# Install asymptote with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Powerful descriptive vector graphics language. Version 3.11 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:asymptote ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install asymptote ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install asymptote ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/asymptote/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add asymptote ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: asymptote from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install asymptote ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: asymptote from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install asymptote ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: asymptote from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#asymptote ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/as/asymptote/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S asymptote ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: asymptote from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install asymptote ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: asymptote from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:asymptote - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.11 - **Source summary:** Powerful descriptive vector graphics language - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-3.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:02:47-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - asy (cli) - xasy (cli) - asy (alias) - xasy (alias) ## Dependencies - bdw-gc - fftw - ghostscript - gsl - readline ## Build dependencies - cmake - glm - pkgconf ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## 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: 3.11 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://asymptote.sourceforge.io - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Asymptote is a TeX-aware descriptive vector graphics language for mathematical and technical drawing. The installed commands, mainly asy and xasy, sit at the intersection of programming language, graphics tool, and LaTeX companion. ### Project history The official manual documents Asymptote with copyright years beginning in 2004 for Andy Hammerlindl, John Bowman, and Tom Prince. The project describes itself as inspired by MetaPost, but with a cleaner C++-like syntax, mathematical coordinate framework, and LaTeX-quality label typesetting. Asymptote grew beyond 2D PostScript-style technical figures into a language that can emit PostScript, PDF, SVG, WebGL, OpenGL, V3D, legacy PRC, and ImageMagick-supported bitmap formats. The current README calls it a powerful descriptive vector graphics language for technical drawing, inspired by MetaPost, and says source, binaries, and documentation are published from the official SourceForge site. The GitHub repository became the documented development source: the official Git instructions clone https://github.com/vectorgraphics/asymptote, and the GitHub project record dates that public repository to August 2015. The project remains linked to SourceForge for website, downloads, forum, and documentation. ### Adoption history Asymptote adoption is strongly tied to TeX and mathematical publishing. The manual positions it as a standard for typesetting mathematical figures in the way TeX/LaTeX is the de-facto standard for equations, and documents the asymptote.sty workflow for embedding Asymptote code directly in LaTeX documents. Package-manager adoption is broad because TeX users want asy available from normal system packages alongside TeX Live or distro TeX stacks. The input package facts list Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE package names. ### How it is used Users write .asy programs and run asy to produce technical figures, often from LaTeX builds. The manual documents direct command-line use, interactive mode, command execution with -c, user settings with -u, and LaTeX integration via \usepackage{asymptote}, \begin{asy}...\end{asy}, and latexmk automation. Configuration is also Asymptote code. The manual says default option values may be placed in config.asy, or in the file named by ASYMPTOTE_CONFIG or the -config option, and that the typical user-level location is the .asy directory in the user's home directory, %USERPROFILE%\.asy on Windows. ### Why package nerds care Asymptote is a wonderful package because it is a whole little language hiding behind a tiny binary name. Installing it adds a compiler/interpreter, a graphics runtime, a LaTeX bridge, a GUI helper, examples, modules, and output pipelines that touch Ghostscript, ImageMagick, PDF, SVG, WebGL, and 3D formats. For TeX-heavy systems it is also a dependency-shape lesson: the package itself is not just a renderer, but a reproducible figure source format. A .asy file can be versioned next to LaTeX, rebuilt by latexmk, and kept text-diffable, which is exactly the kind of thing package nerds love. ### Timeline - 2004: The official manual copyright period begins for Asymptote. - 2015-08-03: The GitHub repository record for vectorgraphics/asymptote was created. - 2024-2026: The manual documents Asymptote 3.x-era output targets, language server protocol support, and current configuration behavior. - 2026: The manual identifies version 3.12-1095 in the generated documentation header. ### Related projects - MetaPost is the earlier drawing language that inspired Asymptote. - LaTeX and TeX workflows are central to label typesetting and document integration. - ImageMagick, Ghostscript, OpenGL, WebGL, PDF, SVG, and PRC are part of the output and rendering ecosystem described by the manual. ### Sources - - - - - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for asymptote. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## 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: ~/.asy/config.asy - Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.asy\config.asy ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** asymptote - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - asymptote - 3.02+ds-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: asymptote from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | script-based vector graphics language inspired by MetaPost | https://asymptote.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - asymptote-doc - 3.02+ds-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: asymptote-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | documentation and examples for asymptote | https://asymptote.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - asymptote-x11 - 3.02+ds-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: asymptote-x11 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | script-based vector graphics language inspired by MetaPost - the GUI part | https://asymptote.sourceforge.net/ - Nix - asymptote: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/as/asymptote/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - asymptote - 2.87+ds-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: asymptote from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | script-based vector graphics language inspired by MetaPost | https://asymptote.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - asymptote-doc - 2.87+ds-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: asymptote-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | documentation and examples for asymptote | https://asymptote.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - asymptote-x11 - 2.87+ds-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: asymptote-x11 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | script-based vector graphics language inspired by MetaPost - the GUI part | https://asymptote.sourceforge.net/ - apk - asymptote - 3.12-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: asymptote from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Vector graphics language for technical drawing | https://asymptote.sourceforge.io/ - apk - asymptote-doc - 3.12-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: asymptote-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Vector graphics language for technical drawing (documentation) | https://asymptote.sourceforge.io/ - dnf - asymptote - 3.09-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: asymptote from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Descriptive vector graphics language | https://asymptote.sourceforge.io/ - pacman - asymptote - 3.12-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: asymptote from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A vector graphics language (like metapost) | http://asymptote.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - asymptote - 3.09-1.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: asymptote from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | 2D & 3D TeX-Aware vector graphics language | https://asymptote.sourceforge.io/ - MacPorts - asymptote: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/asymptote/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [fftw](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fftw/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ghostscript](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ghostscript/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gsl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gsl/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ivtools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ivtools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, vector-graphics. - [libfreehand](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libfreehand/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, vector-graphics. - [pstoedit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pstoedit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, vector-graphics. - [scour](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/scour/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, vector-graphics. - [xfig](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xfig/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, latex, media, vector-graphics. - [cairo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cairo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, vector-graphics. - [fig2dev](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fig2dev/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, vector-graphics. - [libart](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libart/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, vector-graphics. - [synfig](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/synfig/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, fftw, graphics, media, vector. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/asymptote.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/asymptote.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