macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install maximalocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install maximaMacPorts ports tree · math/maxima/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install maxima with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper
Computer algebra system. Version 5.49.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add maximaAlpine Linux edge package indexes · maxima · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install maximaDebian stable package indexes · maxima · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install maximaFedora Rawhide package metadata · maxima · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#maximanixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ma/maxima/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S maximaArch Linux sync databases · maxima · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install maximaopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · maxima · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Chocolateyverified · 92%
choco install maximaChocolatey community package catalog · maxima · source: community.chocolatey.org
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install extras/maximaScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/maxima.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id MaximaTeam.Maxima -eWindows Package Manager source index · MaximaTeam.Maxima · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Computer algebra system
Project links
Commands and aliases
- maxima
- rmaxima
- xmaxima
history
Project history and usage
Maxima is an open-source computer algebra system descended from MIT Macsyma and maintained as a Common Lisp-based symbolic mathematics package.
Project history
The official Maxima homepage traces the system to Macsyma, developed at MIT in the late 1960s, and says Maxima is the only system based on that effort that remains publicly available with an active user community. It credits the Maxima branch to William Schelter, who maintained it from 1982 until 2001.
A pivotal event in Maxima's package history came in 1998, when Schelter obtained permission to release the source under the GNU GPL. After his death in 2001, a group of users and developers took over and moved the project forward through SourceForge, frequent releases, documentation work, and mailing-list coordination.
Adoption history
Maxima's adoption is tied to its role as a free, source-available computer algebra system. The official site emphasizes that it runs on modern Windows, Linux, and Mac systems, offers terminal, wxMaxima, and XMaxima interfaces, and remains active through community updates.
The input package-manager metadata shows Maxima packaged across Homebrew, MacPorts, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, Nix, Pacman, Chocolatey, Scoop, winget, and other ecosystems, reflecting use by students, researchers, and Unix users who want symbolic math from a CLI or notebook-style interface.
How it is used
CLI users run `maxima` or related frontends such as `rmaxima` and `xmaxima`. Startup customization is done with `maxima-init.mac` and `maxima-init.lisp`, which the manual says are loaded automatically from `maxima_userdir` or another directory in Maxima's search path.
Why package nerds care
Maxima matters because it keeps a historically important computer algebra lineage available in ordinary package managers. It is one of the few symbolic math systems that package maintainers can ship as free software, inspect at source level, and connect to terminal workflows.
Timeline
- Late 1960s: Macsyma is developed at MIT.
- 1982: William Schelter begins maintaining the Maxima branch of Macsyma.
- 1998: Permission is obtained to release Maxima under the GNU GPL.
- 2001: Schelter dies; a user and developer community continues the project.
- 2026: Official site describes frequent updates and an active user community.
Related projects
- Macsyma, wxMaxima, XMaxima, Common Lisp, Maple, Mathematica, SageMath
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 4 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 3 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
~/.maxima/maxima-init.mac~/.maxima/maxima-init.lisp- Windows
%USERPROFILE%/maxima/maxima-init.mac%USERPROFILE%/maxima/maxima-init.lisp
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
maxima | cli | global executable | |
rmaxima | cli | global executable | |
xmaxima | 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 version5.49.0
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://maxima.sourceforge.io/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:maxima |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.49.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/maxima |
| Homepage | https://maxima.sourceforge.io/ |
| Repository | https://sourceforge.net/p/maxima/code/ci/master/tree |
| Upstream docs | https://maxima.sourceforge.io/documentation.html |
| License | GPL-2.0-only |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/maxima/Maxima-source/5.49.0-source/maxima-5.49.0.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:05:27-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | gettext, gnuplot, rlwrap, sbcl |
| Build dependencies | gawk, gnu-sed, texinfo |
| 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 | maxima |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 6 |
| 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%
maxima 5.47.0-7
Computer algebra system -- base system
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
sudo apt install maxima- Section: math
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Debian apt95%
maxima-doc 5.47.0-7
Computer algebra system -- documentation
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
sudo apt install maxima-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Debian apt95%
maxima-emacs 5.47.0-7
Computer algebra system -- emacs interface
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
sudo apt install maxima-emacs- Section: math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 9 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Debian apt95%
maxima-share 5.47.0-7
Computer algebra system -- extra code
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
sudo apt install maxima-share- Section: math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Debian apt95%
maxima-src 5.47.0-7
Computer algebra system -- source code
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
sudo apt install maxima-src- Section: math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Debian apt95%
maxima-test 5.47.0-7
Computer algebra system -- test suite
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
sudo apt install maxima-test- Section: math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Debian apt95%
xmaxima 5.47.0-7
Computer algebra system -- x interface
https://maxima.sourceforge.io/
sudo apt install xmaxima- Section: math
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: maxima
- 5 dependencies
- 4 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Nix95%
maxima
nix profile install nixpkgs#maxima- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Ubuntu apt95%
maxima 5.46.0-11build3
Computer algebra system -- base system
sudo apt install maxima- Section: universe/math
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Ubuntu apt95%
maxima-doc 5.46.0-11build3
Computer algebra system -- documentation
sudo apt install maxima-doc- Section: universe/math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Ubuntu apt95%
maxima-emacs 5.46.0-11build3
Computer algebra system -- emacs interface
sudo apt install maxima-emacs- Section: universe/math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 9 dependencies
- 3 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Ubuntu apt95%
maxima-share 5.46.0-11build3
Computer algebra system -- extra code
sudo apt install maxima-share- Section: universe/math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Ubuntu apt95%
maxima-src 5.46.0-11build3
Computer algebra system -- source code
sudo apt install maxima-src- Section: universe/math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Ubuntu apt95%
maxima-test 5.46.0-11build3
Computer algebra system -- test suite
sudo apt install maxima-test- Section: universe/math
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: maxima
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
Ubuntu apt95%
xmaxima 5.46.0-11build3
Computer algebra system -- x interface
sudo apt install xmaxima- Section: universe/math
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: maxima
- 5 dependencies
- 4 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
apk95%
maxima 5.48.1-r9
Sophisticated computer algebra system
sudo apk add maxima- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: maxima
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Maxima
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