# Install bbe with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, zypper Sed-like editor for binary files. Version 0.2.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:bbe ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install bbe ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install bbe ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: editors/bbe/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install bbe ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: bbe from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#bbe ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bb/bbe/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install bbe ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: bbe from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:bbe - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.2.2 - **Source summary:** Sed-like editor for binary files - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - bbe (cli) - bbe (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.2.2 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://sourceforge.net/projects/bbe-/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage bbe is a small sed-like editor for binary files. Instead of line-oriented text editing, it applies insert, delete, change, replace, and conversion operations to byte blocks in a stream. ### Project history Timo Savinen published the first bbe release, version 0.1.0, on 2005-09-15. The official project page describes the tool as developed in a GNU/Linux environment and distributed under GPL-2.0-or-later. The 2005-2006 news log shows a compact burst of development: new block commands, script-file driven commands, binary operations, performance fixes, and documentation installation changes. ### Adoption history The official news page records Debian acceptance on 2005-11-06. The supplied package-manager facts show continuing availability in Homebrew, Debian, MacPorts, Nix, Ubuntu, and zypper. ### How it is used bbe is used where a stream editor is convenient but the data is not line-oriented text: byte-range editing, block extraction, binary replacements, and scripted conversion of structured binary input. ### Why package nerds care Package nerds care about bbe because it occupies a tidy old Unix niche: a tiny single-purpose filter that brings sed's scripting style to binary streams. Its Debian-era adoption and survival in multiple package managers make it a good example of small C utilities that remain useful long after active upstream development slows. ### Timeline - 2005-09-15: First version 0.1.0. - 2005-11-06: Accepted into Debian unstable and testing. - 2006-11-05: Version 0.2.2 released with command `x` added. ### Related projects - Related tools include sed, dd, xxd, hex editors, and other byte-stream filters used in Unix binary-processing pipelines. ### Sources - - - input:source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** bbe - **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 - bbe - 0.2.2-6: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bbe from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | sed-like editor for binary files | http://sourceforge.net/projects/bbe-/ - Nix - bbe: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bb/bbe/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - bbe - 0.2.2-5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: bbe from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | sed-like editor for binary files | http://sourceforge.net/projects/bbe-/ - zypper - bbe - 0.2.2-3.22: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: bbe from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Binary Block Editor | https://sourceforge.net/projects/bbe-/ - MacPorts - bbe: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: editors/bbe/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. - [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. - [minised](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/minised/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, sed, stream-editor. - [ssed](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ssed/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, sed, stream-editor. - [aarch64-elf-gcc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aarch64-elf-gcc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools. - [abi-dumper](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abi-dumper/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools. - [aklomp-base64](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aklomp-base64/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools. - [astyle](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/astyle/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools. - [bcpp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bcpp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, developer-tools. - [bed](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bed/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: binary-editor, cli, developer-tools. - [bvi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bvi/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: binary, binary-editor, cli, developer, developer-tools. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/bbe.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/bbe.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - 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