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brew

Install gerbil-scheme with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix

Opinionated dialect of Scheme designed for Systems Programming. Version 0.18.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-12.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install gerbil-scheme

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install gerbil

MacPorts ports tree · science/gerbil/Portfile · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Opinionated dialect of Scheme designed for Systems Programming

Commands and aliases

  • gerbil
  • gxc
  • gxensemble
  • gxensemble-test
  • gxhttpd
  • gxhttpd-ensemble-test
  • gxhttpd-test
  • gxi
  • gxpkg
  • gxprof
  • gxtags
  • gxtest

history

Project history and usage

Gerbil Scheme is an opinionated Scheme dialect for systems programming, built on the Gambit runtime and compiler. It combines a macro system, a module system, ahead-of-time compilation, and a broad standard library for developers who want a Scheme environment with practical systems tooling.

Project history

The Gerbil README traces the language to Dimitris Vyzovitis, also known as vyzo, who kept Gerbil as a private Scheme for many years. It evolved from shared macros across implementations into a PLT-style macro language for actor-oriented distributed programming before being released with a source-based bootstrap.

The public implementation standardized on Gambit because the maintainer considered it a portable, performant, low-level Scheme kernel. The repository metadata records the public GitHub project opening in 2016, while the README copyright notice covers work from 2007 through 2023.

Adoption history

Gerbil occupies a specialized place in the Scheme ecosystem: it appeals to programmers who want Scheme syntax and macros while keeping access to native compilation, FFI-oriented systems work, packages, networking libraries, and command-line tooling.

How it is used

Users interact with Gerbil through tools such as `gxi` for the interpreter and `gxc` for compilation. Practitioners build modules, compile programs ahead of time through Gambit, use the standard library, and manage Gerbil projects through the included command-line tools.

Why package nerds care

For package-manager users, Gerbil is notable because it packages an entire language stack rather than a single executable. Installing it through Homebrew, MacPorts, or Nix gives Scheme users a repeatable way to obtain the interpreter, compiler, package tooling, and supporting runtime.

Timeline

  • 2007: The README copyright range begins for Gerbil work by Dimitris Vyzovitis and contributors.
  • 2016: The public GitHub repository was opened.
  • After private development: Gerbil was released with a source-based bootstrap on Gambit.

Related projects

  • Gambit Scheme, Racket, Chibi, SRFI 115, SRFI 159

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

  • broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

  • text:http

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 1 build 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
gerbilcliglobal executable
gxccliglobal executable
gxensemblecliglobal executable
gxensemble-testcliglobal executable
gxhttpdcliglobal executable
gxhttpd-ensemble-testcliglobal executable
gxhttpd-testcliglobal executable
gxicliglobal executable
gxpkgcliglobal executable
gxprofcliglobal executable
gxtagscliglobal executable
gxtestcliglobal 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 version0.18.2
manager updated2026-04-12
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.18.2

https://github.com/mighty-gerbils/gerbil

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:gerbil-scheme
Version0.18.2
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gerbil-scheme
Homepagehttps://cons.io
Repositoryhttps://github.com/mighty-gerbils/gerbil
Upstream docshttps://cons.io/guide
LicenseLGPL-2.1-or-later OR Apache-2.0
Source archivehttps://github.com/mighty-gerbils/gerbil/archive/refs/tags/v0.18.2.tar.gz
Last updated2026-04-12T10:13:01Z
Pulseupdated
Dependenciesgcc, openssl@3
Build dependenciespkgconf
Uses from macOSsqlite
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 Namegerbil-scheme
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Conflicts With
  • gambit-scheme
  • ghostscript
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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.

MacPorts94%

gerbil

sudo port install gerbil
  • installed executable or alias match
  • Matched by: Gerbil
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: science/gerbil/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Nix92%

gerbil

nix profile install nixpkgs#gerbil
  • installed executable or alias match
  • Matched by: Gerbil
nixpkgs package indexes · raw.githubusercontent.com · nixpkgs package indexes: gerbil from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix

package graph

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

Related tools

  • gccRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • openssl@3Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • mit-schemeShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, interpreter, language-runtime, lisp.
  • chickenShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, interpreter, language-runtime, scheme.
  • gambit-schemeShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, interpreter, language-runtime, scheme.
  • kawaShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, lisp, scheme.
  • scheme48Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime, lisp, scheme.
  • biglooShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, scheme.

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
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment