macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mltonlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install mltonMacPorts ports tree · lang/mlton/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install mlton with Homebrew, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, apt
Whole-program, optimizing compiler for Standard ML. Version 20241230 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install mltonFedora Rawhide package metadata · mlton · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#mltonnixpkgs package indexes · mlton · source: raw.githubusercontent.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S mltonArch Linux sync databases · mlton · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
Ubuntu aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install mltonUbuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · mlton · source: archive.ubuntu.com
overview
Package summary
Whole-program, optimizing compiler for Standard ML
Project links
Commands and aliases
- mllex
- mlnlffigen
- mlprof
- mlton
- mlyacc
history
Project history and usage
MLton grew out of Standard ML compiler research in the late 1990s. The project history traces its start to April 1997, when Stephen Weeks wrote a defunctorizer for Standard ML and integrated it with SML/NJ. That origin explains the shape of the compiler: MLton is not an interactive SML environment, but a whole-program compiler that takes the complete program as input and uses that global view for optimization.
Project history
The project became known in the Standard ML community for aggressive whole-program optimization and standalone native executables. Its own repository describes support for SML97, a complete Standard ML Basis Library, the ML Basis system, a C foreign-function interface, source-level profiling, mllex, mlyacc, and mlnlffigen. The implementation emphasizes small executables and runtime performance through unboxed representations, native arrays, GMP-backed arbitrary precision arithmetic, multiple code generators, and multiple garbage-collection strategies.
How it is used
In package-manager terms, MLton occupies the serious native-code SML compiler niche alongside SML/NJ, Poly/ML, and MLKit rather than the lightweight scripting or teaching niche. It is used when SML code needs to be compiled into fast standalone programs, when whole-program analysis is useful, or when tools from the MLton distribution such as mllex, mlyacc, and mlprof are part of the workflow.
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 8 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
mllex | cli | global executable | |
mlnlffigen | cli | global executable | |
mlprof | cli | global executable | |
mlton | cli | global executable | |
mlyacc | 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 version20241230
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.http://mlton.orgnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:mlton |
|---|---|
| Version | 20241230 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mlton |
| Homepage | http://mlton.org |
| Repository | https://github.com/MLton/mlton |
| Upstream docs | https://www.mlton.org/Documentation |
| License | HPND |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/mlton/mlton/20241230/mlton-20241230.src.tgz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:05:30-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | gmp |
| Build dependencies | autoconf, automake |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, 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 | mlton |
| Version Scheme | 1 |
| 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.
Nix95%
mlton
nix profile install nixpkgs#mlton- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
Ubuntu apt95%
mlton 20210117+dfsg-3
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML
sudo apt install mlton- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: all
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
Ubuntu apt95%
mlton-basis 20210117+dfsg-3
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - basis library
sudo apt install mlton-basis- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mlton
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
Ubuntu apt95%
mlton-compiler 20210117+dfsg-3
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - compiler
sudo apt install mlton-compiler- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mlton
- 7 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
Ubuntu apt95%
mlton-doc 20210117+dfsg-3
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - documentation
sudo apt install mlton-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: mlton
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
Ubuntu apt95%
mlton-runtime-native 20210117+dfsg-3
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - native runtime libraries
sudo apt install mlton-runtime-native- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mlton
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
Ubuntu apt95%
mlton-runtime-x86-64-linux-gnu 20210117+dfsg-3
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - amd64 runtime libraries
sudo apt install mlton-runtime-x86-64-linux-gnu- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mlton
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
Ubuntu apt95%
mlton-tools 20210117+dfsg-3
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - tools
sudo apt install mlton-tools- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: mlton
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
dnf95%
mlton 20210117-12.fc44
Optimizing compiler for Standard ML
sudo dnf install mlton- License: MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: mlton
- 8 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
pacman95%
mlton 20241230-1
Whole-program optimizing Standard ML compiler
sudo pacman -S mlton- License: HPND AND MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
MacPorts95%
mlton
sudo port install mlton- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mlton
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