# Install jp2a with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Convert JPG images to ASCII. Version 1.3.3 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install jp2a. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:jp2a ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install jp2a ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install jp2a ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/jp2a/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install jp2a ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: jp2a from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#jp2a ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jp/jp2a/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S jp2a ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: jp2a from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install jp2a ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: jp2a from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:jp2a - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.3.3 - **Source summary:** Convert JPG images to ASCII - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - jp2a (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.3.3 ## Project history and usage jp2a is a JPEG-to-ASCII converter with the durable appeal of a classic terminal media toy: give it an image file or URL and it emits text, ANSI color, or HTML-style output. Later maintained releases broadened the input surface from JPEG to PNG and WebP. ### Project history Christian Stigen Larsen's original jp2a repository describes the program as a simple JPEG to ASCII converter, notes earlier SourceForge hosting, and gives a 2006-2016 copyright range. The Talinx-maintained repository continues the project with packaging-oriented build instructions, Doxygen documentation support, Docker usage, and support for JPEG, PNG, and WebP inputs. The maintained release history shows incremental modernization rather than a redesign: truecolor and 256-color terminal output in v1.0.9, PNG and HTML Living Standard support in v1.1.0, edge shading in v1.2.0, and WebP plus Exif orientation handling in v1.3.0. ### Adoption history jp2a has the adoption pattern of a long-lived Unix amusement utility: small C code, autotools build, libjpeg dependency, optional libcurl and ncurses features, and package-manager availability. The batch facts list Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and openSUSE packages. ### How it is used Users run jp2a on image files or URLs to render ASCII art in terminals, web pages, or scripts. The maintained README documents ordinary configure/make builds, Docker execution, and optional network-image conversion through libcurl. ### Why package nerds care jp2a is a tiny artifact of terminal culture: not infrastructure, but exactly the sort of package people install to demonstrate that a shell can still be visual. Its longevity also shows how old SourceForge-era utilities survive through forks and packaging. ### Timeline - 2006: Original copyright range for jp2a begins in the upstream README. - 2016: Original repository README says the project had moved from SourceForge to GitHub. - 2022: v1.0.9 added truecolor and 256-color terminal output. - 2022: v1.1.0 added PNG image support and HTML Living Standard output support. - 2023: v1.2.0 added edge shading. - 2024: v1.3.0 added WebP input and Exif orientation support. - 2025: v1.3.3 appeared in the maintained release line. ### Related projects - Letterpress is documented by the maintained README as a graphical interface for jp2a. - The original cslarsen/jp2a repository is the historical upstream; the Talinx repository is the maintained package source used by Homebrew. - jp2a depends on image libraries such as jpeglib or libjpeg-turbo, libpng, and libwebp. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - jp2a - 1.3.2-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: jp2a from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | converts jpg and png images to ascii | https://github.com/Talinx/jp2a - Nix - jp2a: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jp/jp2a/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - jp2a - 1.1.1-2ubuntu2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: jp2a from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | converts jpg and png images to ascii | https://github.com/Talinx/jp2a - pacman - jp2a - 1.3.3-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: jp2a from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A small utility for converting JPG images to ASCII | https://github.com/Talinx/jp2a - zypper - jp2a - 1.3.3-1.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: jp2a from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Converts JPEG images to ASCII | https://github.com/Talinx/jp2a - zypper - jp2a-bash-completion - 1.3.3-1.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: jp2a-bash-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Bash completions scripts for jp2a | https://github.com/Talinx/jp2a - zypper - jp2a-zsh-completion - 1.3.3-1.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: jp2a-zsh-completion from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Zsh completions scripts for jp2a | https://github.com/Talinx/jp2a - MacPorts - jp2a: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/jp2a/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/jp2a.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/jp2a.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