macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install kerllocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install kerl with Homebrew
Easy building and installing of Erlang/OTP instances. Version 4.4.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Easy building and installing of Erlang/OTP instances
Project links
Commands and aliases
- kerl
history
Project history and usage
kerl is a POSIX-shell tool for building, installing, activating, deploying, and managing Erlang/OTP installations from source.
Project history
The kerl/kerl repository was created on GitHub on 2011-07-05. Its README describes a shell-agnostic tool whose direct dependencies are curl and git, excluding the system packages needed to compile Erlang/OTP itself.
kerl's design centers on separating builds from installations: once a particular OTP release is built, the build can be installed quickly into one or more destinations and activated per shell session.
Adoption history
kerl became a durable part of Erlang and Elixir development because it solved the practical problem of compiling many OTP versions with different configure options. The asdf-erlang plugin explicitly says it relies on kerl for builds and combines kerl's compatibility/build scripts with asdf's version-switching UX.
On 2026-07-01, GitHub API metadata reported 1,660 stars and 236 forks, and Homebrew metadata listed kerl 4.4.0.
How it is used
Users run kerl list releases, kerl build, kerl install, and shell activation scripts to work with specific Erlang/OTP versions. The README also documents building from the official Erlang/OTP GitHub tags, official Erlang downloads, or arbitrary Git refs and forks.
In package-manager workflows, kerl is often the lower-level build engine beneath friendlier version managers, especially when macOS, Linux distro, OpenSSL, wxWidgets, or documentation-build quirks matter.
Why package nerds care
kerl is significant because it is small shell code that encodes years of Erlang/OTP build knowledge. It sits between language-runtime packaging and developer version management, much like ruby-build or pyenv installers do for their ecosystems.
Timeline
- 2011-07-05: kerl/kerl repository created on GitHub.
- 2023-10-12: 4.0.0 release published.
- 2025-06-19: 4.4.0 release published.
- 2026-07-01: Homebrew formula metadata listed kerl 4.4.0.
Related projects
- Erlang/OTP is the runtime kerl builds and installs.
- asdf-erlang relies on kerl for Erlang builds while adding asdf's .tool-versions workflow.
- Homebrew packages kerl directly for macOS users.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/kerl/kerl
- https://api.github.com/repos/kerl/kerl/releases?per_page=10
- https://formulae.brew.sh/api/formula/kerl.json
- https://github.com/erlang/otp
- https://github.com/kerl/kerl
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/asdf-vm/asdf-erlang/master/README.md
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kerl/kerl/master/README.md
- https://www.erlang.org/downloads
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 1 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.
local files
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
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.kerlrc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
kerl | 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 version4.4.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected4.4.0
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:kerl |
|---|---|
| Version | 4.4.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/kerl |
| Homepage | https://github.com/kerl/kerl |
| Repository | https://github.com/kerl/kerl |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/kerl/kerl#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/kerl/kerl/archive/refs/tags/4.4.0.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on all) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | kerl |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment