macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install crystallocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install crystalMacPorts ports tree · lang/crystal/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install crystal with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, pacman, scoop, winget, Nix
Fast and statically typed, compiled language with Ruby-like syntax. Version 1.20.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-03.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add crystalAlpine Linux edge package indexes · crystal · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install crystalDebian stable package indexes · crystal · source: deb.debian.org
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S crystalArch Linux sync databases · crystal · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#shardsnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/sh/shards/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/crystalScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/crystal.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id CrystalLang.Crystal -eWindows Package Manager source index · CrystalLang.Crystal · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Fast and statically typed, compiled language with Ruby-like syntax
Project links
Commands and aliases
- crystal
- shards
history
Project history and usage
Crystal is a compiled, statically type-checked programming language with Ruby-inspired syntax and a native-code toolchain. As a package, it is both a compiler/runtime and the delivery point for Shards, the distributed dependency manager used by Crystal libraries.
Project history
The official birthday post says Crystal became one year old on September 3, 2013, placing the project's start in 2012. The project describes itself as born and raised at Manas, with goals that combine Ruby-like syntax, static type checking without pervasive annotations, C bindings, compile-time code generation, and efficient native code generation through LLVM.
Adoption history
Crystal reached its 1.0 milestone in March 2021 after many years of development, thousands of contributions, and more than 450 contributors according to the official 1.0 announcement. That release mattered to adoption because it introduced a 1.x compatibility promise for language and standard-library behavior, which is the kind of stability signal package maintainers and production users wait for.
How it is used
Users install the crystal compiler to build command-line tools, services, and libraries with Ruby-like syntax and native output. The official homepage highlights the standard library, fibers, C bindings, macros, and Shards; the reference and API docs are the primary documentation surfaces for everyday development.
Why package nerds care
Crystal is unusually package-manager-shaped for a language runtime: the official install page distinguishes official packages, system packages, and community-maintained packages, and says Homebrew is the most popular installation method. The same page lists Debian/Ubuntu, Alpine, Arch, Homebrew, Nix, Scoop, WinGet, MSYS2, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and other routes, so downstream packaging is a central part of how users receive the language.
Timeline
- 2012: The project began, inferred from the official one-year birthday post dated September 4, 2013.
- 2013: The official birthday post described Crystal as similar to Ruby but compiled to native machine code with LLVM.
- 2021: Crystal 1.0 was announced with a 1.x compatibility promise.
- 2026: The official homepage release notes listed Crystal 1.20.2 on May 15, 2026.
Related projects
- Crystal is distributed with Shards for dependencies, uses LLVM for native code generation, and supports C library bindings. Its ecosystem also includes the Crystal Forum, play.crystal-lang.org, and community tools such as ICR.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for crystal. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 7 runtime 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
crystal | cli | global executable | |
shards | 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 version1.20.3
manager updated2026-07-03
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected1.20.3
https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:crystal |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.20.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/crystal |
| Homepage | https://crystal-lang.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal |
| Upstream docs | https://crystal-lang.org/api/latest |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/archive/refs/tags/1.20.3.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-07-03T09:03:45Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | bdw-gc, gmp, libyaml, llvm, openssl@3, pcre2, pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | libffi |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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 | crystal |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| 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 apt95%
crystal 1.14.0+dfsg-1
compiler of the Crystal object-oriented programming language
sudo apt install crystal- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 14 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
Debian apt95%
crystal-doc 1.14.0+dfsg-1
API documentation for the Crystal object-oriented programming language
sudo apt install crystal-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: crystal
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
Debian apt95%
crystal-samples 1.14.0+dfsg-1
samples for the Crystal object-oriented programming language
sudo apt install crystal-samples- Section: devel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: crystal
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
Ubuntu apt95%
crystal 1.11.2+dfsg-1build3
compiler of the Crystal object-oriented programming language
sudo apt install crystal- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 15 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
Ubuntu apt95%
crystal-doc 1.11.2+dfsg-1build3
API documentation for the Crystal object-oriented programming language
sudo apt install crystal-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: crystal
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
Ubuntu apt95%
crystal-samples 1.11.2+dfsg-1build3
samples for the Crystal object-oriented programming language
sudo apt install crystal-samples- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: crystal
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
apk95%
crystal 1.20.2-r0
The Crystal Programming Language
sudo apk add crystal- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: crystal
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
apk95%
crystal-bash-completion 1.20.2-r0
Bash completions for crystal
sudo apk add crystal-bash-completion- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: crystal
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
apk95%
crystal-doc 1.20.2-r0
The Crystal Programming Language (documentation)
sudo apk add crystal-doc- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: crystal
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
apk95%
crystal-zsh-completion 1.20.2-r0
Zsh completions for crystal
sudo apk add crystal-zsh-completion- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: crystal
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
pacman95%
crystal 1.20.2-1
The Crystal Programming Language
sudo pacman -S crystal- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- 4 dependencies
- 4 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
MacPorts95%
crystal
sudo port install crystal- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
Scoop95%
main/crystal
scoop install main/crystal- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
winget95%
CrystalLang.Crystal
winget install --id CrystalLang.Crystal -e- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Crystal
MacPorts94%
shards
sudo port install shards- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Shards
Debian apt92%
shards 0.19.0-1
dependency manager for the Crystal language
sudo apt install shards- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 7 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Shards
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