# Install hexedit with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper View and edit files in hexadecimal or ASCII. Version 1.6 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:hexedit ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install hexedit ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install hexedit ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/hexedit/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add hexedit ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hexedit from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install hexedit ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: hexedit from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install hexedit ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: hexedit 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#hexedit ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/he/hexedit/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S hexedit ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: hexedit from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install hexedit ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: hexedit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:hexedit - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.6 - **Source summary:** View and edit files in hexadecimal or ASCII - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - hexedit (cli) - hexedit (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.6 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/pixel/hexedit - Upstream latest detected: 1.6 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage hexedit is a long-lived terminal hex editor for viewing and modifying files in hexadecimal and ASCII. ### Project history The upstream Changes file starts in July 1998 and records a burst of development toward a practical full-screen editor: bold display for modified bytes, selection, copy and paste, backward search, saving selected regions, modeline behavior, opening additional files, undo behavior, and safer error handling. Version 1.0.0 was released in September 1998. The project continued with portability and terminal fixes through the 2000s, including 64-bit file offsets, Digital UNIX and Solaris build fixes, safer input handling, color support, and device-size handling. The GitHub repository, created in 2008, became the visible source-control home for later maintenance. ### Adoption history hexedit's adoption comes from being a small, traditional Unix terminal utility with a manpage, curses-style interaction, and no service dependencies. The input package metadata records packages across Homebrew, Debian, Fedora/dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, Ubuntu, zypper, and apk, and the Homebrew formula packages the 1.6 GitHub tag archive. ### How it is used hexedit shows the same file in ASCII and hexadecimal and can edit regular files or devices by reading pieces at a time. Its man page documents sector formatting, display maximization, explicit line lengths, color output, movement keys, search, mark/copy/paste, fill, truncation, save, open, and quit commands. ### Why package nerds care hexedit is a classic package-index resident: old enough to have 1990s portability notes, small enough to remain easy to build, and useful enough that many Unix-like package managers keep it available. It represents the interactive editor branch of hex tooling, complementing dumpers such as hexdump, od, xxd, hx, and hexd. ### Timeline - 1998-07: Changes file begins; modified-byte display, selection, copy/paste, backward search, and install support are added. - 1998-09: 1.0.0 release recorded. - 2001: 1.2.1 switches toward 64-bit file offsets and configure cleanup. - 2005: 1.2.11 and 1.2.12 add color build support and color display defaults where supported. - 2008: GitHub repository created. - 2017: 1.4 series adds terminal resizing support and build fixes. - 2020: 1.5 fixes long-string search, 32-bit off_t handling, resize handling, and copy/paste behavior. - 2022: 1.6 updates configure behavior, ncurses signal handling, allocation checks, leak handling, and empty-file behavior. ### Related projects - hexedit is related to other interactive terminal hex editors such as Hexcurse and to byte dump tools such as hexdump, od, xxd, hx, hexd, and hevi. Its manual notes an Emacs-like modeline and key vocabulary, reflecting its terminal-editor heritage. ### 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:** hexedit - **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 - Debian apt - hexedit - 1.6-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: hexedit from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | viewer and editor in hexadecimal or ASCII for files or devices | https://github.com/pixel/hexedit - Nix - hexedit: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/he/hexedit/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - hexedit - 1.6-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: hexedit from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | viewer and editor in hexadecimal or ASCII for files or devices | https://github.com/pixel/hexedit - apk - hexedit - 1.6_git20230905-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hexedit from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | View and edit files in hexadecimal or in ASCII | https://github.com/pixel/hexedit - apk - hexedit-doc - 1.6_git20230905-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hexedit-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | View and edit files in hexadecimal or in ASCII (documentation) | https://github.com/pixel/hexedit - dnf - hexedit - 1.6-10.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: hexedit from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A hexadecimal file viewer and editor | http://rigaux.org/hexedit.html - pacman - hexedit - 1.6-3: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: hexedit from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | View and edit files in hexadecimal or in ASCII | https://rigaux.org/hexedit.html - zypper - hexedit - 1.6-1.13: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: hexedit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Hexadecimal editor for binary files | https://github.com/pixel/hexedit - MacPorts - hexedit: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/hexedit/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. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [bvi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bvi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hex-editor, terminal. - [hexapoda](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hexapoda/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: binary, cli, developer-tools, hex-editor. - [hexcurse](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hexcurse/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: binary, cli, developer-tools, hex-editor. - [hyx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hyx/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hex-editor, terminal. - [ired](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ired/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hex-editor, terminal. - [tweak](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tweak/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hex-editor, terminal. - [dhex](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dhex/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hex-editor. - [ghex](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ghex/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, hex-editor. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/hexedit.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/hexedit.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