# Install dmenu with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Dynamic menu for X11. Version 5.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:dmenu ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install dmenu ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install dmenu ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: x11/dmenu/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add dmenu ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dmenu from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install dmenu ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: dmenu from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#dmenu ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dm/dmenu/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S dmenu ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: dmenu from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install dmenu ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dmenu from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:dmenu - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.4 - **Source summary:** Dynamic menu for X11 - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - dmenu (cli) - dmenu_path (cli) - dmenu_run (cli) - stest (cli) - dmenu (alias) - dmenu_path (alias) - dmenu_run (alias) - stest (alias) ## Dependencies - fontconfig - libx11 - libxft - libxinerama ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 5.4 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://tools.suckless.org/dmenu/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage dmenu is suckless.org's efficient dynamic menu for X, originally designed for dwm and commonly used as a keyboard-driven launcher or scriptable selector. ### Project history The official suckless page describes dmenu as a dynamic menu for X that was originally designed for dwm and manages large numbers of user-defined menu items efficiently. The official git refs show public tagged releases beginning at 0.1 in August 2006 and continuing through the 5.x series. ### Adoption history dmenu became a standard suckless tool because it composes through stdin and stdout: scripts can pass newline-separated choices in, and dmenu prints the selected item out. Its official manual also documents dmenu_run, the script used by dwm to list programs in PATH and run the selected command. ### How it is used In everyday package use, dmenu reads newline-separated items from stdin, narrows matches as the user types, and prints the chosen item on Return. Options cover bottom placement, case-insensitive matching, vertical lists, monitor selection, prompts, fonts, colors, and embedding into another X window. ### Why package nerds care dmenu is significant because it is tiny, source-customizable X11 infrastructure rather than a full desktop launcher. It appears in package managers as a small dependency-free-ish building block for window-manager users, shell scripts, and Unix workflows that prefer composition over integrated desktop services. ### Timeline - 2006-08: dmenu 0.1 tag appeared in the official git refs. - 2009-02: dmenu 4.0 was tagged. - 2020-09: dmenu 5.0 was tagged. - 2025-08: dmenu 5.4 was released. ### Related projects - The official page ties dmenu to dwm, and the man page cross-references dwm and stest. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** dmenu - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - dmenu: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dm/dmenu/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - dmenu - 5.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dmenu from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Dynamic menu for X | https://tools.suckless.org/dmenu/ - apk - dmenu-doc - 5.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dmenu-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Dynamic menu for X (documentation) | https://tools.suckless.org/dmenu/ - dnf - dmenu - 5.4-3.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: dmenu from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Generic menu for X | http://tools.suckless.org/dmenu - pacman - dmenu - 5.4-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: dmenu from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Generic menu for X | https://tools.suckless.org/dmenu/ - zypper - dmenu - 5.4-1.2: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dmenu from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A generic and efficient menu for X | https://tools.suckless.org/dmenu/ - MacPorts - dmenu: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: x11/dmenu/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [fontconfig](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fontconfig/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dwm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dwm/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [bazelisk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bazelisk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, launcher. - [imake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/imake/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, x11. - [python-launcher](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-launcher/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, launcher. - [t1lib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/t1lib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, x11. - [xterm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xterm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, x11. - [xtermcontrol](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xtermcontrol/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, x11. - [xtitle](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xtitle/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, x11. - [git-cola](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/git-cola/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, desktop, developer-tools. - [ddd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ddd/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, fontconfig, libx11. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/dmenu.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/dmenu.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - 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