# Install kim-api with Homebrew, apt, zypper Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models (KIM) API. Version 2.4.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:kim-api ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install kim-api ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libkim-api-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libkim-api-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install kim-api ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kim-api from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:kim-api - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.4.2 - **Source summary:** Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models (KIM) API - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** CDDL-1.0 - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - kim-api-activate (cli) - kim-api-collections-management (cli) - kim-api-deactivate (cli) - kim-api-activate (alias) - kim-api-collections-management (alias) - kim-api-deactivate (alias) ## Dependencies - gcc ## Build dependencies - cmake - doxygen ## Uses from macOS - xz ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.4.2 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://openkim.org - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage KIM API is the system-level library for the Open Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models. It defines the Portable Model Interface used by atomistic and molecular simulation codes to call interatomic models across C, C++, Fortran, and related language boundaries. ### Project history The project grew out of OpenKIM's goal of making interatomic potentials portable, testable, and citable instead of being locked inside one simulator's input format or source tree. The API documentation describes KIM API as the formal specification and implementation layer that lets one Portable Model be used without modification by multiple simulators. The 2.x line was a major modernization. OpenKIM's revision history records kim-api-v2-2.0.0 on 2019-02-06, followed by the transition back to the plain kim-api package name in 2.0.2 on 2019-03-28. Later releases added performance improvements, collection-management refinements, Windows support, relocatable installs, and CMake changes for KIM API items. ### Adoption history OpenKIM documents KIM API support across major atomistic simulation tools and workflows, including LAMMPS, ASE, GULP, DL_POLY, ASAP, KLIFF, and related materials-science software. That ecosystem role matters more than raw command-line popularity: KIM API is glue that lets potentials travel between simulators. The package-manager metadata for this batch lists Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, and openSUSE packages. That packaging footprint fits its role as a shared scientific library rather than a single end-user application. ### How it is used Users install KIM API so simulators can load KIM Portable Models, Simulator Models, and model drivers from OpenKIM collections. The bundled command-line utilities such as kim-api-collections-management manage model collections, while the library and headers are consumed by simulator builds and model packages. KIM API is mostly invisible in day-to-day simulations once installed correctly: researchers interact with simulator-specific commands, but the API standardizes the boundary where the simulator asks an interatomic model for energies, forces, neighbor lists, species, units, and metadata. ### Why package nerds care For package nerds, kim-api is a good example of a domain-specific ABI/API standard that package managers have to treat like shared infrastructure. It is not just another numerical library; its versioning affects separately packaged models, simulator integrations, CMake metadata, and scientific reproducibility. It also shows why scientific package histories often matter: a KIM-compatible model can be cited and reused across codes only if the library, model collections, and simulator support remain installable together. ### Timeline - 2017: KIM API 1.9.0 added the collections-management utility for installing and removing KIM models. - 2019: kim-api-v2-2.0.0 was released on 2019-02-06. - 2019: LAMMPS gained full KIM API v2 support as of 2019-02-28 according to OpenKIM's software-using-KIM page. - 2020: KIM API 2.2.0 added Windows support and relocatable installs. - 2026: KIM API 2.4.2 was released on 2026-03-06. ### Related projects - OpenKIM is the repository and curation project around the API. - LAMMPS, ASE, GULP, DL_POLY, ASAP, and KLIFF are notable software projects documented by OpenKIM as using KIM API or KIM models. - KIM Portable Models, Model Drivers, and Simulator Models are the package types that the API is designed to make portable. ### Sources - - - - - ## 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:** kim-api - **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 - libkim-api-dev - 2.3.0-1+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libkim-api-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Development files for KIM-API | https://openkim.org - Debian apt - libkim-api-doc - 2.3.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libkim-api-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Documentation and examples for KIM-API | https://openkim.org - Debian apt - libkim-api2 - 2.3.0-1+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libkim-api2 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Shared library for KIM-API | https://openkim.org - Ubuntu apt - libkim-api-dev - 2.3.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libkim-api-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Development files for KIM-API | https://openkim.org - Ubuntu apt - libkim-api-doc - 2.3.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libkim-api-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Documentation and examples for KIM-API | https://openkim.org - Ubuntu apt - libkim-api2 - 2.3.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libkim-api2 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Shared library for KIM-API | https://openkim.org - zypper - kim-api - 2.3.0-2.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kim-api from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Open Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models KIM API | https://openkim.org - zypper - kim-api-devel - 2.3.0-2.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kim-api-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Development headers and libraries for kim-api | https://openkim.org - zypper - kim-api-examples - 2.3.0-2.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kim-api-examples from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Example models for kim-api | https://openkim.org - zypper - libkim-api2 - 2.3.0-2.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libkim-api2 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | The kim-api library | https://openkim.org ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Scientific computing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/scientific-computing-tools/) - Matched scientific computing metadata. - [Web development packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/web-dev-tools/) - Matched web development metadata. - [gcc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gcc/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [doxygen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/doxygen/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [lammps](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lammps/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [votca](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/votca/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-plus-plus, cli, molecular-simulation, science. - [gromacs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gromacs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, molecular-simulation, science. - [clhep](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clhep/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-plus-plus, cli, library, science. - [cp2k](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cp2k/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, molecular-simulation, science. - [geos](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/geos/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-plus-plus, cli, library, science. - [ginac](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ginac/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-plus-plus, cli, library, science. - [libdap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libdap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-plus-plus, cli, library, science. - [nwchem](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nwchem/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, fortran, molecular-simulation, science. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/kim-api.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/kim-api.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