# Install minizinc with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, zypper

Medium-level constraint modeling language. Version 2.9.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-30.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:minizinc
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install minizinc
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

- MacPorts (94%):

```sh
sudo port install minizinc
```

  Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/minizinc/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install minizinc
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: minizinc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#minizinc
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mi/minizinc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install minizinc
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: minizinc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:minizinc
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/minizinc>
- **Version:** 2.9.7
- **Source summary:** Medium-level constraint modeling language
- **Homepage:** <https://www.minizinc.org/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/MiniZinc/libminizinc>
- **Upstream docs:** <https://docs.minizinc.dev/en/stable>
- **License:** MPL-2.0
- **Source archive:** <https://github.com/MiniZinc/libminizinc/archive/refs/tags/2.9.7.tar.gz>
- **Last updated:** 2026-04-30T06:39:09Z
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00

## Executables

- minizinc (cli)
- mzn2doc (cli)
- minizinc (alias)
- mzn2doc (alias)

## Dependencies

- cbc
- cgl
- clp
- coinutils
- gecode
- osi

## Build dependencies

- cmake

## Install behavior

- Post-install hook: not defined
- Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-07-08
- Package-manager version: 2.9.7
- Package-manager updated: 2026-04-30
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://github.com/MiniZinc/libminizinc
- Upstream latest detected: 2.9.7 (current)
## Project history and usage

MiniZinc is a free and open-source constraint modeling language for expressing constraint satisfaction and discrete optimization problems in a high-level, solver-independent form. The project is developed at Monash University with support from OPTIMA, and the libminizinc repository describes the compiler as translating MiniZinc models into FlatZinc, a solver input language understood by a wide range of solvers.

### Project history

Its origins are unusually well documented. A history paper by Peter J. Stuckey, Guido Tack, and Maria Garcia de la Banda says MiniZinc was introduced in the CP2007 paper "MiniZinc: Towards a Standard CP Modelling Language" as a response to the lack of a common constraint-programming modeling language. The paper traces the language back to the G12 project, started in 2005, and to Zinc: MiniZinc was created as a stripped-down version of Zinc that compiled a model plus data instance into FlatZinc. The first MiniZinc version, 0.6, was released on September 23, 2007, the first day of CP2007.

### Adoption history

Technically, MiniZinc's major contribution is the separation between modeling and solving. Modelers write .mzn models with parameters, decision variables, global constraints, and objectives; the minizinc compiler flattens a particular model/data pair into FlatZinc or another solver-facing form. That lets users try different solvers from the same model, while solver authors can support MiniZinc by providing FlatZinc interfaces and global-constraint definitions.

### How it is used

Adoption is tied strongly to the constraint-programming research and optimization communities. The MiniZinc Challenge has run every year since 2008 to compare constraint solvers on shared benchmarks, and the history paper notes that the challenge encouraged solver implementers to provide compliant FlatZinc interfaces while building a public benchmark library. The same paper cites deployed and applied MiniZinc use in ship scheduling, optimization consulting, mission planning, automated configuration, cloud deployment, mobile robot planning, building automation, data acquisition, and preference elicitation. In Homebrew, the formula brings in solver-related dependencies such as Gecode and COIN-OR components, reflecting the package's role as a modeling frontend plus compiler rather than a single solver.

### Sources

- <https://docs.minizinc.dev/en/stable/flattening.html>
- <https://docs.minizinc.dev/en/stable/index.html>
- <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/minizinc>
- <https://freuder.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2007.pdf>
- <https://github.com/MiniZinc/libminizinc>
- <https://www.minizinc.org/>
- <https://www.minizinc.org/challenge/>


## 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:** minizinc
- **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:** head, stable

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - minizinc - 2.9.2+dfsg1-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: minizinc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | constraint modelling language and tool chain | https://www.minizinc.org/
- Nix - minizinc: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mi/minizinc/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - minizinc - 2.8.2+dfsg1-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: minizinc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | constraint modelling language and tool chain | https://www.minizinc.org/
- zypper - minizinc - 2.8.7-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: minizinc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A high-level constraint modelling language | https://www.minizinc.org/
- MacPorts - minizinc: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/minizinc/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Related links

- [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata.
- [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata.
- [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata.
- [Scientific computing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/scientific-computing-tools/) - Matched scientific computing metadata.
- [cbc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cbc/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [clp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clp/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [gecode](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gecode/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [scip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/scip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, constraint-programming, optimization, science.
- [g2o](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/g2o/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, optimization, science.
- [gaul](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gaul/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, optimization, science.
- [glpk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glpk/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, optimization, science.
- [ipopt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ipopt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, optimization, science.
- [lp_solve](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lp-solve/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, optimization, science.
- [or-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/or-tools/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cbc, cgl, cli, clp, coinutils.

## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/minizinc.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/minizinc.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