# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:mlton ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install mlton ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install mlton ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: lang/mlton/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install mlton ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mlton 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#mlton ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: mlton from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S mlton ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: mlton from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Ubuntu apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install mlton ``` Evidence: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:mlton - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 20241230 - **Source summary:** Whole-program, optimizing compiler for Standard ML - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** HPND - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-22T14:05:30-07:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - mllex (cli) - mlnlffigen (cli) - mlprof (cli) - mlton (cli) - mlyacc (cli) - mllex (alias) - mlnlffigen (alias) - mlprof (alias) - mlton (alias) - mlyacc (alias) ## Dependencies - gmp ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 20241230 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-22 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: http://mlton.org - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## 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 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:** mlton - **Version Scheme:** 1 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - mlton: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: mlton from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - Ubuntu apt - mlton - 20210117+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML | http://mlton.org/ - Ubuntu apt - mlton-basis - 20210117+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton-basis from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - basis library | http://mlton.org/ - Ubuntu apt - mlton-compiler - 20210117+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton-compiler from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - compiler | http://mlton.org/ - Ubuntu apt - mlton-doc - 20210117+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - documentation | http://mlton.org/ - Ubuntu apt - mlton-runtime-native - 20210117+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton-runtime-native from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - native runtime libraries | http://mlton.org/ - Ubuntu apt - mlton-runtime-x86-64-linux-gnu - 20210117+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton-runtime-x86-64-linux-gnu from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - amd64 runtime libraries | http://mlton.org/ - Ubuntu apt - mlton-tools - 20210117+dfsg-3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: mlton-tools from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML - tools | http://mlton.org/ - dnf - mlton - 20210117-12.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mlton from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Optimizing compiler for Standard ML | http://mlton.org/ - pacman - mlton - 20241230-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: mlton from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Whole-program optimizing Standard ML compiler | http://mlton.org/ - MacPorts - mlton: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: lang/mlton/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. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [smlfmt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/smlfmt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, sml, standard-ml. - [smlpkg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/smlpkg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, sml, standard-ml. - [aarch64-elf-gcc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aarch64-elf-gcc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, compilers, developer-tools. - [adaptivecpp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adaptivecpp/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, compilers, developer-tools. - [arm-none-eabi-gcc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/arm-none-eabi-gcc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, compilers, developer-tools. - [bunster](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bunster/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, compilers, developer-tools. - [dtc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dtc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, compilers, developer-tools. - [foma](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/foma/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, compiler, compilers, developer-tools. - [cloog](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cloog/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, code, compiler, compilers, developer. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/mlton.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/mlton.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