Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install buildapp with Homebrew, apt

Creates executables with SBCL. Version 1.5.6 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install buildapp

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install buildapp

Debian stable package indexes · buildapp · source: deb.debian.org

overview

Package summary

Creates executables with SBCL

Commands and aliases

  • buildapp

history

Project history and usage

Buildapp is a Common Lisp command-line tool by Zach Beane for creating executable images with SBCL or Clozure CL.

Project history

Buildapp comes from the Common Lisp image-building tradition: instead of compiling a small native binary from scratch, it configures a Lisp image, loads code and ASDF systems, sets an entry point, and saves an executable. The official page compares it to `cl-launch` and hu.dwim.build.

The public release tags run through the 1.x series, and the official page lists 1.5.6 as the latest version released on November 7, 2015.

Adoption history

Buildapp's adoption is niche but durable in Common Lisp packaging. It appears in Homebrew, Debian, and Ubuntu according to the input, reflecting its use as a small system tool for turning SBCL or CCL applications into command-line executables.

Its homepage examples show the kind of usage that made it handy before containerized deployment became common: single-file Lisp utilities, web-related command-line tools, and larger saved-image applications.

How it is used

A typical invocation passes `--output`, one or more `--eval`, `--load-system`, or ASDF path options, and an `--entry` function. Buildapp then saves a runnable Lisp image that starts at that entry point.

It has no documented per-user credentials or configuration file location in the official docs.

Why package nerds care

Buildapp is interesting because it packages the Lisp saved-image model as a Unix-friendly build command. For package maintainers, it turns a Lisp system into an executable artifact that can be installed like other CLI tools.

It also preserves a specific era of Common Lisp deployment practice, where ASDF systems, implementation-specific image saving, and small wrapper tools made Lisp programs feel more like conventional command-line software.

Timeline

  • 2000s: Buildapp emerged in the SBCL/CCL Common Lisp deployment ecosystem.
  • 2010s: Public release tags progressed through the 1.4 and 1.5 series.
  • 2015: Version 1.5.6 was released on November 7 according to the official homepage.

Related projects

  • SBCL and Clozure CL are the Lisp implementations named by the official page.
  • `cl-launch` and hu.dwim.build are similar tools named by the official page.
  • ASDF is part of the documented workflow for loading Lisp systems before saving an executable.

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • Homebrew declares a post-install hook for this formula.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
buildappcliglobal 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 version1.5.6
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/xach/buildapp

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
  • infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/xach/buildappnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:buildapp
Version1.5.6
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/buildapp
Homepagehttps://www.xach.com/lisp/buildapp/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/xach/buildapp
Upstream docshttps://github.com/xach/buildapp#readme
LicenseBSD-2-Clause
Source archivehttps://github.com/xach/buildapp/archive/refs/tags/release-1.5.6.tar.gz
Dependenciessbcl, zstd
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installdefined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namebuildapp
Version Scheme0
Revision4
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

buildapp 1.5.6-3+b1

application to create common lisp images

https://www.xach.com/lisp/buildapp/

sudo apt install buildapp
  • Section: lisp
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: buildapp
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Buildapp
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: buildapp from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Ubuntu apt95%

buildapp 1.5.6-3build1

application to create common lisp images

https://www.xach.com/lisp/buildapp/

sudo apt install buildapp
  • Section: universe/lisp
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Buildapp
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: buildapp from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • sbclRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • zstdRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • aarch64-elf-binutilsShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • add-determinismShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • antShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • bmakeShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • buildozerShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • ccacheShares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools.

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.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment