# Install form with Homebrew, apt, Nix, zypper Symbolic manipulation system. Version 5.0.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-29. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:form ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install form ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install form ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: form from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#form ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fo/form/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install form ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: form from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:form - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.0.1 - **Source summary:** Symbolic manipulation system - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-29T13:26:59Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - form (cli) - tform (cli) - form (alias) - tform (alias) ## Dependencies - flint - gmp - mpfr - zstd ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 5.0.1 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-29 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/form-dev/form - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage FORM is a symbolic manipulation system designed for very large algebraic expressions, especially in high-energy physics. Its official materials emphasize that expression size is limited mainly by disk space rather than RAM, making it a specialist tool for computations that strain conventional computer algebra systems. ### Project history FORM was started in 1984 by Jos Vermaseren at NIKHEF. The official NIKHEF history describes its evolution across Apollo workstations, Atari ST, NeXT systems, PCs, Linux systems, and multicore machines, while the current GitHub README names Jos Vermaseren as the original author and lists later contributors in the AUTHORS file. Parallel variants became part of the FORM story: ParFORM was developed for multiprocessor and cluster systems, while TFORM became the multithreaded version for shared-memory machines. The GitHub project was established in 2013 and continues to publish tagged releases, including the 5.0 series in 2026. ### Adoption history FORM's adoption is concentrated in research computing and high-energy physics rather than general-purpose scripting. The README states that it has been essential for state-of-the-art high-energy-physics computations, and the NIKHEF pages describe an ecosystem of manuals, courses, tutorials, a reference manual, and workshops around the tool. ### How it is used FORM programs read symbolic expressions from files, apply symbolic or algebraic transformations, and print textual mathematical results. The distributed command set includes form for sequential use and tform for multithreaded use, with optional dependencies such as GMP, MPFR, zstd, zlib, and FLINT improving capabilities or performance. ### Why package nerds care FORM is package-nerd significant because it is an old, performance-oriented domain tool that still ships as a Unix-style command-line program. It bridges scientific computing, symbolic algebra, disk-backed data structures, and long-running source distribution history, making it a classic example of research software that package managers keep usable outside its original lab environment. ### Timeline - 1984: FORM development started. - 1999: ParFORM development era began on multiprocessor systems. - 2013: Public GitHub repository created and 4.x releases published there. - 2026: FORM 5.0-series releases published. ### Related projects - Related FORM variants include ParFORM for distributed-memory multiprocessor systems and TFORM for shared-memory multithreading. FORM also occupies the efficient, large-expression side of the computer-algebra landscape, often used alongside more general CAS tools in hybrid workflows. ### 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:** form - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - form - 4.3.1+git20250227+ds-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: form from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Symbolic manipulation system | https://www.nikhef.nl/~form/ - Debian apt - form-doc - 4.3.1+git20250227+ds-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: form-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Documentation for symbolic manipulation system | https://www.nikhef.nl/~form/ - Nix - form: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fo/form/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - form - 4.3.0+git20230104+ds-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: form from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Symbolic manipulation system | https://www.nikhef.nl/~form/ - Ubuntu apt - form-doc - 4.3.0+git20230104+ds-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: form-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Documentation for symbolic manipulation system | https://www.nikhef.nl/~form/ - zypper - form - 5.0.0-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: form from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A Symbolic Manipulation System | https://github.com/form-dev/form/ - zypper - form-doc - 5.0.0-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: form-doc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Additional documentation for form - A Symbolic Manipulation System | https://github.com/form-dev/form/ ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Scientific computing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/scientific-computing-tools/) - Matched scientific computing metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [zstd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/zstd/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ginac](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ginac/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, computer-algebra, science, symbolic-computation. - [fricas](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fricas/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, computer-algebra, science, symbolic-computation. - [maxima](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/maxima/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, computer-algebra, science. - [msolve](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/msolve/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, computer-algebra, science, symbolic-computation. - [ode](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ode/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, physics, science. - [pari](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pari/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, computer-algebra, science. - [singular](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/singular/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, computer-algebra, science. - [wxmaxima](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/wxmaxima/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, computer-algebra, science. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/form.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/form.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