Neofetch Development Ends as GitHub Project Archived

posted by Rianne Schestowitz on May 01, 2024,
updated May 16, 2024

Quoting: Neofetch Development Ends as GitHub Project Archived - OMG! Ubuntu —

The Github repo for the project was archived by its main developer last week and is now read-only, a sure sign that development has well and truly ceased to be.

Not that this is a shock. Development on Neofetch seemed to stall a few years back as bug reports piled up, pull requests were ignored, and the developer stop replying. The last update to Neofetch was made in 2020.

I’m a big fan of Neofetch and have used it on all my installs since discovering it in 2016, showcasing it in scores of screenshots on this site and sneaking it in to my Ubuntu release videos. So naturally Neofetch made my list of the best Linux command-line tools.

Read on

Linuxiac:

• Neofetch Journey Ends, Repository Now Archived

  Neofetch is a command-line system information tool written in Bash. It gathers information about your system, such as OS version, hardware specifications, and software versions, and then displays it in the terminal as ASCII in an aesthetic and visually pleasing way.

  For a long time, this tool has been a favorite for anyone looking to check their system’s details quickly. Additionally, it’s especially popular among customization enthusiasts who love to show off their setups to the rest of the Linux community.

  Neofetch emerged in late 2015 and quickly became super popular, almost a must-have for every Linux user. But now, it looks like it’s reached the end of its journey.

Linux Magazine:

• So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info » Linux Magazine

  The developer, Dylan Araps, has officially archived the Neofetch GitHub repository, making it read-only. To make his point, he added a README.md file in the root of his repository that includes the single line: Have taken up farming.

  This should come as no surprise. According to It's FOSS, the lead developer has gone AWOL before, such as 3 years ago when the development of k1ss Linux (Araps project at the time) declined dramatically.

  It happens in the open-source community. Many of these projects are done on a volunteer basis and when time becomes a problem, they get set aside. But at the same time his development on k1ss Linux dropped off, Dylan went radio silent and no one could find him.

  The good news is that the Neofetch code can still be cloned from GitHub (github clone https://github.com/dylanaraps/neofetch.git). Should another developer decide to fork the project, it's all there and hasn't been touched for 3 years.

Microsoft problem:

• Popular terminal tool you could use on Windows and WSL is no more, but there are already some great alternatives [Ed: Is WSL dying?]

  The tool, which could be used on Linux as well as Windows and WSL, has seen its project archived on GitHub by its developer.

It's FOSS:

• Neofetch is Dead! Here are 7 Alternatives for Your Linux System

  Neofetch, the favorite tool for displaying system information in ASCII format in the terminal, is no longer being developed.

  Its GitHub repository is now archived. It didn't see any development for the past three years anyway.

  Neofetch developer Dylan's GitHub page says he has "taken up farming".

Later:

• Neofetch Alternatives: 3 Best GNU/Linux System Information Tools

  Neofetch, the popular command-line tool for displaying system information in a visually appealing ASCII format, is no longer being actively developed.

Notebookcheck:

• Linux utility Neofetch: Development now officially discontinued, what alternatives are available?

  If you wanted to share a screenshot of your carefully configured Linux desktop with other users, you usually used Neofetch to provide your own system information. But on 26 April, Neofetch developer Dylan Araps officially announced the end of the command-line tool: He's now doing farming, as Araps' GitHub page briefly states.

  The end of Neofetch's development is not entirely unexpected, however, as the last change to the source code was made three years ago. If you still want to use the tool to display information such as your distribution, kernel and desktop interface alongside an ASCII logo, you can of course continue to do so. However, there are a number of alternatives that are actively being developed.

MakeUseOf:

• The 5 Best Options for Linux Screenshots (RIP Neofetch)

  Neofetch is ostensibly a tool to gather system information on an operating system. It displays details like the Linux distribution, CPU, and the desktop environment or terminal emulator you’re using.

  But the most popular feature is the display of the OS logo in ASCII art. This is what makes Neofetch so popular for making screenshots; ASCII art just looks cool.

  Neofetch isn’t an exclusive Linux program, but it’s widely associated with Linux systems, whose users still make extensive use of the terminal.

Also here:

• Linux’s Coolest Terminal Tool Is Dead, Here’s What to Use Instead

  If you're a Linux user, you might know about neofetch, a popular command-line tool that shows system information in the terminal. Many users love it because it's customizable and looks great. Unfortunately, the developer has discontinued the project, so it's time to say goodbye to this helpful tool.