# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:mg ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install mg ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install mg ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: editors/mg/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add mg ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install mg ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: mg from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install mg ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mg from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#mg ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mg/mg/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S mg ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: mg from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install mg ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mg from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:mg - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 7.3 - **Source summary:** Small Emacs-like editor - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LicenseRef-Homebrew-public-domain AND ISC AND BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause AND BSD-4-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - mg (cli) - mg (alias) ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 7.3 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/ibara/mg - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## 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. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** mg - **Version Scheme:** 1 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - mg - 20240709-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: mg from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | microscopic GNU Emacs-style editor | https://homepage.boetes.org/software/mg/ - Nix - mg: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mg/mg/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - mg - 20230501-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mg from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | microscopic GNU Emacs-style editor | https://homepage.boetes.org/software/mg/ - apk - mg - 20260222-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | microscopic EMACS style editor | https://github.com/hboetes/mg - apk - mg-doc - 20260222-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: mg-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | microscopic EMACS style editor (documentation) | https://github.com/hboetes/mg - dnf - mg - 20260227-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mg from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Tiny Emacs-like editor | https://github.com/hboetes/mg - pacman - mg - 20260227-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: mg from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Micro GNU/emacs | https://github.com/hboetes/mg - zypper - mg - 3.7-1.8: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: mg from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Micro GNU Emacs clone | https://man.troglobit.com/man1/mg.1.html - MacPorts - mg: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: editors/mg/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [jove](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jove/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, emacs-like, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [ad](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ad/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [aoeui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aoeui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [gedit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gedit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [le](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/le/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [ne](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ne/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [neatvi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neatvi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [nedit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nedit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, text-editor, text-editors. - [ox](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ox/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, editor, editors, productivity, terminal. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/mg.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/mg.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph