diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 166476098..434f65504 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ rearrangements of Notcurses.
     deprecated functionality, ABI3 ought require small changes, if any.
 
 * 2.4.8 (not yet released)
-  * Added `notcurses_canpixel()`.
+  * Added `notcurses_canpixel()` and `notcurses_osversion()`.
   * `notcurses_get()` now evaluates its timeout against `CLOCK_MONOTONIC`
     instead of `CLOCK_REALTIME`.
 
diff --git a/USAGE.md b/USAGE.md
index 8db2430e2..00ab4002b 100644
--- a/USAGE.md
+++ b/USAGE.md
@@ -345,10 +345,44 @@ bool notcurses_cansextants(const struct notcurses* nc);
 // Can we draw Braille? The Linux console cannot.
 bool notcurses_canbraille(const struct notcurses* nc);
 
+// Can we draw bitmaps?
+bool notcurses_canpixel(const struct notcurses* nc);
+
+// pixel blitting implementations. informative only; don't special-case
+// based off any of this information!
+typedef enum {
+  NCPIXEL_NONE = 0,
+  NCPIXEL_SIXEL,           // sixel
+  NCPIXEL_LINUXFB,         // linux framebuffer
+  NCPIXEL_ITERM2,          // iTerm2
+  // C=1 (disabling scrolling) was only introduced in 0.20.0, at the same
+  // time as animation. prior to this, graphics had to be entirely redrawn
+  // on any change, and it wasn't possible to use the bottom line.
+  NCPIXEL_KITTY_STATIC,
+  // until 0.22.0's introduction of 'a=c' for self-referential composition, we
+  // had to keep a complete copy of the RGBA data, in case a wiped cell needed
+  // to be rebuilt. we'd otherwise have to unpack the glyph and store it into
+  // the auxvec on the fly.
+  NCPIXEL_KITTY_ANIMATED,
+  // with 0.22.0, we only ever write transparent cells after writing the
+  // original image (which we now deflate, since we needn't unpack it later).
+  // the only data we need keep is the auxvecs.
+  NCPIXEL_KITTY_SELFREF,
+} ncpixelimpl_e;
+
 // Returns a non-zero constant corresponding to some pixel-blitting
 // mechanism if bitmap support (via any mechanism) has been detected,
 // or else 0 (NCPIXEL_NONE).
 ncpixelimpl_e notcurses_check_pixel_support(struct notcurses* nc);
+
+// Returns a heap-allocated copy of the user name under which we are running.
+char* notcurses_accountname(void);
+
+// Returns a heap-allocated copy of the local host name.
+char* notcurses_hostname(void);
+
+// Returns a heap-allocated copy of human-readable OS name and version.
+char* notcurses_osversion(void);
 ```
 
 ## Direct mode
diff --git a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_util.3.md b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_util.3.md
index c448d0d5a..0c9c1c893 100644
--- a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_util.3.md
+++ b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_util.3.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ notcurses_util - portable utility functions
 
 **char* notcurses_hostname(void);**
 
+**char* notcurses_osversion(void);**
+
 # DESCRIPTION
 
 Notcurses provides some utility functions, usually to abstract away
@@ -21,7 +23,9 @@ platform-dependent differences.
 
 **notcurses_accountname** returns a heap-allocated copy of the account
 name under which the program is running. **notcurses_hostname** returns
-a heap-allocated copy of the local host name.
+a heap-allocated copy of the local host name. **notcurses_osversion**
+returns a heap-allocated human-readable representation of the operating
+system and its version.
 
 # NOTES
 
diff --git a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
index 3e463588a..4d0ea6b57 100644
--- a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ API ALLOC char* notcurses_accountname(void);
 // Returns a heap-allocated copy of the local host name.
 API ALLOC char* notcurses_hostname(void);
 
+// Returns a heap-allocated copy of human-readable OS name and version.
+API ALLOC char* notcurses_osversion(void);
+
 // input functions like notcurses_get() return ucs32-encoded uint32_t. convert
 // a series of uint32_t to utf8. result must be at least 4 bytes per input
 // uint32_t (6 bytes per uint32_t will future-proof against Unicode expansion).