macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install neditlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install neditMacPorts ports tree · editors/nedit/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install nedit with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper
Fast, compact Motif/X11 plain text editor. Version 5.8 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-01.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add neditAlpine Linux edge package indexes · nedit · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install neditDebian stable package indexes · nedit · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install neditFedora Rawhide package metadata · nedit · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#neditnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ne/nedit/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install neditopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · nedit · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Fast, compact Motif/X11 plain text editor
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ncl
- nedit
history
Project history and usage
NEdit is a Motif/X11 graphical text editor with a long Unix workstation lineage. Its package identity is classic and conservative: a fast GUI editor for programmers and plain-text users, with syntax highlighting, a macro language, and keyboard/mouse behavior familiar to people coming from Macintosh or Windows editors.
Project history
The NEdit codebase predates its SourceForge era. The project is widely documented as originating at Fermilab, with Mark Edel among the original authors, and the maintained source tree's README lists many long-time contributors. The SourceForge project was registered on 2000-09-07, and the README says NEdit became freely distributable under the GPL as of version 5.1 with a Motif/Open Motif linking exception.
NEdit's later history is mostly maintenance and preservation. SourceForge news for 2014-12-06 announced the long-delayed 5.6 release after Debian had effectively been shipping CVS-derived code for some time. The RaumZeit GitHub mirror identifies version 5.7 as January 2017, while Homebrew packaged version 5.8 when checked on 2026-07-01.
Adoption history
NEdit was adopted by Unix workstation users who wanted a GUI editor without moving into Emacs, vi, or a heavyweight IDE. SourceForge user reviews explicitly describe long-term use dating back to Solaris and 1990s Linux workflows, and Debian's de-facto packaging role mattered enough that upstream treated Debian's CVS-derived package as the practical 5.6 baseline.
Homebrew's formula page listed the package with X11 and OpenMotif dependencies and showed 337 installs over 365 days, 140 over 90 days, and 35 over 30 days when checked on 2026-07-01. That small but persistent usage fits a legacy GUI tool kept alive by muscle memory, remote X11 habits, and users who prefer its rectangular selection, macro, and syntax-highlighting behavior.
How it is used
Package users install it when they have X11 support available and want a mature GUI editor launched as `nedit`, plus the client helper historically packaged as `nc` or `ncl` depending on distribution. It is used for programming, config editing, data-file cleanup, and old-school X11 desktop workflows where a fast Motif editor is preferable to a terminal editor or full IDE.
The practical caveat is that NEdit remains tied to Motif/X11 assumptions. That makes it valuable to package nerds as preserved workstation software, but also explains why modern forks such as XNEdit focused on Unicode and rendering improvements.
Why package nerds care
NEdit is significant as living Unix archaeology: it is a packaged survivor of the Motif workstation era, still installable through modern package managers. Its package metadata also illustrates how long-lived desktop tools depend on distro maintainers, compatibility libraries, and small upstream maintenance bursts rather than continuous feature development.
Timeline
- 1990s: NEdit established itself as a Motif/X11 GUI editor for Unix workstations.
- 2000-09-07: SourceForge project registered.
- 2014-12-06: SourceForge announced version 5.6 after Debian had already carried similar CVS-derived code.
- 2017-01: GitHub mirror README identifies NEdit version 5.7.
- 2026-07-01: Homebrew formula stable version observed as 5.8.
Related projects
- OpenMotif
- LessTif
- XNEdit
- Debian nedit package
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.
- Installs with 8 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
$NEDIT_HOME/.nedit~/.nedit~/.Xresources~/.Xdefaults
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ncl | cli | global executable | |
nedit | 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 version5.8
manager updated2026-05-01
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:nedit |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.8 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/nedit |
| Homepage | https://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/ |
| Repository | https://sourceforge.net/p/nedit/git |
| Upstream docs | https://nedit.sourceforge.io/ |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/nedit/nedit-source/nedit-5.8-src.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-05-01T04:23:41Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libice, libsm, libx11, libxext, libxp, libxpm, libxt, openmotif |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, 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 | nedit |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| 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%
nedit 1:5.7-5+b1
powerful, customizable, Motif based text editor
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
sudo apt install nedit- Section: editors
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: nedit
- 4 dependencies
- 5 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
Nix95%
nedit
nix profile install nixpkgs#nedit- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
Ubuntu apt95%
nedit 1:5.7-5build2
powerful, customizable, Motif based text editor
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
sudo apt install nedit- Section: universe/editors
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- 5 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
apk95%
nedit 5.7-r4
The Nirvana Editor, a multi-purpose X11 editor that's easy to use
https://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
sudo apk add nedit- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: nedit
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
apk95%
nedit-doc 5.7-r4
The Nirvana Editor, a multi-purpose X11 editor that's easy to use (documentation)
https://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
sudo apk add nedit-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: nedit
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
dnf95%
nedit 5.7-22.fc44
A GUI text editor for systems with X
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
sudo dnf install nedit- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: nedit
- 7 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
zypper95%
nedit 5.7-4.4
A GUI text editor
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
sudo zypper install nedit- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Productivity/Text/Editors
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: nedit
- 7 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
MacPorts95%
nedit
sudo port install nedit- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Nedit
Debian apt92%
libncarg-bin 6.6.2.dfsg.1-10+b2
NCAR command-language library - development tools
sudo apt install libncarg-bin- Section: science
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ncl
- 9 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
Debian apt92%
libncarg-data 6.6.2.dfsg.1-10
NCAR command-language library - Data
sudo apt install libncarg-data- Section: science
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: ncl
- 4 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
Debian apt92%
libncarg-dev 6.6.2.dfsg.1-10+b2
Development files for the NCAR command language library
sudo apt install libncarg-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ncl
- 11 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
Debian apt92%
libncarg0t64 6.6.2.dfsg.1-10+b2
NCAR command-language library
sudo apt install libncarg0t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ncl
- 24 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 2 optional deps
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
Debian apt92%
ncl-ncarg 6.6.2.dfsg.1-10+b2
NCAR Command Language and NCAR graphics
sudo apt install ncl-ncarg- Section: science
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: ncl
- 25 dependencies
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
dnf92%
ncl 6.6.2-63.fc45
NCAR Command Language and NCAR Graphics
sudo dnf install ncl- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ncl
- 32 dependencies
- 3 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
dnf92%
ncl-common 6.6.2-63.fc45
Common files for NCL and NCAR Graphics
sudo dnf install ncl-common- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: ncl
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
dnf92%
ncl-devel 6.6.2-63.fc45
Development files for NCL and NCAR Graphics
sudo dnf install ncl-devel- License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ncl
- 6 dependencies
- 3 provides
- installed executable or alias match
- Matched by: Ncl
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 configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment