brew

Install chicken with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, pacman

Compiler for the Scheme programming language. Version 5.4.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install chicken

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install chicken

MacPorts ports tree · lang/chicken/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add chicken

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

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install chicken-bin

Debian stable package indexes · chicken-bin · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install chicken

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S chicken

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

overview

Package summary

Compiler for the Scheme programming language

Project links

Commands and aliases

chicken
chicken-do
chicken-install
chicken-profile
chicken-status
chicken-uninstall
feathers

history

Project history and usage

CHICKEN is a Scheme implementation centered on a compiler that translates Scheme to portable C, plus an interpreter, extension library ecosystem, manual, wiki, and package tooling.

Project history

The official getting-started manual says CHICKEN combines an optimizing compiler with a reasonably fast interpreter, generates portable C, supports tail recursion, continuations, lightweight threads, and a flexible interface to C libraries.

The same manual records that CHICKEN was developed by Felix L. Winkelmann from 2000 through 2007, and that in early 2008 the community took over responsibility for development and maintenance while Winkelmann remained involved.

Adoption history

CHICKEN's adoption is tied to its practical build story: Scheme code becomes C, then a C compiler produces a standalone executable, making it easier to package and deploy than many pure interpreter workflows.

The input package metadata lists Alpine, Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, MacPorts, Arch, and openSUSE packages. Homebrew reported 28,712 trailing-365-day installs at research time.

How it is used

The official homepage demonstrates both interpreted use with `csi -s hello-world.scm` and compiled use with `csc hello-world.scm`, then running the resulting executable.

The manual documents `$HOME/.csirc` as an initialization file loaded before the read-eval-print loop unless disabled, which is the relevant user-level config file.

Why package nerds care

CHICKEN is package-nerd-significant because it bridges Lisp/Scheme culture and Unix packaging: source goes to C, extensions are distributed as Eggs, and the runtime fits normal compiler/package-manager workflows.

For package maintainers, CHICKEN's split between core compiler/interpreter tools and a large extension ecosystem makes it a classic language-runtime package rather than a single app.

Timeline

2000: Felix L. Winkelmann began the development period described by the official manual.
2008: Community maintenance responsibility began, according to the official manual.
2026: Homebrew tracked CHICKEN 5.4.0 from the official call-cc.org release archive.

Related projects

Eggs are CHICKEN's contributed extension/library ecosystem and are linked directly from the official homepage.
CHICKEN sits in the Scheme implementation family alongside systems such as Chez Scheme and Chibi-Scheme, but its package identity is especially shaped by C output and the `csc`/`csi` workflow.

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:programming language

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 10 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.

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: ~/.csirc

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`chicken`	cli	global executable
`chicken-do`	cli	global executable
`chicken-install`	cli	global executable
`chicken-profile`	cli	global executable
`chicken-status`	cli	global executable
`chicken-uninstall`	cli	global executable
`feathers`	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 version5.4.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://www.call-cc.org/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.call-cc.org/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:chicken
Version	5.4.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/chicken
Homepage	https://www.call-cc.org/
Repository	https://code.call-cc.org/git/chicken-core.git
Upstream docs	https://wiki.call-cc.org/
License	BSD-3-Clause
Source archive	https://code.call-cc.org/releases/5.4.0/chicken-5.4.0.tar.gz
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, 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	chicken
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Conflicts With	mono
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
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%

chicken-bin 5.3.0-2

Practical and portable Scheme system - compiler

http://www.call-cc.org

sudo apt install chicken-bin

Section: lisp
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: chicken
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: chicken-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Debian apt95%

libchicken-dev 5.3.0-2

Practical and portable Scheme system - development

http://www.call-cc.org

sudo apt install libchicken-dev

Section: libdevel
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libchicken-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Debian apt95%

libchicken11t64 5.3.0-2

Practical and portable Scheme system - runtime

http://www.call-cc.org

sudo apt install libchicken11t64

Section: libs
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libchicken11t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Ubuntu apt95%

chicken-bin 5.3.0-1.1build1

Practical and portable Scheme system - compiler

http://www.call-cc.org

sudo apt install chicken-bin

Section: universe/interpreters
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: chicken
3 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: chicken-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

Ubuntu apt95%

libchicken-dev 5.3.0-1.1build1

Practical and portable Scheme system - development

http://www.call-cc.org

sudo apt install libchicken-dev

Section: universe/libdevel
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: chicken
2 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libchicken-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

Ubuntu apt95%

libchicken11t64 5.3.0-1.1build1

Practical and portable Scheme system - runtime

http://www.call-cc.org

sudo apt install libchicken11t64

Section: universe/libs
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libchicken11t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

chicken 5.4.0-r0

R5RS and R7RS compatible scheme compiler and interpreter

https://call-cc.org/

sudo apk add chicken

License: BSD-3-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: chicken from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

chicken-dev 5.4.0-r0

R5RS and R7RS compatible scheme compiler and interpreter (development files)

https://call-cc.org/

sudo apk add chicken-dev

License: BSD-3-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: chicken-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

chicken-doc 5.4.0-r0

R5RS and R7RS compatible scheme compiler and interpreter (documentation)

https://call-cc.org/

sudo apk add chicken-doc

License: BSD-3-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: chicken
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: chicken-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

chicken-feathers 5.4.0-r0

A debugger for compiled chicken programs

https://call-cc.org/

sudo apk add chicken-feathers

License: BSD-3-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: chicken-feathers from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

chicken-libs 5.4.0-r0

R5RS and R7RS compatible scheme compiler and interpreter (libraries)

https://call-cc.org/

sudo apk add chicken-libs

License: BSD-3-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: chicken-libs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

chicken 5.4.0-5.fc44

A practical and portable Scheme system

http://call-cc.org

sudo dnf install chicken

License: BSD-3-Clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: chicken
6 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: chicken from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

dnf95%

chicken-libs 5.4.0-5.fc44

Chicken Scheme runtime library

http://call-cc.org

sudo dnf install chicken-libs

License: BSD-3-Clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: chicken
4 dependencies
2 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: chicken-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

dnf95%

chicken-static 5.4.0-5.fc44

Static library for Chicken

http://call-cc.org

sudo dnf install chicken-static

License: BSD-3-Clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: chicken
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: chicken-static from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

pacman95%

chicken 5.4.0-1

Feature rich R5RS Scheme compiler and interpreter

https://call-cc.org/

sudo pacman -S chicken

License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-or-later AND custom:Public-Domain
Architecture: x86_64
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: chicken from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

chicken

sudo port install chicken

normalized package name match
Matched by: Chicken

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: lang/chicken/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

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.

combined/chicken.yml

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

Install chicken with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, pacman

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: yellow

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources