# Install ctpv with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix

Image previews for lf file manager. Version 1.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#ctpv.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:ctpv
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install ctpv
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install ctpv
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/ctpv/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#ctpv
```

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

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:ctpv
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.1
- **Source summary:** Image previews for lf file manager
- **Homepage:** <https://www.nikitaivanov.com/man1/ctpv>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/NikitaIvanovV/ctpv>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-15T10:20:14-04:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- ctpv (alias)
- ctpvclear (alias)
- ctpvquit (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.1
## Project history and usage

ctpv is a terminal file previewer written with lf file-manager integration in mind. It previews text, archives, PDFs, images, videos, and other file types by selecting from installed helper programs.

### Project history

The README describes ctpv as a C remake of stpv. The author liked stpv's behavior but found its POSIX-shell implementation sluggish, so ctpv was written in C as a faster version with additional features.

Official GitHub releases show v1.0 in July 2022 and v1.1 in March 2023. The project documentation now includes both README integration examples and a generated CTPV(1) manual page.

### Adoption history

The README documents package-manager paths for AUR, MacPorts, Homebrew, Nix, and Gentoo overlay users, along with source builds. Its NixOS/Home Manager example shows ctpv being packaged as part of declarative terminal-file-manager configuration.

### How it is used

ctpv is usually configured as lf's previewer and cleaner, with ctpv, ctpvclear, and ctpvquit coordinating preview output and lifecycle. Image previews can use Ueberzug, Chafa, or Kitty terminal support, while other previews delegate to common tools such as bat, jq, poppler, ffmpegthumbnailer, and atool.

### Why package nerds care

ctpv is package-manager-friendly because most of its functionality is integration glue over existing Unix tools. A package can ship the core C binary and manpage, while optional preview capabilities naturally expand as the user's system has more helper programs installed.

### Timeline

- 2022: v1.0 release published.
- 2023: v1.1 release published.
- 2023: Documentation noted Wayland/sixel guidance for lf image previews.

### Related projects

- ctpv is related to lf, stpv, Ueberzug, Chafa, Kitty, and the many small Unix preview helpers it can dispatch.

### Sources

- <https://github.com/NikitaIvanovV/ctpv#readme>
- <https://www.nikitaivanov.com/man1/ctpv>
- <https://api.github.com/repos/NikitaIvanovV/ctpv/releases?per_page=20>


## Security Notes

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

- **Geiger risk:** blue / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal


## 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

- Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ctpv/config, ~/.config/ctpv/config
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Nix - ctpv: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ct/ctpv/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- MacPorts - ctpv: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/ctpv/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/ctpv.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/ctpv.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph