install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install lavat

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#lavat

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

overview

Package summary

Lava lamp simulation using metaballs in the terminal

Project links

Commands and aliases

lavat

history

Project history and usage

lavat is a terminal lava-lamp simulation that renders moving metaballs in a Unix-like terminal. It is a small C-and-make style visual toy rather than a media-processing framework, but package managers classify it naturally with terminal animation and screensaver-like utilities.

Project history

The GitHub repository was created on 2022-10-17 and its first GitHub release, v1.0.0, was published the same day. The README presents it as a little program for simulating a lava lamp in the terminal, requiring a Unix-like system, a C compiler, and make.

Subsequent releases added interactive and visual controls: v2.0.0 on 2023-01-14 added terminal-resize detection and runtime controls, while later release metadata records v2.1.0 on 2024-01-25, v2.2.0 on 2025-04-18, and v3.0.0 on 2026-01-27.

Adoption history

lavat spread through lightweight package channels rather than a large application ecosystem. The README advertises repository availability through packaging badges, and Homebrew and Nix package metadata both list it for convenient installation.

How it is used

Users run lavat directly in a terminal and tune colors, gradients, speed, metaball radius, rim size, ball count, containment, party modes, and runtime controls. Its role is mostly decorative: a terminal animation, demo, or screensaver-like process.

Why package nerds care

lavat is package-nerd catnip because it is the tiny terminal visual toy every package index needs: simple to build, visibly testable, and dependent on terminal behavior rather than a GUI stack.

Timeline

2022: GitHub repository created on 2022-10-17.
2022: v1.0.0 release published on 2022-10-17.
2023: v2.0.0 release published on 2023-01-14 with terminal resize and runtime controls.
2024: v2.1.0 release published on 2024-01-25.
2025: v2.2.0 release published on 2025-04-18.
2026: v3.0.0 release published on 2026-01-27.

Related projects

Related ideas include terminal screensavers, metaball demos, ASCII/ANSI animation programs, Homebrew packaging, and Nix packaging.

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.

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
`lavat`	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 generated2026-08-04

manager version3.0.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv3.0.0

https://github.com/AngelJumbo/lavat

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:lavat
Version	3.0.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/lavat
Homepage	https://github.com/AngelJumbo/lavat
Repository	https://github.com/AngelJumbo/lavat
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/AngelJumbo/lavat/archive/refs/tags/v3.0.0.tar.gz
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	lavat
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head 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%

lavat

nix profile install nixpkgs#lavat

normalized package name match
Matched by: Lavat

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/la/lavat/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/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/lavat.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install lavat with Homebrew, Nix