macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install color-codelocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install color-code with Homebrew, apt
Free advanced MasterMind clone. Version 0.8.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-18.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install colorcodeDebian stable package indexes · colorcode · source: deb.debian.org
overview
Package summary
Free advanced MasterMind clone
Project links
Commands and aliases
- colorcode
history
Project history and usage
ColorCode is a GPL-licensed Qt MasterMind clone by Dirk Laebisch. It is packaged less as a Unix command-line tool than as a small desktop puzzle game that happens to be distributed through Unix package managers.
Project history
The project had a dedicated website by October 2009, shortly after the 0.5 release. Its early releases expanded the game from a configurable MasterMind clone into a richer puzzle implementation with alternate game modes, accessibility-oriented scaling, preferences, a timer, stored game lists, and a built-in solver.
Adoption history
ColorCode entered Debian packaging in December 2009, which is the most visible upstream-cited adoption milestone. The supplied Homebrew metadata also maps it to Debian and Ubuntu packages, making it a small cross-distribution desktop game rather than a single-manager formula.
How it is used
Users run the `colorcode` executable to play MasterMind variants with configurable color counts, column counts, duplicate-peg rules, predefined difficulty levels, and optional solver assistance.
Why package nerds care
ColorCode is a representative example of Homebrew carrying lightweight open-source desktop software alongside CLI tools. Its upstream history also shows the usual long tail of small Qt applications: source tarballs and distro packaging matter more than a large hosted forge presence.
Timeline
- 2009: ColorCode 0.5 released and the dedicated project website launched.
- 2009: Debian packaging announced by upstream.
- 2010: ColorCode 0.6 added a second game mode and settings dialogs.
- 2011: ColorCode 0.7 added separate solver and timer threads plus game lists.
- 2015: ColorCode 0.8.5 became the first feature-complete Qt 5 release.
- 2023: ColorCode 0.8.7 added CMake as a build option while keeping qmake.
Related projects
- The project is explicitly positioned as a MasterMind clone and solver. Its package-manager footprint links it to desktop game packaging in Debian, Ubuntu, and Homebrew.
Sources
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 10 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 1 build 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
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
colorcode | 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 version0.8.7
manager updated2026-05-18
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
http://colorcode.laebisch.com/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.http://colorcode.laebisch.com/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:color-code |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.8.7 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/color-code |
| Homepage | http://colorcode.laebisch.com/ |
| Upstream docs | http://colorcode.laebisch.com/ |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | http://colorcode.laebisch.com/download/ColorCode-0.8.7.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-05-18T15:16:42-04:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | qt@5 |
| Build dependencies | cmake |
| 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 | color-code |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | yes |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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 apt92%
colorcode 0.8.7-1+b1
advanced clone of the MasterMind code-breaking game
http://colorcode.laebisch.com/
sudo apt install colorcode- Section: games
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: colorcode
- 7 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Colorcode
Ubuntu apt92%
colorcode 0.8.7-1build2
advanced clone of the MasterMind code-breaking game
http://colorcode.laebisch.com/
sudo apt install colorcode- Section: universe/games
- Architecture: amd64
- 7 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Colorcode
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.
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