Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install mg with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Small Emacs-like editor. Version 7.3 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mg

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install mg

MacPorts ports tree · editors/mg/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add mg

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · mg · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install mg

Debian stable package indexes · mg · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install mg

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · mg · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#mg

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/mg/mg/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S mg

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install mg

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · mg · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Small Emacs-like editor

Commands and aliases

  • mg

history

Project history and usage

mg is the small Emacs-like editor lineage that began as MicroGNUEmacs, itself based on Dave Conroy's MicroEMACS. The troglobit mg history summarizes the origin as a Micro Emacs clone created in 1987 from the 1985 MicroEMACS v30 code, with the old Micro GNU Emacs name dropped after a dispute with the FSF. OpenBSD's mg manual gives the design goal in practical terms: a small, fast, portable editor for people who cannot or do not want to run Emacs, or who are not familiar with vi.

Project history

The package distributed by Homebrew through ibara/mg is a portable version of OpenBSD's mg. Its README says it tracks OpenBSD upstream aggressively, preserving mg's role as a compact, public-domain-ish editor that gives users familiar Emacs key bindings without bringing along GNU Emacs as a large programmable environment.

How it is used

Its adoption story is strongest in BSD and Unix packaging. OpenBSD includes mg as a base-system editor; portable builds are packaged by Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, openSUSE, pkgsrc, and other ports collections. In practice it is used as a lightweight `$EDITOR`, for quick system-file edits, rescue or remote environments, and users whose muscle memory is Emacs rather than vi.

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 12 platform targets.

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

CommandKindExposureNote
mgcliglobal 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 version7.3
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/ibara/mg

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
  • infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/ibara/mgnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:mg
Version7.3
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mg
Homepagehttps://github.com/ibara/mg
Repositoryhttps://github.com/ibara/mg
Upstream docshttps://github.com/ibara/mg#readme
LicenseLicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain AND ISC AND BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause AND BSD-4-Clause
Source archivehttps://github.com/ibara/mg/releases/download/mg-7.3/mg-7.3.tar.gz
Uses from macOSncurses
Bottleavailable (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namemg
Version Scheme1
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%

mg 20240709-1

microscopic GNU Emacs-style editor

https://homepage.boetes.org/software/mg/

sudo apt install mg
  • Section: editors
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 3 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: mg from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

mg

nix profile install nixpkgs#mg
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mg/mg/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

mg 20230501-1

microscopic GNU Emacs-style editor

https://homepage.boetes.org/software/mg/

sudo apt install mg
  • Section: universe/editors
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 3 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mg from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

mg 20260222-r0

microscopic EMACS style editor

https://github.com/hboetes/mg

sudo apk add mg
  • License: Public Domain
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: mg
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

mg-doc 20260222-r0

microscopic EMACS style editor (documentation)

https://github.com/hboetes/mg

sudo apk add mg-doc
  • License: Public Domain
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: mg
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mg-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

mg 20260227-1.fc45

Tiny Emacs-like editor

https://github.com/hboetes/mg

sudo dnf install mg
  • License: LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: mg
  • 5 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mg from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

mg 20260227-1

Micro GNU/emacs

https://github.com/hboetes/mg

sudo pacman -S mg
  • License: custom
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: mg from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

mg 3.7-1.8

Micro GNU Emacs clone

https://man.troglobit.com/man1/mg.1.html

sudo zypper install mg
  • License: Unlicense
  • Category: Productivity/Text/Editors
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: mg
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mg from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

mg

sudo port install mg
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Mg
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: editors/mg/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

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

Same workflow

  • joveShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emacs-like, productivity, text-editor, text-editors.
  • adShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors.
  • aoeuiShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors.
  • geditShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors.
  • leShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors.
  • neShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors.

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.

combined/mg.yml

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