Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install byacc with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper

(Arguably) the best yacc variant. Version 20260126 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install byacc

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install byacc

MacPorts ports tree · devel/byacc/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add byacc

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · byacc · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install byacc

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install byacc

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · byacc · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#byacc

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/by/byacc/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S byacc

Arch Linux sync databases · byacc · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install byacc

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · byacc · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/byacc

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/byacc.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

(Arguably) the best yacc variant

Commands and aliases

  • byacc

history

Project history and usage

Berkeley Yacc, usually packaged as byacc, is a public-domain yacc-compatible LALR(1) parser generator. It is valued as a small, portable yacc implementation that avoids the heavier dependencies and dialect assumptions of some alternatives.

Project history

Thomas E. Dickey's official BYACC page says Robert Corbett wrote byacc around 1990 and notes Corbett was also the original author of bison. The page cites its compatibility with original yacc and records that Dickey later converted the original K&R C source to ANSI C and continued maintaining it.

The original README, preserved in the maintained source tree, states that Berkeley Yacc accepts input conforming to AT&T yacc documentation, is distributed in the public domain, and allows generated parsers to be distributed freely.

Adoption history

BYACC became popular because it was fast, BSD/public-domain-friendly, and yacc-compatible. The official page quotes John Levine's later account that Corbett's implementation was faster than AT&T yacc and quickly became the most popular yacc variant.

The official related-links section points to Debian packages, FreeBSD and NetBSD sources or package collections, and notes that FreeBSD imported this maintained version into its vendor tree in 2012. The supplied package facts show broad packaging across Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Pacman, Scoop, Ubuntu, and zypper.

How it is used

byacc is used as a yacc replacement in build systems and compiler-toolchain work: it reads a grammar and emits C parser source. It is often chosen when projects want yacc compatibility, small generated output, permissive/public-domain licensing, and portability to non-GCC or older C environments.

Why package nerds care

byacc is package-nerd significant because it is one of the classic parser generators that still matters in modern ports trees. It is tiny but strategically important: swapping yacc implementations can change generated C, expose build assumptions, or avoid a dependency on GNU bison.

Its public-domain status and generated-parser licensing are part of why it persists in base systems, embedded build environments, and conservative packaging stacks.

Timeline

  • 1990: Robert Corbett writes Berkeley Yacc around this period, according to the official history page.
  • 1992: O'Reilly's Lex & Yacc notes byacc compatibility with original yacc, as summarized by the official page.
  • 2000: Thomas E. Dickey begins ANSI C portability work while porting software to VMS.
  • 2005: Dickey notes reviewing FreeBSD versus bison YYPARSE_PARAM compatibility.
  • 2012: FreeBSD imports Dickey's maintained version into its vendor tree, according to the official related-links section.
  • 2026: The official CHANGES file shows continuing maintenance.

Related projects

  • AT&T yacc is the compatibility baseline.
  • GNU bison is the major alternative yacc-family parser generator.
  • Perl-Byacc, BYACC/J, and BtYacc are related derivatives or extensions named by the official related-links section.
  • flex and lex are commonly paired lexical-scanner tools in yacc-based workflows.

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

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.

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
byacccliglobal 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 version20260126
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://invisible-island.net/byacc/

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
  • infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://invisible-island.net/byacc/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:byacc
Version20260126
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/byacc
Homepagehttps://invisible-island.net/byacc/
Upstream docshttps://invisible-island.net/byacc
LicenseLicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain
Source archivehttps://invisible-mirror.net/archives/byacc/byacc-20260126.tgz
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namebyacc
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • 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%

byacc 1:2.0.20241231-1

public domain Berkeley LALR Yacc parser generator

https://invisible-island.net/byacc/

sudo apt install byacc
  • Section: devel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: byacc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

byacc

nix profile install nixpkgs#byacc
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/by/byacc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

byacc 1:2.0.20221106-1

public domain Berkeley LALR Yacc parser generator

https://invisible-island.net/byacc/

sudo apt install byacc
  • Section: universe/devel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: byacc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

byacc 20260126-r0

The Berkeley Yacc general-purpose parser generator

https://invisible-island.net/byacc/byacc.html

sudo apk add byacc
  • License: Public-Domain
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: byacc
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: byacc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

byacc-doc 20260126-r0

The Berkeley Yacc general-purpose parser generator (documentation)

https://invisible-island.net/byacc/byacc.html

sudo apk add byacc-doc
  • License: Public-Domain
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: byacc
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: byacc-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

byacc 2.0.20241231-3.fc44

Berkeley Yacc, a parser generator

http://invisible-island.net/byacc/byacc.html

sudo dnf install byacc
  • License: LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain AND GPL-3.0-or-later WITH Autoconf-exception-generic-3.0 AND X11 AND X11-distribute-modifications-variant AND FSFUL
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: byacc
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: byacc from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

byacc 20260126-1

Berkeley reimplementation of the Unix parser generator Yacc

https://invisible-island.net/byacc/

sudo pacman -S byacc
  • License: custom
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: byacc from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

byacc 20260126-1.1

LALR(1) parser generator

https://invisible-island.net/byacc/byacc.html

sudo zypper install byacc
  • License: LicenseRef-SUSE-Public-Domain
  • Category: Development/Languages/C and C++
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: byacc
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: byacc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

byacc

sudo port install byacc
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/byacc/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Scoop95%

main/byacc

scoop install main/byacc
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Byacc
Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/byacc.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

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

Same workflow

  • pegShares av.db curated category or tags: c, cli, compiler-tools, developer-tools, parser-generator.
  • menhirShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler-tools, developer-tools, parser-generator.
  • bisonShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler-tools, developer-tools, parser-generator, yacc.
  • javaccShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, parser-generator.
  • tree-sitter-cliShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, parser-generator.
  • goyaccShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, parser-generator, yacc.

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