macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ledgerlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ledgerMacPorts ports tree · finance/ledger/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install ledger with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Command-line, double-entry accounting tool. Version 3.4.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add ledgerAlpine Linux edge package indexes · ledger · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install ledgerDebian stable package indexes · ledger · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ledgerFedora Rawhide package metadata · ledger · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ledgernixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/le/ledger/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S ledgerArch Linux sync databases · ledger · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install ledgeropenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · ledger · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Command-line, double-entry accounting tool
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ledger
history
Project history and usage
Ledger is a command-line, double-entry accounting system built around plain-text journals. Users write transactions in Ledger's text format and run reports from the Unix shell without a separate database.
Project history
The official Ledger site says Ledger began in 2003, was written by John Wiegley, and is released under the BSD license. Its design centers on text files, double-entry accounting, and report generation rather than a graphical accounting database.
The GitHub repository continues that positioning: Ledger reads text files, generates reports, and stores no other database state. The project accumulated a long 3.x release history, with signed tags and release maintenance visible through the ledger/ledger repository.
Adoption history
Ledger became one of the foundational tools in the plain-text accounting community. Package-manager coverage across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, Alpine, and openSUSE reflects adoption by Unix users who prefer version-controlled finance data and scriptable reports.
How it is used
The basic workflow is to keep a journal file of dated transactions, then run commands such as balance, register, equity, prices, and other reports. The documentation emphasizes that Ledger has no graphical interface and returns accounting to text journals and shell output.
Why package nerds care
Ledger is package-nerd significant because it helped define plain-text accounting as a durable command-line category. It also inspired ports and related tools, including editor modes, hledger, Beancount, and ecosystem utilities that treat financial records as auditable text.
Timeline
- 2003: Ledger began, according to the official project site.
- 2003-2009: Ledger 2.6 documentation carries John Wiegley's copyright range.
- 2020-05-01: v3.2.0 tag published.
- 2023-02-08: v3.3.0 tag published.
- 2023-03-30: v3.3.2 release published.
Related projects
- Related projects include ledger-mode for Emacs, vim-ledger, hledger, Beancount, Fava, plain-text-accounting workflows, and shell/reporting tools that consume Ledger journals.
Sources
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 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 7 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 build dependencies.
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
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME~/.config/ledger/ledgerrc~/.ledgerrc./.ledgerrc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ledger | 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 version3.4.1
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv3.4.1
https://github.com/ledger/ledger
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ledger |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.4.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ledger |
| Homepage | https://ledger-cli.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/ledger/ledger |
| Upstream docs | https://ledger-cli.org/doc/ledger.1.html |
| License | BSD-3-Clause |
| Source archive | https://github.com/ledger/ledger/archive/refs/tags/v3.4.1.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:05:09-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | boost, gmp, gpgme, gpgmepp, libassuan, mpfr, python@3.14 |
| Build dependencies | cmake, texinfo |
| Uses from macOS | libedit |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | ledger |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 1 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
ledger 3.3.2-1+b4
command-line double-entry accounting program
sudo apt install ledger- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ledger
- 10 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
Debian apt95%
python3-ledger 3.3.2-1+b4
command-line double-entry accounting program (python3 extension)
sudo apt install python3-ledger- Section: python
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ledger
- 11 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
Nix95%
ledger
nix profile install nixpkgs#ledger- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
Ubuntu apt95%
ledger 3.3.2-1build4
command-line double-entry accounting program
sudo apt install ledger- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 10 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
Ubuntu apt95%
python3-ledger 3.3.2-1build4
command-line double-entry accounting program (python3 extension)
sudo apt install python3-ledger- Section: universe/python
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ledger
- 11 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
apk95%
ledger 3.4.1-r0
Double-entry accounting system with a command-line reporting interface
sudo apk add ledger- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ledger
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
apk95%
ledger-doc 3.4.1-r0
Double-entry accounting system with a command-line reporting interface (documentation)
sudo apk add ledger-doc- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ledger
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
dnf95%
ledger 3.3.2-5.fc44
A powerful command-line double-entry accounting system
sudo dnf install ledger- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: ledger
- 10 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
dnf95%
ledger-devel 3.3.2-5.fc44
Libraries and header files for ledger development
sudo dnf install ledger-devel- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: ledger
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
pacman95%
ledger 3.4.1-5
Double-entry accounting system with a command-line reporting interface
sudo pacman -S ledger- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- 3 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
zypper95%
ledger 3.3.2-4.5
Double-entry accounting system with a command-line reporting interface
https://github.com/ledger/ledger
sudo zypper install ledger- License: BSD-3-Clause
- Category: Productivity/Office/Finance
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ledger
- 8 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
MacPorts95%
ledger
sudo port install ledger- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ledger
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
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment