# Install basex with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix Light-weight XML database and XPath/XQuery processor. Version 12.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:basex ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install basex ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install basex ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: databases/basex/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install basex ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: basex from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#basex ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ba/basex/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:basex - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 12.4 - **Source summary:** Light-weight XML database and XPath/XQuery processor - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-3-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:02:51-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - basex (cli) - basexclient (cli) - basexgui (cli) - basexhttp (cli) - basexhttpstop (cli) - basexserver (cli) - basexserverstop (cli) - basex (alias) - basexclient (alias) - basexgui (alias) - basexhttp (alias) - basexhttpstop (alias) - basexserver (alias) - basexserverstop (alias) ## Dependencies - openjdk ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 12.4 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://basex.org - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage BaseX is a lightweight XML database engine and XQuery processor. In package-manager terms, it is the compact Java XML stack you install when you want a local command-line XQuery processor, an XML database server, a GUI, and HTTP/REST tooling without deploying a larger enterprise XML platform. ### Project history The official BaseX site describes the project as a high-performance XML database engine and XQuery processor with W3C Update and Full Text support. The official about page says BaseX started as a university research project whose development has been accompanied by publications, conference articles, and academic theses. The project later became a maintained open source product around a broader XML framework. Its documentation describes the current BaseX 12 release, the GUI, client/server architecture, RESTXQ web application support, storage internals, and developer APIs, while the README points to GitHub as the official source-code location. ### Adoption history BaseX's adoption is strongest in XML-heavy environments: digital humanities, publishing, standards work, data transformation, and teams with large XML, HTML, JSON, CSV, or binary corpora that benefit from XQuery. The batch input shows packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, and Nix, which is a broad footprint for a specialist XML database. The official docs also point users to mailing lists, Stack Overflow, and GitHub issues, showing the classic mature open source support surface: packaged binaries for users, documentation for XQuery/database work, and public project channels for bug reports and discussions. ### How it is used Users run BaseX as a console XQuery processor, a server, a command-line client, a GUI application, or an HTTP service. The README lists `BaseX`, `BaseXServer`, `BaseXClient`, and `BaseXGUI` entry points, and the batch input maps those roles to Homebrew executables such as `basex`, `basexserver`, `basexclient`, `basexgui`, and `basexhttp`. Common package-manager usage is installing BaseX to evaluate XQuery locally, run a lightweight XML database server, develop RESTXQ applications, or inspect XML collections through the GUI. Configuration is exposed through BaseX home files such as `.basex` and `.basexgui`. ### Why package nerds care BaseX matters to package nerds because XML database tooling is a niche with a long memory. A small, BSD-licensed, Java-based XML database that ships useful CLIs, a GUI, and server modes fills a different slot than general SQL databases, document stores, or one-off XML command-line filters. It is also a good example of why package managers keep specialist academic-origin tools alive: the user base may be smaller than for mainstream databases, but repeatable installation matters when a workflow depends on XQuery conformance, local XML collections, and command-line automation. ### Timeline - 2000s: BaseX begins as a university research project, according to the official about page. - 2010s: BaseX grows into an open source XML database with CLI, GUI, client/server, and HTTP interfaces. - 2025: Official documentation describes BaseX 12 as the current release line. - 2026: The official site lists BaseX 12.4 as a current download. ### Related projects - Related tools and standards include XQuery, XPath, W3C Update, W3C Full Text, RESTXQ, XML database systems, and general XML processing tools. In package-manager ecosystems, BaseX sits near Saxon, eXist-db, XMLStarlet, and libxml2-based command-line XML utilities. ### Sources - Official README lists console, server, client, and GUI entry points and links GitHub source. - Official about page says BaseX started as a university research project. - Official docs describe BaseX 12, XQuery, GUI, client/server architecture, RESTXQ, storage, and developer APIs. - Official homepage describes BaseX as a high-performance XML database engine and XQuery processor. - input.source_facts.package-manager lists Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, and Nix packaging. ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## 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: $BASEX_HOME/.basex, $BASEX_HOME/.basexgui ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** basex - **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 - basex - 10.5-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: basex from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | XML database and XPath/XQuery processor | http://basex.org - Nix - basex: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ba/basex/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - basex - 10.5-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: basex from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | XML database and XPath/XQuery processor | http://basex.org - MacPorts - basex: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: databases/basex/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [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. - [openjdk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openjdk/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dbxml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dbxml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database, xml, xquery. - [automysqlbackup](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automysqlbackup/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database. - [berkeley-db](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/berkeley-db/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database. - [couchdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/couchdb/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database. - [derby](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/derby/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database. - [dexter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dexter/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database. - [dolt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dolt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database. - [doltgres](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/doltgres/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, data, database. - [orientdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/orientdb/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, data, database, openjdk. - [questdb](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/questdb/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, data, database, openjdk. - [pinot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pinot/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: cli, data, database, openjdk. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/basex.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/basex.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