LifeLines is a genealogy program that runs on UNIX systems in text mode. It maintains genealogical records (persons, families, sources, events and others) in a database, and generates reports from those records.

There are no practical limits on the number of records that can be stored in a LifeLines database, nor on the amounts or kinds of data that can be kept in the records.

LifeLines does not contain built-in reports. Instead it provides a programming subsystem that you use to program your own reports and charts. Some standard report files are included in the lifelines-reports package.

The programming subsystem also lets you query your databases and process your data in any way. LifeLines uses the terminal independent features of UNIX to provide a screen and menu based user interface.

The program is able to read and write GEDCOM files, the de facto standard for genealogical data exchange.