# Install nyan with Homebrew, Nix Colorizing cat command with syntax highlighting. Version 1.2.6 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-04. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:nyan ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install nyan ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#nyan ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ny/nyan/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:nyan - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.2.6 - **Source summary:** Colorizing cat command with syntax highlighting - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-04T06:38:43Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - nyan (cli) - nyan (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## 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: 1.2.6 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-04 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/toshimaru/nyan - Upstream latest detected: v1.2.6 (current) ## Project history and usage nyan is a Go command-line replacement for the narrow use case of running cat on source files while keeping terminal syntax highlighting. Its upstream README describes it as a colorizing cat command, with language selection, line numbers, and selectable themes such as monokai, dracula, pygments, and solarized variants. ### Project history The GitHub repository was created on 2019-07-08 by toshimaru. The README explicitly ties the name to Nyan Cat, but the tool's implementation niche is practical rather than novelty: plain file output with optional syntax coloring instead of a pager-first workflow. ### Adoption history nyan started as a small Homebrew-tap style developer utility and the README notes that version 1.2.0 was merged into homebrew-core. The Homebrew formula API reported stable version 1.2.6 and 610 installs over the 365-day analytics window queried on 2026-07-01, which fits a modest but real CLI-tool audience. ### How it is used Package nerds use nyan where bat is more UI than they want: quick terminal inspection of files with colors, sometimes with --language to force highlighting, --theme to match a terminal theme, --number for line numbers, and --list-themes to preview palettes. ### Why package nerds care nyan sits in the tiny ecosystem of colorizing cat clones such as ccat and bat. Its significance is mostly packaging shape: a small Go single-command utility that graduated into homebrew-core because it cleanly solves one terminal habit. ### Timeline - 2019-07-08: GitHub repository created. - v1.2.0: upstream README says nyan was merged into homebrew-core. - 2026-07-01: Homebrew formula API reported stable version 1.2.6. ### Related projects - bat - ccat - Nyan Cat ### 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:** nyan - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **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 - nyan: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ny/nyan/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [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. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ccat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ccat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cat, cli, developer-tools, go, syntax-highlighting. - [fzf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fzf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, go, terminal. - [gat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cat, cli, developer-tools, go, syntax-highlighting. - [peco](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/peco/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, go, terminal. - [rich-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rich-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, syntax-highlighting, terminal. - [chalk-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chalk-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [chars](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chars/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [chatblade](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chatblade/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, terminal. - [micro](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/micro/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, go, highlighting. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/nyan.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/nyan.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