# Install aalib with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, apt Portable ASCII art graphics library. Version 1.4rc5 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-10. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libaa-bin. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:aalib ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install aalib ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install aalib ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/aalib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install aalib ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#aalib ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/aa/aalib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S aalib ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: aalib from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install aalib ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aalib from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libaa-bin ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libaa-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:aalib - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.4rc5 - **Source summary:** Portable ASCII art graphics library - **Homepage:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-10T13:46:10-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - aafire (alias) - aainfo (alias) - aalib-config (alias) - aasavefont (alias) - aatest (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.4rc5 ## Project history and usage AA-lib is a portable ASCII-art graphics library that renders graphics into text-mode output instead of relying on a graphical display. ### Project history The AA-Project documentation says Jan Hubicka started the project after experiments with old Hercules monochrome displays and an ASCII rendering approach for images and fractals. The manual frames AA-lib as a graphics-library API whose main difference is that it renders to ASCII art. The official manual pages were generated from aalib.texinfo in 1997 and 1998, placing AA-lib squarely in the late-1990s Unix demo, terminal, and low-end-hardware graphics culture. ### Adoption history The AA-Project homepage lists software known to support AA output, including ttyquake, SDL, GIMP, and XaoS-era projects. Its appeal was not merely rendering still images, but making graphical demos, viewers, games, and effects run in text environments. ### How it is used Programs link against AA-lib or use its bundled tools to initialize a text-mode display, parse AA-specific command-line options, tune rendering parameters, and draw images as ASCII. The manual documents the AAOPTS environment variable for setting options across AA-lib programs. ### Why package nerds care AA-lib is a classic package-manager curiosity: small, portable, visibly weird, and useful as both a library and a demo source. Its bundled commands such as aafire and aatest made it memorable on Unix systems because installing it immediately produced terminal graphics. ### Timeline - 1997: aalib.texinfo-generated documentation appears for the ASCII-art library. - 1998: AA-lib manual pages are regenerated and published on the AA-Project site. - 2000s: AA-Project moves from its original home to SourceForge. - 2026: SourceForge still exposes the AA-Project CVS/code area as the project source surface. ### Related projects - Related AA-Project software includes BB, Aview, AAvga, AA3D, and XaoS; the homepage also lists external software with AA output support. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libaa-bin - 1.4p5-51.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libaa-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | sample programs using aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Debian apt - libaa1 - 1.4p5-51.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libaa1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | ASCII art library | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Debian apt - libaa1-dev - 1.4p5-51.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libaa1-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | ASCII art library, development kit | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Nix - aalib: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/aa/aalib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libaa-bin - 1.4p5-51.1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaa-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | sample programs using aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Ubuntu apt - libaa1 - 1.4p5-51.1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaa1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | ASCII art library | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - Ubuntu apt - libaa1-dev - 1.4p5-51.1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libaa1-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | ASCII art library, development kit | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - dnf - aalib - 1.4.0-0.59.rc5.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | ASCII art library | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - dnf - aalib-devel - 1.4.0-0.59.rc5.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - dnf - aalib-libs - 1.4.0-0.59.rc5.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: aalib-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Library files for aalib | http://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - pacman - aalib - 1.4rc5-19: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: aalib from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | ASCII art graphic library | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/aalib/ - zypper - aalib - 1.4.0-518.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aalib from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | An ASCII Art Library | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - aalib-devel - 1.4.0-518.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: aalib-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Development Package for AAlib | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - libaa1 - 1.4.0-518.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libaa1 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | An ASCII Art Library | https://aa-project.sourceforge.net/ - MacPorts - aalib: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/aalib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/aalib.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/aalib.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph