# Install cmu-pocketsphinx with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, scoop, zypper Lightweight speech recognition engine for mobile devices. Version 5.1.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-06. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:cmu-pocketsphinx ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install cmu-pocketsphinx ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install pocketsphinx ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: audio/pocketsphinx/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-pocketsphinx ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: gstreamer1.0-pocketsphinx from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install pocketsphinx ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: pocketsphinx from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#pocketsphinx ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/po/pocketsphinx/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install gstreamer-plugin-pocketsphinx ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gstreamer-plugin-pocketsphinx from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install extras/pocketsphinx ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/pocketsphinx.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Extras/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:cmu-pocketsphinx - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.1.1 - **Source summary:** Lightweight speech recognition engine for mobile devices - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-2-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-06T20:42:29Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - pocketsphinx (cli) - pocketsphinx_batch (cli) - pocketsphinx_jsgf2fsg (cli) - pocketsphinx_lm_convert (cli) - pocketsphinx_lm_eval (cli) - pocketsphinx_mdef_convert (cli) - pocketsphinx_pitch (cli) - pocketsphinx (alias) - pocketsphinx_batch (alias) - pocketsphinx_jsgf2fsg (alias) - pocketsphinx_lm_convert (alias) - pocketsphinx_lm_eval (alias) - pocketsphinx_mdef_convert (alias) - pocketsphinx_pitch (alias) ## Build dependencies - cmake ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not 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: 5.1.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-06 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/cmusphinx/pocketsphinx - Upstream latest detected: v5.1.1 (current) ## Project history and usage PocketSphinx is a compact open source speech recognizer from the CMU Sphinx family, distributed as a C library, command-line tools, and Python package. ### Project history The official README describes PocketSphinx as one of Carnegie Mellon University's open source large-vocabulary, speaker-independent continuous speech recognition engines. It also explains that the underlying algorithms and models are old but remain useful because they are compact and efficient. The README traces lineage to Sphinx-II and older CMU systems released as free software, and credits David Huggins-Daines with creating PocketSphinx by adding speed and memory optimizations, fixed-point computation, JSGF support, portability, and a more coherent API. ### Adoption history PocketSphinx's adoption came from being usable offline and on constrained systems long before cloud speech APIs were routine. The input package facts show packaging across Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu GStreamer integration, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Scoop, and openSUSE, while the official Python docs document `pip install pocketsphinx`. ### How it is used The official README documents a `pocketsphinx` command that reads mono 16-bit PCM audio from standard input or files and outputs recognition results, along with subcommands for live recognition, single-utterance recognition, alignment, configuration, and sox integration. The Read the Docs site documents Python usage with `LiveSpeech`. ### Why package nerds care PocketSphinx is package-nerd significant because it packages a historically important offline speech recognizer across C, CLI, Python, audio I/O, models, and GStreamer-style integration. Its modern 5.x line also removed SphinxBase as a separate dependency, simplifying one of the classic packaging pain points. ### Timeline - 2014-04: Current GitHub repository created. - 2022-10: v5.0.0 release published. - 2023-12: v5.0.3 release published. - 2025-01: v5.0.4 release published. - 2026-06: v5.1.1 release published. ### Related projects - PocketSphinx is part of the CMU Sphinx family and is related to Sphinx-II, older CMU speech-recognition systems, GStreamer packaging, Read the Docs Python bindings, and audio tools such as sox and PortAudio. ### Sources - - - - ## 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:** cmu-pocketsphinx - **Aliases:** pocketsphinx - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - MacPorts - pocketsphinx: installed executable or alias match | MacPorts ports tree: audio/pocketsphinx/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Debian apt - gstreamer1.0-pocketsphinx - 0.8+5prealpha+1-15+b4: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: gstreamer1.0-pocketsphinx from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Speech recognition tool - GStreamer plugin | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - libpocketsphinx-dev - 0.8+5prealpha+1-15+b4: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: libpocketsphinx-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Speech recognition tool - front-end library development files | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - libpocketsphinx3 - 0.8+5prealpha+1-15+b4: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: libpocketsphinx3 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Speech recognition tool - front-end library | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - pocketsphinx - 0.8+5prealpha+1-15+b4: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: pocketsphinx from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Speech recognition tool | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - pocketsphinx-en-us - 0.8+5prealpha+1-15: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: pocketsphinx-en-us from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Speech recognition tool - US English language model | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - pocketsphinx-testdata - 0.8+5prealpha+1-15: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: pocketsphinx-testdata from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Speech recognition tool - test data for pocketsphinx | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - swig-pocketsphinx - 0.8+5prealpha+1-15: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: swig-pocketsphinx from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Speech recognition tool - pocketsphinx swig helpers | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Nix - pocketsphinx: installed executable or alias match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/po/pocketsphinx/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - gstreamer1.0-pocketsphinx - 0.8.0+real5prealpha+1-15ubuntu5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: gstreamer1.0-pocketsphinx from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Speech recognition tool - GStreamer plugin | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libpocketsphinx-dev - 0.8.0+real5prealpha+1-15ubuntu5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libpocketsphinx-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Speech recognition tool - front-end library development files | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libpocketsphinx3 - 0.8.0+real5prealpha+1-15ubuntu5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libpocketsphinx3 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Speech recognition tool - front-end library | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - pocketsphinx - 0.8.0+real5prealpha+1-15ubuntu5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: pocketsphinx from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Speech recognition tool | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - pocketsphinx-en-us - 0.8.0+real5prealpha+1-15ubuntu5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: pocketsphinx-en-us from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Speech recognition tool - US English language model | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - pocketsphinx-testdata - 0.8.0+real5prealpha+1-15ubuntu5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: pocketsphinx-testdata from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Speech recognition tool - test data for pocketsphinx | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - swig-pocketsphinx - 0.8.0+real5prealpha+1-15ubuntu5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: swig-pocketsphinx from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Speech recognition tool - pocketsphinx swig helpers | http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/ ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmuclmtk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmuclmtk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cmusphinx, media, speech-recognition. - [julius](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/julius/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, speech-recognition. - [openai-whisper](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openai-whisper/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, speech-recognition. - [whisper-cpp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/whisper-cpp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, speech-recognition. - [whisperkit-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/whisperkit-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, speech-recognition. - [yap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/yap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, speech-recognition. - [a52dec](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/a52dec/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [abcde](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abcde/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [mimic](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mimic/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, cmu, engine, lightweight, media. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/cmu-pocketsphinx.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/cmu-pocketsphinx.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