Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install ed with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, scoop

Classic UNIX line editor. Version 1.22.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ed

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ed

MacPorts ports tree · editors/ed/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add ed

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · ed · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install ed

Debian stable package indexes · ed · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ed

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · ed · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ed

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S ed

Arch Linux sync databases · ed · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install ed

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · ed · source: download.opensuse.org

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/red

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

overview

Package summary

Classic UNIX line editor

Commands and aliases

  • ed
  • red

history

Project history and usage

GNU ed is the GNU implementation of the classic Unix line editor. In package-manager terms it is tiny, old-fashioned, standardized, scriptable, and still worth shipping because the `ed` utility is part of the Unix/POSIX tool vocabulary.

Project history

The POSIX specification defines `ed` as a line-oriented text editor with command and input modes. That standardized interface is the historically important part of the package: `ed` is a small command language for editing text through standard input, not a screen editor.

The GNU package supplies the Free Software Foundation's maintained implementation, including both `ed` and the restricted variant `red`. GNU FTP release archives show the modern GNU release stream at least from ed 1.0 in August 2008 through ed 1.22.5 in February 2026.

Adoption history

ed persists because it is standardized, scriptable, and expected on Unix-like systems even though most interactive editing moved to screen editors long ago. Its Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine, Arch, Nix, MacPorts, Scoop, and openSUSE packaging in the batch input reflects that baseline utility role.

GNU ed's adoption is therefore less about visible user enthusiasm and more about compatibility: scripts, recovery procedures, minimal systems, teaching material, and standards conformance still need a line editor named `ed`.

How it is used

POSIX documents `ed [ -p string ] [ -s ] [ file ]`, with commands read from standard input. In command mode, input is interpreted as editing commands; in input mode, input is inserted as text.

GNU ed also ships `red`, a restricted form useful in constrained editing contexts. The utility is commonly used non-interactively in scripts or as a lowest-common-denominator editor on small systems.

Why package nerds care

ed is package-manager bedrock: a tiny utility that looks obsolete until a bootstrap environment, recovery shell, POSIX test, or ancient script expects it. Shipping it is a compatibility decision as much as a feature decision.

For people who care about Unix history, `ed` is also a living fossil in the best sense: the interface in modern packages is still recognizably the line-editor model described by POSIX.

Timeline

  • 2008-08: GNU FTP archive lists ed 1.0.
  • 2015-03: GNU FTP archive lists ed 1.11.
  • 2020-02: GNU FTP archive lists ed 1.16.
  • 2024-04: GNU FTP archive lists ed 1.20.2.
  • 2026-02: GNU FTP archive lists ed 1.22.5.

Related projects

  • POSIX defines the portable `ed` utility interface.
  • `red` is the restricted editor installed with GNU ed.
  • Screen editors such as vi and Emacs largely displaced ed for daily interactive editing, but not for the standardized utility role.

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 6 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

CommandKindExposureNote
edcliglobal executable
redcliglobal 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 version1.22.5
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/ed.html

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:ed
Version1.22.5
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ed
Homepagehttps://www.gnu.org/software/ed/ed.html
Repositoryhttps://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/ed.git
Upstream docshttps://www.gnu.org/software/ed/manual/ed_manual.html
LicenseGPL-3.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/ed/ed-1.22.5.tar.lz
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared
CaveatsAll commands have been installed with the prefix "g". If you need to use these commands with their normal names, you can add a "gnubin" directory to your PATH from your bashrc like: PATH="$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/opt/ed/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Nameed
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyyes
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.

Debian apt95%

ed 1.21.1-1

classic UNIX line editor

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/

sudo apt install ed
  • Section: editors
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: ed from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

ed

nix profile install nixpkgs#ed
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ed/ed/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

ed 1.20.1-1

classic UNIX line editor

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/

sudo apt install ed
  • Section: editors
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ed from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

ed 1.22.5-r0

Line-oriented text editor used to create, display, modify and otherwise manipulate text files

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/

sudo apk add ed
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: ed
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ed from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

ed-doc 1.22.5-r0

Line-oriented text editor used to create, display, modify and otherwise manipulate text files (documentation)

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/

sudo apk add ed-doc
  • License: GPL-2.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: ed
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ed-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

ed 1.22.5-2.fc45

The GNU line editor

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/

sudo dnf install ed
  • License: GPL-2.0-only AND GFDL-1.3-no-invariants-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: ed
  • 3 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ed from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

ed 1.22.5-1

A POSIX-compliant line-oriented text editor

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/ed.html

sudo pacman -S ed
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: ed from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

ed 1.22.5-1.1

A line-oriented text editor

https://www.gnu.org/software/ed/

sudo zypper install ed
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later
  • Category: Productivity/Text/Editors
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: ed
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: ed from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

ed

sudo port install ed
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Ed
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: editors/ed/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Nix92%

red

nix profile install nixpkgs#red
  • installed executable or alias match
  • Matched by: Red
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/re/red/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Scoop92%

main/red

scoop install main/red
  • installed executable or alias match
  • Matched by: Red
Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/red.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.

Same workflow

  • mleShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, editors, text-editor.
  • pyvimShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, editors, text-editor.
  • ex-viShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-editor, unix.
  • ghexShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, editors.
  • nanoShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, gnu, text-editor.
  • rmateShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, editors.

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/ed.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