# Install amber with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, Nix, scoop Crystal web framework. Bare metal performance, productivity and happiness. Version 1.4.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:amber ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install amber ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install amber ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: www/amber/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add amber ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: amber from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install amber ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: amber from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#amber ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/am/amber/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install extras/amber ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/amber.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Extras/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:amber - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.4.1 - **Source summary:** Crystal web framework. Bare metal performance, productivity and happiness - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - amber (cli) - amber (alias) ## Dependencies - bdw-gc - crystal - libevent - libyaml - openssl@3 - pcre2 - sqlite ## 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: 1.4.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/amberframework/amber - Upstream latest detected: v1.4.1 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage Amber is a Crystal web application framework and CLI that packages the familiar full-stack MVC framework experience for Crystal developers. Its own README says it is inspired by Kemal, Rails, Phoenix, and other popular frameworks, with a focus on productivity, performance, and developer happiness. ### Project history The amberframework/amber repository was created in April 2017, during the period when Crystal's web ecosystem was forming around small fast HTTP libraries, Rails-like frameworks, and experiments in compiled-language productivity. Amber positioned itself as the cohesive, batteries-included option, not just a minimal web server shard. Official documentation describes Amber as a server-side MVC framework with generators, database management, CLI commands, deployment tools, Docker support, encrypted secrets, websockets, and a conventional application layout. The README names Dru Jensen, Elias Perez, Isaac Sloan, Faustino Aguilar, Nick Franken, Mark Siemers, and Robert Carpenter among visible contributors. ### Adoption history Amber's adoption has largely followed the Crystal community rather than mainstream web-framework volume. It was packaged for Homebrew and other package managers because it provides a real CLI binary, project generator, and local development workflow, not just a library dependency in shard.yml. The release stream reached v1.0 release-candidate status in 2021 and stable 1.4.x releases in 2023. Its documentation and README continued to emphasize familiar framework ergonomics for developers coming from Rails, Phoenix, Django, or Kemal. ### How it is used Users install the amber CLI, generate or manage an Amber project, and keep project-specific framework configuration under the application's config directory. The official configuration guide says each Amber project has config/environments YAML files such as development, test, and production, selected at runtime using AMBER_ENV. Amber also has a built-in encrypt command for environment settings. Official docs say amber encrypt production decrypts and edits config/environments/.production.enc using .encryption_key or ENV[AMBER_ENCRYPTION_KEY], and warn that the encryption key should not be committed. ### Why package nerds care Amber is package-interesting because it is both a framework dependency and a generator CLI. Installing it from Homebrew gives users a global executable, while generated projects still depend on Crystal shards and checked-in application templates. It also represents the Crystal ecosystem's recurring question for packagers: should framework tools be installed globally as native binaries, vendored through shards, or built per project with shards build amber? ### Timeline - 2017-04-17: amberframework/amber repository is created. - 2021-06-15: v1.0.0rc2 release is published. - 2022-10-26: v1.3.0 release is published. - 2023-08-01: v1.4.0 release is published. - 2023-08-02: v1.4.1 release is published. ### Related projects - Crystal is the language runtime and shard ecosystem Amber targets. - Kemal, Rails, Phoenix, Django, and Hanami are named by Amber docs or README as inspirations or comparable framework traditions. - Amber's separate docs repository and site-assets repository support its documentation and project branding. ### 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: config/environments/development.yml, config/environments/production.yml, config/environments/.production.enc ## Credential files - Unix: .encryption_key, config/environments/.production.enc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** amber - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 2 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - amber - 0.0~git20171010.cdade1c-2+b16: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: amber from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Elegant HTML templating engine for Go, inspired from HAML and Jade (CLI tool) | https://github.com/eknkc/amber - Nix - amber: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/am/amber/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - amber - 0.0~git20171010.cdade1c-2build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: amber from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Elegant HTML templating engine for Go, inspired from HAML and Jade (CLI tool) | https://github.com/eknkc/amber - apk - amber - 0.5.1_alpha-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: amber from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Programming language compiled to bash | https://amber-lang.com - MacPorts - amber: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: www/amber/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Scoop - extras/amber: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/amber.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Extras/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [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. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [crystal](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/crystal/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libevent](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libevent/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [openssl@3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openssl-3/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pcre2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pcre2/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [sqlite](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sqlite/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [cppcms](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cppcms/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [gf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [kore](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/kore/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [treefrog](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/treefrog/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [ulfius](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ulfius/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [fedify](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fedify/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [hz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hz/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, web-framework. - [crystal-icr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/crystal-icr/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: bdw, bdw-gc, cli, crystal, developer. - [deadfinder](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/deadfinder/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: bdw, bdw-gc, cli, developer, developer-tools. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/amber.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/amber.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