macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install biclocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install bic with Homebrew, Nix
C interpreter and API explorer. Version 1.0.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#bicnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bi/bic/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
C interpreter and API explorer
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bic
history
Project history and usage
bic is a C interpreter and API explorer that lets developers experiment with C APIs through a REPL and evaluate C source files.
Project history
The public GitHub repository begins with an initial commit in July 2015, and release metadata records v0.9.1 in October 2019 followed by a first stable v1.0.0 release in February 2020.
The README describes bic as a tool for exploring and testing C APIs using a read-eval-print loop, with runtime dependencies on GNU Readline, GNU MP, and libffi.
Adoption history
bic remains a niche developer tool, but Homebrew and Nix packaging make it easy to install as a command-line REPL for systems programmers who want to poke at C libraries interactively.
The README also documents Docker and Arch Linux AUR installation paths, showing adoption in lightweight developer experimentation workflows rather than mainstream language-runtime distribution.
How it is used
Running bic with no arguments opens a BIC> prompt where users can include system headers, declare variables, call C library functions, and inspect types or values with special REPL syntax.
The ~/.bic startup file is evaluated when the REPL starts, and source files can be evaluated with -s so that a C main function receives argc and argv.
Why package nerds care
bic is package-nerd interesting as a compact C REPL built from classic Unix development pieces: readline for interaction, flex/bison/autotools for building, GMP and libffi for runtime behavior, and a single-user dotfile for startup state.
It occupies the practical gap between compiling throwaway C programs and using a full debugger or notebook-style environment.
Timeline
- 2015-07-16: Initial public GitHub commit.
- 2019-10-03: v0.9.1 release is published.
- 2020-02-19: v1.0.0 is published as the first stable release.
Related projects
- GNU Readline provides the interactive command-line editing layer used by bic.
- libffi is part of bic's runtime dependency stack for calling C APIs dynamically.
- Flex, Bison, Automake, and Autoconf are part of the documented build toolchain.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: yellow
generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:interpreter
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 6 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
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
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.bic
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
bic | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.0.0
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.0.0
https://github.com/hexagonal-sun/bic
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:bic |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/bic |
| Homepage | https://github.com/hexagonal-sun/bic |
| Repository | https://github.com/hexagonal-sun/bic |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/hexagonal-sun/bic#readme |
| License | GPL-2.0-only |
| Source archive | https://github.com/hexagonal-sun/bic/archive/refs/tags/v1.0.0.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:02:53-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | gmp |
| Build dependencies | autoconf, autoconf-archive, automake, bison, libtool, pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | libedit |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | bic |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Nix95%
bic
nix profile install nixpkgs#bic- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Bic
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment