Install qlmarkdown with Homebrew Cask

Project links

• Homepage
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• qlmarkdown_cli

Project history

QLMarkdown was created as a macOS application centered on a Quick Look extension for Markdown. It later grew to include a configurable preview renderer, a Markdown-to-HTML command-line tool, and an experimental Shortcuts extension.

Its renderer uses cmark-gfm and adds optional facilities such as syntax highlighting, mathematics, Mermaid diagrams, tables, task lists, wiki links, and YAML-header rendering.

Adoption history

The project is distributed as signed, notarized macOS software and documents Homebrew Cask installation with `brew install --cask qlmarkdown`. Its official release history shows continued development of Markdown rendering and macOS integration.

How it is used

After installation, users launch the application once so macOS discovers the Quick Look extension, then preview Markdown files from Finder. The companion interface controls themes and rendering extensions; the CLI can convert Markdown to HTML.

Why package nerds care

QLMarkdown fills a small but familiar macOS packaging niche: restoring rich Finder Quick Look previews for a developer-oriented text format. It is also useful for testing packaging details specific to app extensions, notarization, group containers, and Quick Look discovery.

Timeline

• Later releases: The project added a configurable graphical application, CLI conversion, Shortcuts support, notarized builds, and expanded Markdown extensions.

Related projects

• cmark-gfm, the Markdown parser on which QLMarkdown bases its rendering.
• Apple Quick Look and Shortcuts, the macOS extension systems integrated by the application.

Sources

• https://github.com/sbarex/QLMarkdown#readme
• https://github.com/sbarex/QLMarkdown/releases
• source_facts.package-manager