# Install hy with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, pacman Dialect of Lisp that's embedded in Python. Version 1.3.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-25. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:hy ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install hy ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add hy ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hy from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install hy ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: hy from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#hy ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: hy from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S hy ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: hy from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:hy - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.3.0 - **Source summary:** Dialect of Lisp that's embedded in Python - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-25T15:37:05Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-09T07:20:21+00:00 ## Executables - hy (cli) - hy2py (cli) - hyc (cli) - hy (alias) - hy2py (alias) - hyc (alias) ## Dependencies - python@3.14 ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-09 - Package-manager version: 1.3.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-25 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/hylang/hy - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage Hy is a Lisp dialect embedded in Python. It reads Lisp syntax and transforms it into Python abstract syntax tree objects, giving users macros and Lisp syntax while keeping access to Python built-ins, libraries, packaging, and runtime behavior. ### Project history The public repository was created in December 2012. Hy's README frames the project with the line that Lisp and Python should love each other, and explains the core technical idea: Hy code becomes Python AST, so Python's ecosystem remains available. The 1.0.0 announcement in September 2024 described that release as arriving after nearly 12 years of on-and-off development and real-world use. The NEWS file states that Hy follows semantic versioning since 1.0.0, marking a stabilization point after the long 0.x period. ### Adoption history Hy is distributed through Python packaging and also appears in system package managers such as Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, Alpine, and Nix. Its community surfaces include GitHub Discussions, Stack Overflow's `hy` tag, documentation on hylang.org, and a browser console for trying the language. ### How it is used Users run `hy` for a REPL, execute `.hy` programs with `hy myprogram.hy`, translate with `hy2py`, and compile with `hyc`. The homepage examples show Python-equivalent forms for assignment, sorting, functions, context managers, comprehensions, and macros. ### Why package nerds care Hy is interesting to package nerds because it is not a separate virtual machine or runtime island. It packages as a Python-hosted language that can import Python modules directly, which makes it easier to install experimentally while still offering Lisp macros and syntax. ### Timeline - 2012: Public GitHub repository created. - 2024: 1.0.0 released after nearly 12 years of development. - 2024: NEWS states semantic versioning begins with 1.0.0. - 2026: 1.3.0 release notes list support for Python 3.9 through Python 3.15. ### Related projects - Hy is related to Python, Lisp-family languages, macro systems, Python AST tooling, PyPI packaging, and editor/REPL workflows for experimental languages. ### Sources - Hy homepage, README, NEWS, 1.0.0 announcement, repository metadata, and Homebrew package metadata were used. ## 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:** hy - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - hy - 1.0.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: hy from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Lisp (s-expression) based frontend to Python (cmdline) | http://hylang.org/ - Debian apt - hy-doc - 1.0.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: hy-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Lisp (s-expression) based frontend to Python (documentation) | http://hylang.org/ - Debian apt - python3-hy - 1.0.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: python3-hy from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Lisp (s-expression) based frontend to Python 3 | http://hylang.org/ - Nix - hy: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: hy from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - Ubuntu apt - hy - 0.28.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: hy from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Lisp (s-expression) based frontend to Python (cmdline) | http://hylang.org/ - Ubuntu apt - hy-doc - 0.28.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: hy-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Lisp (s-expression) based frontend to Python (documentation) | http://hylang.org/ - Ubuntu apt - python3-hy - 0.28.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: python3-hy from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Lisp (s-expression) based frontend to Python 3 | http://hylang.org/ - apk - hy - 1.1.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hy from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Dialect of Lisp that's embedded in Python | http://hylang.org/ - apk - hy-pyc - 1.1.0-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: hy-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Precompiled Python bytecode for hy | http://hylang.org/ - pacman - hy - 1:1.3.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: hy from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A dialect of Lisp that's embedded in Python | http://hylang.org/ ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [coconut](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/coconut/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, programming-language, python. - [fennel](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fennel/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, lisp, programming-language. - [julia](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/julia/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, programming-language, repl. - [polyml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/polyml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, programming-language, repl. - [algol68g](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/algol68g/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, programming-language. - [ats2-postiats](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ats2-postiats/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, programming-language. - [ballerina](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ballerina/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, programming-language. - [chapel](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chapel/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, language-runtime, programming-language. - [erg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/erg/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, compiler, language, language-runtime, programming. - [frege](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/frege/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, compiler, language, language-runtime, programming. - [nesc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nesc/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, compiler, language, language-runtime, programming. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/hy.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/hy.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