# Install ad with Homebrew, Nix Adaptable text editor inspired by vi, kakoune, and acme. Version 0.4.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-26. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:ad ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install ad ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#ad ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ad/ad/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:ad - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.4.0 - **Source summary:** Adaptable text editor inspired by vi, kakoune, and acme - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-26T23:37:48-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ad (cli) - ad (alias) ## Build dependencies - rust ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.4.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-26 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/sminez/ad - Upstream latest detected: 0.4.0 (current) ## Project history and usage `ad` is an adaptable Rust text editor that combines modal editing ideas from vi and Kakoune with Plan 9 Acme-style external-tool integration. ### Project history The README presents `ad` as a personal, experimental editor rather than a polished replacement for Vim, Kakoune, or Emacs. Its design centers on text that can be executed as well as edited, a filesystem interface inspired by Acme, and command-language ideas from Sam. The GitHub repository was created in 2023 and is developed on the `develop` branch. Its setup task creates a `~/.ad` dotfile directory and copies default configuration, plumbing rules, helper scripts, libraries, colorschemes, and syntax data. ### Adoption history The project is available through Homebrew and Nix according to the supplied package-manager facts, but the README warns that user-facing documentation is limited and that the editor is not yet recommended as a primary editor. ### How it is used Users install or build `ad`, run `cargo xtask setup-dotfiles` for the default dotfiles, and then use the editor's built-in `:help` command. The tool is aimed at users who want a small hackable editor with external-program integration. ### Why package nerds care `ad` is interesting to package maintainers as a compact Rust editor with nontrivial runtime data files. Packaging is less about a single binary and more about whether default dotfiles and helper directories are installed or generated cleanly. ### Timeline - 2023: GitHub repository `sminez/ad` was created. - 2023: README documented `ad` as an Acme, Sam, vi, and Kakoune-inspired adaptable editor. - 2026: Repository metadata shows active development and Homebrew/Nix package availability is present in the supplied facts. ### Related projects - The README explicitly cites vi, Neovim, Kakoune, Acme, Sam, Plan 9, Tree-sitter, LSP, and the author's extracted `structex` crate as influences or related components. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.ad/config.toml ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** ad - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - ad: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ad/ad/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [rust](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rust/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [neatvi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neatvi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors, vi. - [aoeui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aoeui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [gedit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gedit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [jove](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jove/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [le](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/le/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [mg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [ne](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ne/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [nedit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nedit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [ox](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ox/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, editor, editors, productivity, text. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/ad.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/ad.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph