Install hexyl with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper

Project links

• Homepage
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• hexyl

Project history

The GitHub repository was created in November 2018, and crates.io metadata records publication of the hexyl crate the following day. The README describes the core idea: terminal hex output colored by byte category, including null bytes, printable ASCII, ASCII whitespace, other ASCII, and non-ASCII bytes.

The project fits the style of sharkdp's Rust CLI tools: focused scope, polished terminal output, cross-platform packaging, and cargo-based installation. Its repository metadata, README badges, and dual MIT/Apache-2.0 licensing align it with Rust ecosystem norms.

Adoption history

The README documents a broad packaging footprint: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, Void, Gentoo overlay, Homebrew, MacPorts, BSD package systems, Termux, Nix, Guix, cargo, snap, Scoop, and binary release downloads. That unusually wide install surface is central to its adoption story.

The batch metadata independently lists many package-manager names, including apk, brew, Debian/Ubuntu, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, Scoop, winget, and zypper, confirming that hexyl spread well beyond cargo users.

How it is used

hexyl is used for inspecting binary files in a terminal when color helps identify structure quickly. Unlike an editor, it is primarily a viewer; users reach for it when they want readable offsets, byte values, and a character panel without opening a full binary editor.

Configuration is intentionally light: the README documents environment variables for the colors used by each byte category and the offset column. That keeps package-manager installs simple while still letting terminal users tune output to their color scheme.

Why package nerds care

hexyl is significant to package nerds because it is a modern, Rust-native counterpart to classic tools such as xxd and hexdump. It demonstrates how a tiny CLI can gain wide distribution when it is easy to build, easy to package, and solves an everyday terminal inspection problem with better defaults.

It is also a good example of the Rust CLI packaging pipeline: crate publication for cargo users, binary release artifacts, distro packages, Homebrew/MacPorts ports, and Windows package-manager entries all describing the same small executable.

Timeline

• 2018-11: GitHub repository metadata records creation of sharkdp/hexyl.
• 2018-11: crates.io records the hexyl crate.
• 2019: README packaging notes include Ubuntu 19.10 and Debian Buster as distribution package baselines.
• 2021: README packaging notes include Fedora 35 as a distribution package baseline.
• 2020s: Package-manager metadata shows expansion across Linux distributions, macOS package managers, Windows package managers, BSDs, Termux, Nix, Guix, snap, and cargo.

Related projects

• Related tools include xxd, hexdump/od, hexer, bvi, hexhog, and GUI hex editors. In the same Rust terminal-tool family, sharkdp projects such as bat and fd are relevant comparators for packaging and adoption patterns.

Sources

• GitHub README describes byte-class coloring, installation methods, Windows terminal notes, cargo installation, environment-variable configuration, and licensing.
• Homebrew formula metadata and the input package-manager map support the package-manager adoption summary.
• crates.io metadata supplies crate publication, repository, and package identity.