# Install csound with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Sound and music computing system. Version 6.18.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:csound ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install csound ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install csound ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: audio/csound/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install csound ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: csound from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#csound ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cs/csound/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S csound ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: csound from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install csound ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: csound from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:csound - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 6.18.1 - **Source summary:** Sound and music computing system - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.1-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - atsa (cli) - cs (cli) - csanalyze (cli) - csb64enc (cli) - csbeats (cli) - csdebugger (cli) - csound (cli) - cvanal (cli) - dnoise (cli) - envext (cli) - extract (cli) - extractor (cli) - het_export (cli) - het_import (cli) - hetro (cli) - lpanal (cli) - lpc_export (cli) - lpc_import (cli) - makecsd (cli) - mixer (cli) - pv_export (cli) - pv_import (cli) - pvanal (cli) - pvlook (cli) - scale (cli) - scot (cli) - scsort (cli) - sdif2ad (cli) - sndinfo (cli) - src_conv (cli) - atsa (alias) - cs (alias) - csanalyze (alias) - csb64enc (alias) - csbeats (alias) - csdebugger (alias) - csound (alias) - cvanal (alias) - dnoise (alias) - envext (alias) - extract (alias) - extractor (alias) - het_export (alias) - het_import (alias) - hetro (alias) - lpanal (alias) - lpc_export (alias) - lpc_import (alias) - makecsd (alias) - mixer (alias) - pv_export (alias) - pv_import (alias) - pvanal (alias) - pvlook (alias) - scale (alias) - scot (alias) - scsort (alias) - sdif2ad (alias) - sndinfo (alias) - src_conv (alias) ## Dependencies - faust - fltk - fluid-synth - gettext - hdf5 - jack - lame - liblo - libpng - libsamplerate - libsndfile - libwebsockets - numpy - openjdk - openssl@3 - portaudio - portmidi - python@3.14 - stk - wiiuse ## Build dependencies - asio - cmake - eigen - swig ## Uses from macOS - curl ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Caveats: To use the Java bindings, you may need to add to your shell profile e.g. ~/.profile or ~/.zshrc: export CLASSPATH="$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/csound/libexec/csnd6.jar:." and link the native shared library into your Java Extensions folder: mkdir -p ~/Library/Java/Extensions ln -s "$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/csound/libexec/lib_jcsound6.jnilib" ~/Library/Java/Extensions - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 6.18.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/csound/csound - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage Csound is a long-running sound and music computing system with a command-line compiler, runtime, libraries, plugins, and a reference manual. Its packaging significance comes from bridging computer-music history with modern Unix, desktop, mobile, and web builds. ### Project history The official repository README identifies Csound as a sound and music computing system and says the repository contains the core Csound library, command-line frontend, and code for embedded, mobile, and web ports. The README credits contributors from musicians, scientists, and programmers around the world. ### Adoption history The canonical manual history says early Csound manuals started at MIT with Barry L. Vercoe and were maintained there through the 1980s and early 1990s, with material tracing back to Music11-era documents. It also records that MIT licensed Csound as LGPL in 2003, with the manual licensed GFDL and placed on SourceForge with the sources. ### How it is used Official getting-started docs describe Csound as normally run from a command line or frontend, using .csd files that combine options, instruments, and score sections. The manual documents .csound6rc as a command-line parameter file read from HOME or the path in CSOUND6RC, then from the current directory with local options taking precedence. ### Why package nerds care Csound is package-heavy in the old Unix sense: one formula installs a main executable plus many analysis and conversion utilities, plugin search paths, a library API, and documentation. That makes packaging choices around paths, opcodes, examples, and frontends unusually visible to users. ### Timeline - 1980s: Early Csound manual work was started at MIT by Barry L. Vercoe. - 1999: The official manual history mentions the version 4.16 reference manual. - 2003: MIT licensed Csound as LGPL and placed sources on SourceForge with the GFDL manual. - 2004: The Canonical Manual was converted to DocBook/XML. - 2026: The Csound repository README describes 6.x as EOL and the develop branch as Csound 7.x beta. ### Related projects - The manual history connects Csound documentation to Music11, and the getting-started docs describe frontends such as QuteCsound as part of common use. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes escape, surveillance, or offensive capability signal. - **Geiger risk:** red / medium - escape, surveillance, or offensive capability signal ## 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 - Unix: $CSOUND6RC, .csound6rc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** csound - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 14 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Conflicts With:** libextractor - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - csound - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: csound from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | powerful and versatile sound synthesis software | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - csound-data - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: csound-data from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | data files used by the csound library | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - csound-soundfont - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: csound-soundfont from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | GM soundfont2 bank from csound | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - csound-utils - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: csound-utils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | miscellaneous utilities for the Csound system | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - libcsnd-dev - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libcsnd-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | development files for Csound -- C++ API | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - libcsnd6-6.0v5 - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libcsnd6-6.0v5 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | C++ bindings for the Csound API | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - libcsnd6-java - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libcsnd6-java from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Java bindings for the Csound API | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - libcsound64-6.0 - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libcsound64-6.0 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | main library for Csound | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - libcsound64-dev - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libcsound64-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | development files for Csound | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - libcsound64-doc - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libcsound64-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Csound API documentation | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - liblua5.1-luacsnd - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: liblua5.1-luacsnd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Lua bindings for the Csound API (transitional package) | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - lua-luacsnd6 - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: lua-luacsnd6 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Lua bindings for the Csound API | https://csound.github.io/ - Debian apt - python3-csound - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: python3-csound from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Python bindings for Csound | https://csound.github.io/ - Nix - csound: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/cs/csound/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - csound - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-1ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: csound from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | powerful and versatile sound synthesis software | https://csound.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - csound-data - 1:6.18.1+dfsg-1ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: csound-data from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | data files used by the csound library | https://csound.github.io/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [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. - [faust](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/faust/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [fltk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fltk/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [fluid-synth](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fluid-synth/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [hdf5](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hdf5/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [jack](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jack/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [lame](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lame/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [liblo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/liblo/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [swig](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/swig/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [bandcamp-dl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bandcamp-dl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music. - [cmusfm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmusfm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music. - [stk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/stk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, synthesis. - [timidity](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/timidity/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music. - [waon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/waon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music. - [abcde](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abcde/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [adplay](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplay/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [adplug](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplug/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media. - [carla](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/carla/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: audio, cli, fluid, fluid-synth, jack. - [mpd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mpd/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, fluid, fluid-synth, lame. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/csound.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/csound.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - 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