install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install dafny

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#dafny

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/da/dafny/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Ubuntu aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install dafny

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · dafny · source: archive.ubuntu.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/dafny

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/dafny.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Verification-aware programming language

Project links

Commands and aliases

dafny

history

Project history and usage

Dafny is a verification-aware programming language and toolchain. It occupies a special package-manager niche: a single CLI that lets developers write programs, specifications, and proofs together, then verify them and compile to mainstream languages.

Project history

The official Dafny README describes Dafny as a verification-ready programming language whose verifier checks code against specifications while the developer writes. The public dafny-lang/dafny repository was created in 2016, and GitHub release metadata records Dafny 1.9.7 in June 2016.

Adoption history

Dafny has grown through language documentation, binary releases for common operating systems, a wiki and issue tracker, and editor-centered workflows such as Visual Studio Code installation. Its README also points to tutorials, reference material, a Zulip channel, and a standard library, which are typical signs of a specialist language moving from research use into practical developer workflows.

How it is used

Users write Dafny programs with specifications such as preconditions, postconditions, invariants, and proofs; the Dafny verifier checks them, and the compiler can emit C#, Go, Python, Java, or JavaScript. The reference manual is the authoritative source for the language and verification system.

Why package nerds care

Dafny matters in package history because it packages formal methods as an installable developer tool rather than a one-off theorem-proving environment. It gives package managers a concrete artifact for a verification language, including CLI binaries, documentation, and cross-platform releases.

Timeline

2016: Public dafny-lang/dafny GitHub repository is created.
2016: Dafny 1.9.7 is published on GitHub releases.
2017: Dafny 2.0.0 is published on GitHub releases.
2025: Dafny 4.11.0 is published on GitHub releases.

Related projects

The official README lists influences including Euclid, Eiffel, CLU, Java, C#, Scala, ML, Coq, and VeriFast, and points to Dafny libraries and editor integrations.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: yellow

generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

text:programming language

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 2 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
`dafny`	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 generated2026-07-07

manager version4.11.0

manager updated2026-06-22

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv4.11.0

https://github.com/dafny-lang/dafny

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:dafny
Version	4.11.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dafny
Homepage	https://github.com/dafny-lang/dafny/blob/master/README.md
Repository	https://github.com/dafny-lang/dafny
Upstream docs	https://dafny.org/dafny/DafnyRef/DafnyRef
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/dafny-lang/dafny/archive/refs/tags/v4.11.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-22T14:03:07-07:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	dotnet@8, z3
Build dependencies	gradle@8, openjdk
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, 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	dafny
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

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%

dafny

nix profile install nixpkgs#dafny

normalized package name match
Matched by: Dafny

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/da/dafny/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

dafny 2.3.0+dfsg-0.1

programming language with program correctness verifier

https://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/dafny/

sudo apt install dafny

Section: universe/devel
Architecture: all
9 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dafny

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dafny from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

Scoop95%

main/dafny

scoop install main/dafny

normalized package name match
Matched by: Dafny

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/dafny.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/dafny.yml

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

Install dafny with Homebrew, Nix, scoop, apt