macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install minicomlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install minicomMacPorts ports tree · comms/minicom/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install minicom with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Menu-driven communications program. Version 2.11.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-04. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install minicom.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add minicomAlpine Linux edge package indexes · minicom · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install minicomDebian stable package indexes · minicom · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install minicomFedora Rawhide package metadata · minicom · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#minicomnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/mi/minicom/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S minicomArch Linux sync databases · minicom · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install minicomopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · minicom · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Menu-driven communications program
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ascii-xfr
- minicom
- runscript
- xminicom
history
Project history and usage
Minicom is one of the long-running Unix serial-communications programs that carried DOS-style modem workflows into text-mode Unix environments. Source headers in the codebase identify Miquel van Smoorenburg as the original author for the 1991-1996 minicom communications package, and Debian describes the program as modeled on the MS-DOS Telix interface: a full-screen, menu-driven terminal for modems and serial consoles.
Project history
Its role expanded beyond dial-up modem use into a general serial-console tool. The feature set documented by Debian and the man page includes ANSI and VT102 terminal emulation, dialing directories with auto-redial, UUCP-style serial-device locks, capture-to-file logging, remappable keys, startup scripting, and external X/Y/ZMODEM file-transfer helpers. That made it useful both for historical modem work and for hardware bring-up, embedded devices, lab equipment, routers, and other systems reached through a serial port.
How it is used
In package-manager terms, minicom occupies the classic ncurses serial-terminal niche next to smaller tools such as picocom and multipurpose terminal programs such as screen. Its wide distro packaging reflects that niche: it is boring infrastructure for people who need a configurable serial console rather than a graphical terminal emulator.
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.
- 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.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ascii-xfr | cli | global executable | |
minicom | cli | global executable | |
runscript | cli | global executable | |
xminicom | 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 generated2026-07-25
manager version2.11.1
manager updated2026-06-04
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://packages.debian.org/sid/minicom
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://packages.debian.org/sid/minicomnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:minicom |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.11.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/minicom |
| Homepage | https://packages.debian.org/sid/minicom |
| Repository | https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom |
| Upstream docs | https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/m/minicom/minicom_2.11.1.orig.tar.bz2 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-04T20:44:29Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | ncurses |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
| Caveats | Terminal Compatibility ====================== If minicom doesn't see the LANG variable, it will try to fallback to make the layout more compatible, but uglier. Certain unsupported encodings will completely render the UI useless, so if the UI looks strange, try setting the following environment variable: LANG="en_US.UTF-8" Text Input Not Working ====================== Most development boards require Serial port setup -> Hardware Flow Control to be set to "No" to input text. |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | minicom |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| 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%
minicom 2.10-1
Friendly menu driven serial communication program
https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom
sudo apt install minicom- Section: comm
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
Nix95%
minicom
nix profile install nixpkgs#minicom- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
Ubuntu apt95%
minicom 2.9-4
Friendly menu driven serial communication program
https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom
sudo apt install minicom- Section: universe/comm
- Architecture: amd64
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
apk95%
minicom 2.10-r0
menu driven communications program for terminals
https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/minicom
sudo apk add minicom- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: minicom
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
apk95%
minicom-doc 2.10-r0
menu driven communications program for terminals (documentation)
https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/minicom
sudo apk add minicom-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: minicom
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
apk95%
minicom-lang 2.10-r0
Languages for package minicom
https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/minicom
sudo apk add minicom-lang- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: minicom
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
dnf95%
minicom 2.11.1-1.fc45
A text-based modem control and terminal emulation program
https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom
sudo dnf install minicom- License: GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.0-or-later AND LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: minicom
- 7 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
pacman95%
minicom 2.11.1-3
A serial communication program
https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom
sudo pacman -S minicom- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- 4 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
zypper95%
minicom 2.11.1-2.1
A Terminal Program
https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom
sudo zypper install minicom- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Hardware/Modem
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: minicom
- 6 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
zypper95%
minicom-lang 2.11.1-2.1
Translations for package minicom
https://salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom
sudo zypper install minicom-lang- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: System/Localization
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: minicom
- 1 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
MacPorts95%
minicom
sudo port install minicom- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Minicom
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