# Install jove with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix Emacs-style editor with vi-like memory, CPU, and size requirements. Version 4.17.5.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:jove ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install jove ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install jove ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: editors/jove/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install jove ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: jove from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#jove ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jo/jove/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:jove - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.17.5.5 - **Source summary:** Emacs-style editor with vi-like memory, CPU, and size requirements - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** jove - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - jove (cli) - teachjove (cli) - jove (alias) - teachjove (alias) ## Build dependencies - groff ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.17.5.5 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/jonmacs/jove - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage JOVE, Jonathan's Own Version of Emacs, is a small Emacs-style editor with roots in early BSD Unix. The maintained GitHub repository describes it as a venerable 1982, fast, small Emacs clone originally written for 2.8BSD on a PDP-11. ### Project history JOVE was created by Jonathan Payne as a compact Emacs-like editor for small Unix systems. The project README emphasizes portability across old and new systems, manual configuration rather than an autoconf-style setup, and historically constrained targets such as PDP-11, DOS, Macintosh, Windows, Cygwin, BSD, Solaris, and Linux. The distribution's documentation records a long-lived maintenance culture. Jonathan Payne retained overall control while D. Hugh Redelmeier coordinated day-to-day fixes and portability work through the jovehacks mailing list; acknowledgements name contributors who helped with pty code, Berkeley features, PC and Macintosh versions, Win32 support, mouse support, testing, and portability. ### Adoption history JOVE's adoption predates GitHub and modern packaging. It became a recognizable small editor in Unix culture because it offered Emacs-like keybindings and behavior without the size and extension machinery of full Emacs. The input metadata records packaging in Homebrew, Debian, MacPorts, Nix, and Ubuntu, showing that the editor remained packagable decades after its early BSD origins. ### How it is used JOVE is used as a terminal text editor for users who want Emacs-like editing with a smaller binary and simpler model. Its documentation includes jove and teachjove manpages, a global jove.rc, a per-user ~/.joverc, and manuals adapted from early Emacs documentation with JOVE-specific changes. ### Why package nerds care JOVE is historically significant because it is a living fossil of editor packaging: small enough for constrained Unix systems, Emacs-like enough to matter culturally, and portable enough to survive into modern package managers. It helps explain why Unix repositories still carry multiple Emacs-like editors instead of treating GNU Emacs as the only lineage. ### Timeline - 1982: The GitHub repository description identifies JOVE as originating in this era for 2.8BSD on PDP-11. - 1986-2002: The README copyright notice covers Jonathan Payne's long maintenance period. - 2004-07: The README was updated with Unix build and portability guidance. - 2020: GitHub release metadata begins for the 4.17.2.7 candidate series. - 2025-05: Release 4.17.5.5 was published on GitHub. ### Related projects - JOVE is related to Gosling Emacs, GNU Emacs, teach-emacs tutorial material, and other small Emacs-like editors such as mg, Zile, and JOE. Its package-manager neighbors are usually classic Unix editors rather than modern IDEs. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.joverc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** jove - **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 - jove - 4.17.5.4-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: jove from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Jonathan's Own Version of Emacs - a compact, powerful editor | https://github.com/jonmacs/jove - Nix - jove: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jo/jove/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - jove - 4.17.5.3-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: jove from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Jonathan's Own Version of Emacs - a compact, powerful editor | https://github.com/jonmacs/jove - MacPorts - jove: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: editors/jove/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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Documentation packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/documentation-tools/) - Matched documentation, manual, or publishing metadata. - [groff](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/groff/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [mg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emacs-like, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [ne](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ne/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors, unix. - [ad](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ad/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [aoeui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aoeui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [gedit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gedit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [le](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/le/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [neatvi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neatvi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [nedit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nedit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/jove.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/jove.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - 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