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brew

Install libtecla with Homebrew, apt, pacman

Command-line editing facilities similar to the tcsh shell. Version 1.6.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libtecla

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libtecla-dev

Debian stable package indexes · libtecla-dev · source: deb.debian.org

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S libtecla

Arch Linux sync databases · libtecla · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Command-line editing facilities similar to the tcsh shell

Commands and aliases

  • enhance

history

Project history and usage

libtecla is Martin Shepherd's interactive command-line input library for Unix-like programs. It provides tcsh-like editing, command history, tab completion, filename expansion, and the enhance wrapper for adding line editing to third-party programs.

Project history

The official release notes identify version 1.1j as the initial public release on freshmeat.org. The libtecla man page names Martin Shepherd as author and explains the name: in Spanish, tecla means a keyboard key, fitting a library centered on keyboard input.

The project evolved through practical terminal features rather than a large ecosystem. Version 1.2 added path lookup and completion, 1.2.3 introduced an autoconf configure script, 1.3.0 added optional vi editing mode, 1.4.0 expanded history, configuration, signals, and the enhance program, and 1.5.0 added non-blocking I/O and event-loop integration.

Adoption history

libtecla's adoption has been modest but durable. It appears in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, and Arch-family packaging in the input metadata, mostly for C programs that want readline-like behavior under a permissive license and with a small dependency footprint.

How it is used

Programs link with libtecla and call its interactive line-input API to get emacs-like default bindings, optional vi mode, command history, tab completion, filename expansion, and per-user customization through ~/.teclarc.

The enhance utility is the package's user-visible trick: it can add command-line editing to some third-party interactive programs without those programs being linked against libtecla.

Why package nerds care

libtecla sits in the same mental shelf as readline and libedit, but as a smaller permissively licensed option. Package maintainers care because it offers command-line ergonomics without making every consumer inherit readline's licensing and dependency choices.

Its significance is niche: valuable for terminal-native Unix software, not a broad application platform.

Timeline

  • 1.1j: Initial public release on freshmeat.org.
  • 1.2: Adds lookup and completion of filenames in Unix-style paths.
  • 1.2.3: Adds an autoconf configure script and shared-library support on several Unix systems.
  • 1.3.0: Adds optional vi command-line editing mode.
  • 1.4.0: Adds history save/load, richer configuration, signal handling, 8-bit clean input, and the enhance program.
  • 1.5.0: Adds non-blocking I/O and event-loop support.
  • 2014: The upstream page lists version 1.6.3 and is signed by Martin Shepherd on November 9, 2014.

Related projects

  • GNU readline and BSD libedit are the closest related command-line editing libraries. tcsh, vi, and emacs provide the interaction styles that libtecla imitates or supports.

security posture

Risk level: yellow

generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

  • generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

  • text:shell

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
  • Build metadata lists 1 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
~/.teclarc

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
enhancecliglobal 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 version1.6.3
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:libtecla
Version1.6.3
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libtecla
Homepagehttps://sites.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/
Upstream docshttps://sites.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla
LicenseICU
Source archivehttps://sites.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/libtecla-1.6.3.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-22T14:05:23-07:00
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciesautomake
Uses from macOSncurses
Bottleavailable (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namelibtecla
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • stable

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%

libtecla-dev 1.6.3-3.1

interactive command line editing facilities (development)

https://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/

sudo apt install libtecla-dev
  • Section: libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libtecla
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libtecla
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libtecla-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

libtecla1t64 1.6.3-3.1

interactive command line editing facilities

https://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/

sudo apt install libtecla1t64
  • Section: libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libtecla
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libtecla
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: libtecla1t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Ubuntu apt95%

libtecla-dev 1.6.3-3.1build1

interactive command line editing facilities (development)

https://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/

sudo apt install libtecla-dev
  • Section: universe/libdevel
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libtecla
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libtecla
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libtecla-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
Ubuntu apt95%

libtecla1t64 1.6.3-3.1build1

interactive command line editing facilities

https://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/

sudo apt install libtecla1t64
  • Section: universe/libs
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: libtecla
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libtecla
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libtecla1t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
pacman95%

libtecla 1.6.3-2

Interactive command line editing facilities

http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~mcs/tecla/

sudo pacman -S libtecla
  • License: custom:X11
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Libtecla
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: libtecla from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • automakeBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

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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.

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