macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install dictionlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install dictionMacPorts ports tree · textproc/diction/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install diction with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix
GNU diction and style. Version 1.11 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install dictionDebian stable package indexes · diction · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install dictionFedora Rawhide package metadata · diction · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#dictionnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/di/diction/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
GNU diction and style
Project links
Commands and aliases
- diction
- style
history
Project history and usage
GNU diction packages two old Unix-style writing aids, diction and style, as free software. The tools scan prose for wordy or commonly misused phrases and report surface readability measures from the command line.
Project history
The GNU source release describes diction and style as free implementations of older standard Unix commands that disappeared from many modern systems after being unbundled. Its manual page says the historical diction command came from old Unix systems and the AT&T Documenter's Workbench, while GNU diction is a reimplementation that can be paired with deroff, dehtml, or detex.
The 1.11 release tarball records support for Dutch, GPLv3 licensing, and autoconf 2.61. The GNU FTP archive shows public GNU releases from 0.7 in 1998 through 1.11 in 2007.
Adoption history
GNU diction's adoption story is modest and package-manager oriented: it keeps a small, classic prose-checking command available on systems where the original Unix tools are no longer bundled. Its value is strongest for users who like scriptable text filters rather than editor-integrated writing assistants.
How it is used
diction reads files or standard input and marks sentences containing phrases from its language databases; style reports readability and other surface characteristics. The manual documents pipelines with deroff for roff documents, and similar use with dehtml or detex for HTML and TeX.
Why package nerds care
The package is a small example of GNU preserving an old Unix userland niche: plain text in, diagnostics out, no service, no account, and no project-local configuration.
Timeline
- 1997: GNU diction copyright range begins in the 1.11 manual page.
- 1998: diction 0.7 appears in the GNU FTP archive.
- 2007: diction 1.11 is released with Dutch support and GPLv3 licensing.
Related projects
- AT&T DWB diction/style, deroff, dehtml, detex, and fmt are the closest historical and pipeline neighbors.
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 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
diction | cli | global executable | |
style | 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 version1.11
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.gnu.org/software/diction/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.gnu.org/software/diction/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:diction |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.11 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/diction |
| Homepage | https://www.gnu.org/software/diction/ |
| Upstream docs | https://www.gnu.org/software/diction |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/diction/diction-1.11.tar.gz |
| 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 |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | diction |
| Aliases |
|
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| 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%
diction 1.14-1
Utilities to help with style and diction (English and German)
http://www.gnu.org/software/diction/diction.html
sudo apt install diction- Section: text
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Diction
Nix95%
diction
nix profile install nixpkgs#diction- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Diction
Ubuntu apt95%
diction 1.14-1
Utilities to help with style and diction (English and German)
http://www.gnu.org/software/diction/diction.html
sudo apt install diction- Section: universe/text
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Diction
dnf95%
diction 1.14-13.fc44
Identifies diction and style errors
http://www.gnu.org/software/diction/diction.html
sudo dnf install diction- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: diction
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Diction
MacPorts95%
diction
sudo port install diction- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Diction
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