macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libchewinglocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install libchewingMacPorts ports tree · devel/libchewing/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install libchewing with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Intelligent phonetic input method library. Version 0.12.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add libchewingAlpine Linux edge package indexes · libchewing · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install chewing-toolsDebian stable package indexes · chewing-tools · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install libchewingFedora Rawhide package metadata · libchewing · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#libchewingnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libchewing/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S libchewingArch Linux sync databases · libchewing · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
Ubuntu aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libchewing3Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · libchewing3 · source: archive.ubuntu.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install chewing-cliopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · chewing-cli · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Intelligent phonetic input method library
Project links
Commands and aliases
- chewing-cli
history
Project history and usage
libchewing is the reusable engine behind Chewing, a Traditional Chinese intelligent phonetic input method for Zhuyin/Bopomofo users. In package-manager terms it is the library layer that lets desktop input frameworks share the same phrase-selection and conversion logic instead of each framework embedding its own engine.
Project history
The project traces its lineage to the original Chewing input method, an XCIN module for X Window System input. The libchewing README identifies Lu-chuan Kung and Kang-pen Chen as the original developers, with sponsorship from Tsan-sheng Hsu at Academia Sinica between 1999 and 2001.
After the original Chewing work stopped, Jim Huang and others formed the Chewing core team in 2002. The team separated the engine from XCIN coupling and continued the project as New Chewing, while the English project name remained Chewing across input-method frameworks.
Adoption history
Chewing became a common open-source Zhuyin engine because input framework packages could bind to libchewing rather than reimplementing conversion behavior. The project README lists active integrations for Windows TSF, PIME, IBus, HIME, Fcitx, Fcitx5 macOS, and related front ends, plus older integrations such as SCIM, uim, OpenVanilla, and xcin.
How it is used
Users normally encounter libchewing indirectly through an input-method front end, while developers and packagers see it as a C/Rust-buildable library plus tools. The package exposes `chewing-cli` in Homebrew and is packaged across Linux distributions, BSD-derived ports, Nix, MacPorts, and Homebrew.
Why package nerds care
libchewing is a good example of why Unix package ecosystems split engines from front ends: the same linguistic data and candidate-selection logic can serve IBus, Fcitx, Windows, and other shells. For package maintainers, the interesting part is not a command-line tool but the stable shared input-method substrate.
Timeline
- 1999-2001: Original Chewing XCIN module developed with Academia Sinica sponsorship.
- 2002: Jim Huang and others formed the Chewing core team and extended the original work.
- 2026-04-06: GitHub listed libchewing v0.12.0 among the project's releases.
Related projects
- Related projects include XCIN, IBus-Chewing, Fcitx Chewing integrations, Windows TSF Chewing, PIME, HIME, and the older bimsphone input method mentioned in the libchewing history.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:library-like
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 4 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
chewing-cli | 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 version0.12.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/chewing/libchewing
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/chewing/libchewingnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libchewing |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.12.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libchewing |
| Homepage | https://chewing.im/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/chewing/libchewing |
| Upstream docs | https://chewing.im/ |
| License | LGPL-2.1-only |
| Source archive | https://github.com/chewing/libchewing/releases/download/v0.12.0/libchewing-0.12.0.tar.zst |
| Build dependencies | cmake, corrosion, rust, texinfo |
| Uses from macOS | sqlite |
| 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 | libchewing |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| 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%
chewing-tools 0.9.1-1
intelligent phonetic input method library (tools)
sudo apt install chewing-tools- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
Debian apt95%
libchewing3 0.9.1-1
intelligent phonetic input method library
sudo apt install libchewing3- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
Debian apt95%
libchewing3-data 0.9.1-1
intelligent phonetic input method library - data files
sudo apt install libchewing3-data- Section: misc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: libchewing
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
Debian apt95%
libchewing3-dev 0.9.1-1
intelligent phonetic input method library (developer version)
sudo apt install libchewing3-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
Nix95%
libchewing
nix profile install nixpkgs#libchewing- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
Ubuntu apt95%
libchewing3 0.6.0-1build1
intelligent phonetic input method library
sudo apt install libchewing3- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
Ubuntu apt95%
libchewing3-data 0.6.0-1build1
intelligent phonetic input method library - data files
sudo apt install libchewing3-data- Section: misc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: libchewing
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
Ubuntu apt95%
libchewing3-dev 0.6.0-1build1
intelligent phonetic input method library (developer version)
sudo apt install libchewing3-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
apk95%
libchewing 0.12.0-r0
Intelligent Chinese phonetic input method
sudo apk add libchewing- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
apk95%
libchewing-dev 0.12.0-r0
Intelligent Chinese phonetic input method (development files)
sudo apk add libchewing-dev- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
apk95%
libchewing-tools 0.12.0-r0
Intelligent Chinese phonetic input method (command line tools)
sudo apk add libchewing-tools- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libchewing
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
apk95%
libchewing-tools-doc 0.12.0-r0
Intelligent Chinese phonetic input method (man pages for tools)
sudo apk add libchewing-tools-doc- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libchewing
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
dnf95%
libchewing 0.12.0-3.fc45
Intelligent phonetic input method library for Traditional Chinese
sudo dnf install libchewing- License: ((MIT OR Apache-2.0) AND Unicode-DFS-2016) AND (Apache-2.0 OR MIT) AND LGPL-2.1-or-later AND MIT AND (MIT OR Apache-2.0) AND (Unlicense OR MIT) AND Zlib
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: libchewing
- 6 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
dnf95%
libchewing-devel 0.12.0-3.fc45
Development files for libchewing
sudo dnf install libchewing-devel- License: ((MIT OR Apache-2.0) AND Unicode-DFS-2016) AND (Apache-2.0 OR MIT) AND LGPL-2.1-or-later AND MIT AND (MIT OR Apache-2.0) AND (Unlicense OR MIT) AND Zlib
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: libchewing
- 4 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
dnf95%
python3-libchewing 0.12.0-3.fc45
Python binding for libchewing
sudo dnf install python3-libchewing- License: ((MIT OR Apache-2.0) AND Unicode-DFS-2016) AND (Apache-2.0 OR MIT) AND LGPL-2.1-or-later AND MIT AND (MIT OR Apache-2.0) AND (Unlicense OR MIT) AND Zlib
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: libchewing
- 2 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
pacman95%
libchewing 0.12.0-1
Intelligent Chinese phonetic input method
sudo pacman -S libchewing- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libchewing
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 package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment