# Install buildapp with Homebrew, apt Creates executables with SBCL. Version 1.5.6 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:buildapp ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install buildapp ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install buildapp ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: buildapp from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:buildapp - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.5.6 - **Source summary:** Creates executables with SBCL - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-2-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - buildapp (cli) - buildapp (alias) ## Dependencies - sbcl - zstd ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: 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: 1.5.6 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/xach/buildapp - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## 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. ### Sources - - - 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:** buildapp - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 4 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - buildapp - 1.5.6-3+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: buildapp from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | application to create common lisp images | https://www.xach.com/lisp/buildapp/ - Ubuntu apt - buildapp - 1.5.6-3build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: buildapp from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | application to create common lisp images | https://www.xach.com/lisp/buildapp/ ## 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. - [sbcl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sbcl/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [zstd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/zstd/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [aarch64-elf-binutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aarch64-elf-binutils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [add-determinism](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/add-determinism/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [ant](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ant/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [bmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bmake/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [buildozer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/buildozer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [ccache](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ccache/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [clang-build-analyzer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clang-build-analyzer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: build-tools, cli, developer-tools. - [ocicl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ocicl/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, common, common-lisp, developer, developer-tools. - [octobuild](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/octobuild/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: build, build-tools, builder, cli, developer. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/buildapp.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/buildapp.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