install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install nvc

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#nvc

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/nv/nvc/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

VHDL compiler and simulator

Project links

Commands and aliases

nvc

history

Project history and usage

NVC is a free software VHDL compiler and simulator. The project emphasizes simulation performance by compiling VHDL to native machine code through LLVM, and its README states that it supports almost all of VHDL-2008 except PSL, with experimental Verilog and VHDL-2019 work under development.

Project history

Nick Gasson wrote in 2011 about a VHDL compiler named `nvc`, and his GitHub Sponsors profile later described NVC as a spare-time Free Software VHDL compiler and simulator project he had worked on for 10 years. That small independent compiler has since grown into a maintained simulator with releases, Windows packaging, Homebrew/Nix packaging, verification-framework integration, and mixed-language work.

Adoption history

NVC sits in the open HDL tooling ecosystem: not a synthesizer, but useful for compiling, elaborating, and running VHDL test benches. The README explicitly calls out support for OSVVM, UVVM, VUnit, and cocotb, which is the practical adoption surface for verification users. Homebrew analytics on 2026-07-01 showed 783 installs over 365 days, a modest but real signal for a specialized EDA tool.

How it is used

The normal workflow is three commands: analyze source files into a work library with `nvc -a`, elaborate a top-level test bench with `nvc -e`, then run it with `nvc -r`. Users can combine those steps in one command for quick test-bench runs, install standard verification libraries, dump waveforms, and experiment with newer mixed VHDL/Verilog support when their designs fit the supported subset.

Why package nerds care

NVC matters to package nerds because it is a compact, open HDL simulator that packages cleanly and complements heavier commercial simulators and GHDL. Its LLVM-native-code design also gives it a distinct performance story in the VHDL simulation niche.

Timeline

2011-11-05: Nick Gasson publishes a post about writing a VHDL compiler named `nvc`.
2026-04-12: GitHub releases show NVC 1.20.0 with improved Verilog and mixed-language support.
2026-07-01: Homebrew lists NVC 1.21.1 with LLVM and zstd dependencies.

Related projects

GHDL
LLVM
OSVVM
UVVM
VUnit
cocotb

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 2 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
`nvc`	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 version1.21.1

manager updated2026-06-22

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/nickg/nvc

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/nickg/nvcnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:nvc
Version	1.21.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/nvc
Homepage	https://www.nickg.me.uk/nvc/
Repository	https://github.com/nickg/nvc
Upstream docs	https://www.nickg.me.uk/nvc
License	GPL-3.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/nickg/nvc/releases/download/r1.21.1/nvc-1.21.1.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-22T14:05:39-07:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	llvm, zstd
Build dependencies	check, pkgconf
Uses from macOS	libffi
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	nvc
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

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%

nvc

nix profile install nixpkgs#nvc

normalized package name match
Matched by: Nvc

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

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/nvc.yml

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

Install nvc with Homebrew, Nix