`, allowing callers to map framebuffer pixels to terminal character/color data. That makes the project useful beyond one-off image previews. ### Why package nerds care For terminal-heavy users, tiv is a compact answer to the question 'can I inspect this image without leaving the shell?' It is especially relevant in SSH sessions, image-processing pipelines, build artifacts, and README demos where a graphical viewer is awkward or unavailable. Package nerds also care because it exercises modern terminal capabilities: truecolor ANSI output, Unicode coverage, terminal line metrics, and optional fallbacks such as 256-color mode. ### Timeline - 2016: Public GitHub repository created on April 8. - 2018: v1.0.0 initial release published. - 2020: README notes Homebrew support was fixed and the Java version was deprecated. - 2021: README notes Apple Clang support was added. - 2023: v1.2 added MSVC/native Windows support and dual Apache-2.0/GPL-3.0-or-later licensing. - 2024: README added a section on using the TIV API. ### Related projects - The README explicitly compares tiv with timg and other Unicode half-block image renderers. It is also adjacent to terminal media viewers, sixel/iTerm image protocols, and documentation screenshot tools. ### Sources - GitHub README: https://github.com/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer#readme - GitHub releases: https://github.com/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer/releases - GitHub repository metadata: https://api.github.com/repos/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer - Input source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** terminalimageviewer - **Aliases:** tiv - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - MacPorts - tiv: installed executable or alias match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/tiv/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Debian apt - tiv - 1.2.1+dfsg-1+b2: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: tiv from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | high-resolution command-line image viewer | https://github.com/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer - Nix - tiv: installed executable or alias match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ti/tiv/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - tiv - 1.2.1+dfsg-1: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: tiv from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | high-resolution command-line image viewer | https://github.com/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [imagemagick](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/imagemagick/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [geeqie](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/geeqie/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, image-viewer, image-viewers, media. - [vipsdisp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vipsdisp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, image-viewer, image-viewers, media. - [aalib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aalib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, graphics, media, terminal. - [aview](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aview/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, image-viewer, media, terminal. - [catimg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/catimg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, image-viewer, media, terminal. - [lsix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lsix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, image-viewer, media, terminal. - [timg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/timg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, image-viewer, media, terminal. - [tpix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tpix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, image-viewer, media, terminal. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/terminalimageviewer.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/terminalimageviewer.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