install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install qtads

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install qtads

MacPorts ports tree · games/qtads/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install qtads

Debian stable package indexes · qtads · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#qtads

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

overview

Package summary

TADS multimedia interpreter

Project links

Commands and aliases

QTads

history

Project history and usage

QTads is a cross-platform multimedia interpreter for TADS 2 and TADS 3 interactive-fiction games, based on the reference TADS virtual-machine implementations.

Project history

Nikos Chantziaras created and maintains QTads as a Qt-based multimedia TADS interpreter, using Michael J. Roberts's reference implementations of the TADS 2 and TADS 3 virtual machines.

The source records copyright beginning in 2003. The project later moved its primary development from SourceForge to GitHub, leaving SourceForge as a mirror and adopting GPL version 3 or later.

Adoption history

QTads occupies a focused niche in interactive-fiction preservation and play: it supports both TADS 2 and TADS 3 while retaining the graphics and sound facilities of HTML TADS.

Its cross-platform Qt interface and availability for Linux, macOS, and Windows provide a multimedia-oriented alternative to multi-format interpreters that run TADS stories in text-only mode.

How it is used

Players open compiled TADS games in QTads to use their text, graphics, sound, and HTML TADS multimedia features.

Authors can use QTads as a multimedia compatibility target, but need separate TADS development tools such as those supplied by FrobTADS to compile games.

No authoritative upstream documentation identifies a stable on-disk configuration-file or credentials-file location.

Why package nerds care

QTads packages a historically distinct interactive-fiction virtual machine and multimedia runtime behind a portable GUI. This matters for games whose behavior cannot be reproduced fully by text-only TADS interpreters.

Its upstream distribution and downstream package-manager availability make it easier to preserve and run TADS works without maintaining the original Windows-only HTML TADS environment.

Timeline

2003: The QTads source copyright history begins.
Project era: QTads develops as a portable HTML TADS-compatible player using Qt.
Later project era: Primary development moves from SourceForge to GitHub and licensing changes to GPL-3.0-or-later.

Related projects

TADS is the Text Adventure Development System whose virtual-machine programs QTads executes.
HTML TADS is the official Windows multimedia interpreter.
Gargoyle and Spatterlight are multi-format interactive-fiction players that support TADS in text-only mode.
FrobTADS supplies terminal interpreters and development tools for authoring TADS games.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: yellow

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

text:interpreter
text:media

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
Installs with 6 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 1 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

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`QTads`	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 generated2026-11-04

manager version3.4.0

manager updated2026-09-11

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/realnc/qtads

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/realnc/qtadsnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:qtads
Version	3.4.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/qtads
Homepage	https://realnc.github.io/qtads/
Repository	https://github.com/realnc/qtads
Upstream docs	https://realnc.github.io/qtads/
License	GPL-3.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/realnc/qtads/releases/download/v3.4.0/qtads-3.4.0-source.tar.xz
Last updated	2026-09-11T16:38:50Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	fluid-synth, libsndfile, libvorbis, mpg123, qt@5, sdl2-compat
Build dependencies	pkgconf
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_golden_gate, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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	qtads
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	yes
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.

Debian apt95%

qtads 3.4.0+dfsg-1+b2

Qt HTML interpreter for TADS

https://realnc.github.io/qtads/

sudo apt install qtads

Section: games
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: qtads
13 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Qtads

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: qtads from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

qtads

nix profile install nixpkgs#qtads

normalized package name match
Matched by: Qtads

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/qt/qtads/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

qtads 3.4.0+dfsg-1build3

Qt HTML interpreter for TADS

https://realnc.github.io/qtads/

sudo apt install qtads

Section: universe/games
Architecture: amd64
13 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Qtads

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: qtads from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

MacPorts95%

qtads

sudo port install qtads

normalized package name match
Matched by: Qtads

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: games/qtads/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/qtads.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 qtads with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix