nsxiv
nsxiv is free Linux image-viewing software and a mostly drop-in fork of the unmaintained sxiv.
What nsxiv is
nsxiv is free Linux image-viewing software and a mostly drop-in fork of the unmaintained sxiv. It keeps the earlier interface while adding simple features. Image mode displays the current image, while thumbnail mode shows a preview grid for selecting files. Controls include zooming, panning, and rotation, and nsxiv can play animations in multi-frame images. Thumbnail caching can speed repeated reloads, with options to clear the cache and choose cached directories. Keyboard and mouse mappings can be changed through config.h, and Xresources can set supported appearance options. An external key handler adds commands and can act on selected images. User-provided image-info and thumb-info scripts customize status-bar details. The --private option prevents cache and temporary files. nsxiv is GPL-2.0-or-later software, available at no cost. It requires X11 and Imlib2 1.11 or later with X11 support.
Good
- Free GPL-2.0-or-later software
- Provides image and thumbnail modes
- Supports zooming, panning, and rotation
- Plays multi-frame image animations
- Customizable through config.h and scripts
Watch out
- Linux only
- Requires X11 and Imlib2
- Installation requires building with make
- Fork of unmaintained sxiv
Who it suits
nsxiv suits Linux users who want a modifiable image viewer with thumbnails, animation playback, and scriptable controls. It also fits users comfortable building software with make.
Verdict
nsxiv offers a focused Linux viewer with browsing, animation, caching, and extensive configuration options. Its source-based installation and X11 dependencies make it a better fit for users comfortable with that environment.
Plans and prices
From nsxiv's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| nsxiv | Free | GPL-2.0-or-later software |
The facts
Each one read from nsxiv's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Animated images
- nsxiv supports playback of animations in multi-frame images.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Keyboard and mouse mappings can be customized through config.h, and Xresources can set supported appearance options.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Dependencies
- The required dependencies are X11 and Imlib2 version 1.11 or later built with X11 support.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Image controls
- Basic operations include zooming, panning, and rotating images.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Image viewing
- The image mode shows the current image, while thumbnail mode displays a grid of previews for selecting images.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The project provides source code through Codeberg and documents building and installing with make.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The project describes itself as easy to modify and customize, and provides guidance for users who want to implement their own features.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License
- nsxiv is free software licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Private mode
- The --private option prevents nsxiv from writing cache or temporary files.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- nsxiv is a fork of the unmaintained sxiv intended as a mostly drop-in replacement that keeps its interface and adds simple features.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Scripting
- A configurable external key handler can add keyboard commands and act on selected images.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Status bar
- User-provided image-info and thumb-info scripts can customize information shown in the status bar.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project asks users to file bug reports on Codeberg after checking they use the latest release.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Thumbnail cache
- nsxiv can cache thumbnails for faster reloads and offers options to clean the cache and control which directories are cached.checked 11 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2021checked 28 Sep 2026
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