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brew

Install fastk with Homebrew

K-mer counter for high-fidelity shotgun datasets. Version 1.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install fastk

local Homebrew formula metadata

overview

Package summary

K-mer counter for high-fidelity shotgun datasets

Commands and aliases

  • FastK
  • Fastcat
  • Fastcp
  • Fastmerge
  • Fastmv
  • Fastrm
  • Haplex
  • Histex
  • Homex
  • KmerMap
  • Logex
  • Profex
  • Symmex
  • Tabex
  • Vennex

history

Project history and usage

FastK is Gene Myers' k-mer counter for high-quality shotgun sequencing data, especially Illumina and PacBio HiFi datasets. It is packaged as a command-line scientific tool rather than a general developer utility.

Project history

The README identifies Gene Myers as author, gives July 22, 2020 as the first date, and documents FastK as a k-mer counter optimized for high-quality assembly datasets. Its command suite includes FastK itself plus utilities for moving, merging, concatenating, inspecting, and mapping FastK output files.

Adoption history

FastK's public footprint is niche and bioinformatics-specific. Its adoption signal is strongest in packaging and genomics workflows that need efficient k-mer histograms, tables, and profiles for large sequencing data rather than in broad developer communities.

How it is used

FastK consumes CRAM, BAM, SAM, FASTA, FASTQ, gzip-compressed sequence files, and Dazzler databases, producing histograms, sorted k-mer/count tables, and optional sequence profiles. The README emphasizes low-memory operation, temporary disk usage, multithreading, and HPC workflows such as splitting data and merging tables.

Why package nerds care

For package nerds, FastK is interesting because it is a domain-heavy command suite where filesystem layout is part of the interface: stub files, hidden sidecar files, table/profile extensions, and companion commands such as Fastrm and Fastmerge all have to be packaged together correctly.

Timeline

  • 2020: README records the first FastK date as July 22, 2020.
  • 2020: GitHub repository created on October 19, 2020.
  • 2021: README current date records April 18, 2021.

Related projects

  • KMC3 is named in the README as a performance comparison point.
  • DAZZ_DB is supported as an input format.
  • merfin is named as a downstream use case for relative k-mer profiles.

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.
  • Installs with 1 runtime 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

CommandKindExposureNote
FastKcliglobal executable
Fastcatcliglobal executable
Fastcpcliglobal executable
Fastmergecliglobal executable
Fastmvcliglobal executable
Fastrmcliglobal executable
Haplexcliglobal executable
Histexcliglobal executable
Homexcliglobal executable
KmerMapcliglobal executable
Logexcliglobal executable
Profexcliglobal executable
Symmexcliglobal executable
Tabexcliglobal executable
Vennexcliglobal 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 version1.2
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.2

https://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:fastk
Version1.2
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/fastk
Homepagehttps://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK
Repositoryhttps://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK
Upstream docshttps://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK#readme
LicenseBSD-3-Clause AND (MIT AND BSD-3-Clause) AND MIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/thegenemyers/FASTK/archive/refs/tags/v1.2.tar.gz
Dependenciesxz
Uses from macOSbzip2, curl
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namefastk
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

package graph

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

Related tools

  • xzRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • jellyfishShares av.db curated category or tags: bioinformatics, cli, genomics, k-mer, science.
  • abricateShares av.db curated category or tags: bioinformatics, cli, genomics, science.
  • bbtoolsShares av.db curated category or tags: bioinformatics, cli, genomics, science.
  • bioperlShares av.db curated category or tags: bioinformatics, cli, genomics, science.
  • blastShares av.db curated category or tags: bioinformatics, cli, genomics, science.
  • bowtie2Shares av.db curated category or tags: bioinformatics, cli, genomics, science.

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.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment