macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ctagslocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ctagsMacPorts ports tree · devel/ctags/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install ctags with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, scoop, winget
Reimplementation of ctags(1). Version 5.8 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#ctags.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add ctagsAlpine Linux edge package indexes · ctags · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ctagsFedora Rawhide package metadata · ctags · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ctagsnixpkgs package indexes · ctags · source: raw.githubusercontent.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S ctagsArch Linux sync databases · ctags · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install ctagsopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · ctags · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Chocolateyverified · 92%
choco install ctagsChocolatey community package catalog · ctags · source: community.chocolatey.org
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/ctagsScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/ctags.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id UniversalCtags.Ctags -eWindows Package Manager source index · UniversalCtags.Ctags · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Reimplementation of ctags(1)
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ctags
history
Project history and usage
Exuberant Ctags is Darren Hiebert's multi-language implementation of the classic ctags source-indexing tool. It generates tag files that editors and other tools use for quick navigation to language objects such as functions, classes, macros, variables, and declarations.
Project history
The official change notes record ctags 1.0 as a first public release on May 31, 1996. The project then expanded rapidly from a C/C++-oriented tag generator into a multi-language tool, adding Java support in 1998, many other language parsers through the 2000s, extended tag fields, recursive traversal, Emacs TAGS output, user-defined regex languages, and broad platform support.
Version 5.8, dated July 9, 2009 on the official site, was the last Exuberant Ctags release advertised there. Its source distribution and platform packages remained important long after that date because the tool had become a standard dependency for editor navigation and source-code browsing workflows.
Adoption history
The Exuberant Ctags home page states that the tool was used in at least 50 countries, supported 41 programming languages, was included in major Linux distributions, and was covered by editor and programming publications. The input package facts show the Homebrew package name distributed across many modern package managers, including apk, Homebrew, Chocolatey, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, Scoop, winget, and zypper.
How it is used
ctags is typically run over a source tree to create a tags file for editors, source browsers, or other utilities. The official manual documents automatic language selection, recursive source traversal, configuration files, environment options, and tag-file output formats.
Why package nerds care
Ctags is a foundational editor-tool package: tiny, scriptable, cross-platform, and useful across many languages. Exuberant Ctags became the de facto packaged implementation for years, while later Universal Ctags packaging inherited much of the command-line and distribution story.
Timeline
- 1996: ctags 1.0 first public release.
- 1998: ctags 2.1 added Java support; ctags 2.2 added recursive traversal.
- 2003: ctags 5.5 added list-languages, list-kinds, list-maps, C#, Erlang, HTML, JavaScript, and Standard ML support.
- 2007: ctags 5.7 added support for .ctags on Windows.
- 2009: ctags 5.8 release advertised on the official site.
Related projects
- Exuberant Ctags is historically tied to vi, Vim, Emacs TAGS files, and editor source-navigation workflows. Universal Ctags is the active successor lineage used by newer tooling such as ctags-lsp.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for ctags. 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 13 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
/etc/ctags.conf/usr/local/etc/ctags.conf~/.ctags.ctags- Windows
/ctags.cnf~/ctags.cnfctags.cnf
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ctags | 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 generated2026-07-25
manager version5.8
manager updated2026-06-19
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://ctags.sourceforge.net/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://ctags.sourceforge.net/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ctags |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.8 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ctags |
| Homepage | https://ctags.sourceforge.net/ |
| Repository | https://sourceforge.net/p/ctags/code/HEAD/tree |
| Upstream docs | https://ctags.sourceforge.net/ |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/ctags/ctags/5.8/ctags-5.8.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-19T12:30:04-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
| Caveats | Under some circumstances, emacs and ctags can conflict. By default, emacs provides an executable `ctags` that would conflict with the executable of the same name that ctags provides. To prevent this, Homebrew removes the emacs `ctags` and its manpage before linking. |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | ctags |
| Aliases |
|
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 2 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Conflicts With |
|
| 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.
Nix95%
ctags
nix profile install nixpkgs#ctags- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
apk95%
ctags 6.2.1-r0
Generator of tags for all types of C/C++ languages
sudo apk add ctags- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ctags
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
apk95%
ctags-doc 6.2.1-r0
Generator of tags for all types of C/C++ languages (documentation)
sudo apk add ctags-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ctags
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
dnf95%
ctags 6.2.1-3.fc44
A C programming language indexing and/or cross-reference tool
sudo dnf install ctags- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ctags
- 6 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
pacman95%
ctags 1:6.2.1-1
Generates an index file of language objects found in source files
sudo pacman -S ctags- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- 7 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
zypper95%
ctags 5.8-15.3
A Program to Generate Tag Files for Use with vi and Other Editors
sudo zypper install ctags- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Development/Tools/Navigators
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ctags
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
MacPorts95%
ctags
sudo port install ctags- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
Chocolatey95%
ctags
choco install ctags- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
Scoop95%
main/ctags
scoop install main/ctags- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
winget95%
UniversalCtags.Ctags
winget install --id UniversalCtags.Ctags -e- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ctags
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
- 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