macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install hexerlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install hexer with Homebrew, apt, dnf, pacman
Hex editor for the terminal with vi-like interface. Version 1.0.7 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install hexerDebian stable package indexes · hexer · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install hexerFedora Rawhide package metadata · hexer · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S hexerArch Linux sync databases · hexer · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
Hex editor for the terminal with vi-like interface
Project links
Commands and aliases
- hexer
history
Project history and usage
hexer is a terminal hex editor for Unix-like systems, positioned as a multi-buffer binary-file editor whose interface is intentionally close to vi/ex.
Project history
The project history reflected by the maintained homepage and changelog shows hexer as a traditional Unix terminal utility rather than a framework: it is distributed as source, documents POSIX-compatible environments as its portability target, and keeps its public interface centered on editing buffers displayed as hex dumps.
The hosted project moved into a GitLab-centered maintenance model, with a project page, ReadTheDocs/MkDocs documentation, tarball downloads from the maintainer site, and release notes covering the 1.0.x maintenance series.
Adoption history
Package-manager metadata in the batch lists hexer in Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, Arch, and Ubuntu, which fits its niche: a small terminal binary editor that Unix package sets can carry without a larger GUI stack.
How it is used
hexer is used when the user wants direct binary editing in a terminal, especially by people already comfortable with vi-like movement and command conventions. Its package identity is tied to hex editing, multiple buffers, undo, and a curses-style terminal workflow rather than to scripting or file conversion.
Why package nerds care
For package-maintainer culture, hexer is the sort of old-school utility that fills a precise gap beside tools such as xxd, od, bvi, and graphical hex editors: it is interactive, terminal-native, and small enough to be present in multiple Unix distributions.
Timeline
- 2015: Public GitLab project metadata records the hexer repository under the hexer namespace.
- 2016: 1.0.2 and 1.0.3 appear in the maintained changelog.
- 2018: 1.0.4 and 1.0.5 appear in the maintained changelog.
- 2020: 1.0.6 appears in the maintained changelog.
- 2025: 1.0.7 appears in the maintained changelog.
Related projects
- Related command-line binary inspection tools include xxd and od for dumps/conversion, bvi for vi-like binary editing, and newer color-oriented viewers such as hexyl.
Sources
- Homebrew formula metadata and the input package-manager map support the package-manager adoption notes.
- Maintainer changelog provides the 1.0.x release timeline.
- Maintainer homepage describes hexer as a multi-buffer binary editor for Unix-like systems with a vi/ex-like interface.
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 8 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
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
hexer | cli | global 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 version1.0.7
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:hexer |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.7 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/hexer |
| Homepage | https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/ |
| Repository | https://gitlab.com/hexer/hexer |
| Upstream docs | https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer |
| License | BSD-3-Clause |
| Source archive | https://devel.ringlet.net/files/editors/hexer/hexer-1.0.7.tar.gz |
| Uses from macOS | ncurses |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | hexer |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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%
hexer 1.0.6-2
interactive binary editor with a Vi-like interface
https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo apt install hexer- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
Ubuntu apt95%
hexer 1.0.6-1
interactive binary editor with a Vi-like interface
https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo apt install hexer- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
dnf95%
hexer 1.0.7-1.fc45
Interactive binary editor
http://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo dnf install hexer- License: BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: hexer
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
pacman95%
hexer 1.0.7-1
Multi buffer editor for binary files with vi-like interface
https://devel.ringlet.net/editors/hexer/
sudo pacman -S hexer- License: BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Hexer
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.
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