# Install unac with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts C library and command that removes accents from a string. Version 1.8.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:unac ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install unac ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install unac ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/unac/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libunac1 ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libunac1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:unac - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.8.0 - **Source summary:** C library and command that removes accents from a string - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - unaccent (cli) - unaccent (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - gettext - libtool ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.8.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/unac - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage unac is a small C library and command-line utility for removing accents from text by converting through Unicode with iconv. Its package history is the classic Unix-library story: a narrow text-processing primitive, a manpage-driven CLI, and distribution through source tarballs and OS packages. ### Project history The official README describes unac as a C library plus the `unaccent` command. The code history on Savannah shows active early-2000s maintenance by Loic Dachary, with releases around Unicode data updates, iconv portability, bug fixes, and manual-page improvements. The official NEWS file records version 1.8.0 upgrading to Unicode 4.0, version 1.7.0 fixing a Unicode 3.2 bug, and version 1.6.0 upgrading to Unicode 3.2.0. The ChangeLog records release activity from 2000 through 2004, which frames unac as mature legacy infrastructure rather than a fast-moving modern text stack. ### Adoption history The official project page announced Debian and RPM packages in the early 2000s, and the input package metadata lists Homebrew, MacPorts, Debian, and Ubuntu package names. That is the relevant adoption story: unac became a distro-packaged text-normalization dependency and command rather than a highly visible end-user tool. ### How it is used The README says the input charset must be specified, after which unac converts text to UTF-16 with iconv, removes accents, and converts the result back. The `unaccent` command can process an input flow or a string argument, making it useful in shell pipelines and indexing/import scripts. Package users reach for unac when they need a tiny native accent-folding tool without pulling in a larger application framework. The tradeoff is that it reflects older Unicode and iconv-era design assumptions. ### Why package nerds care unac is significant in the package-nerd niche because it preserves a focused pre-ICU style Unix component: a C library, manpages, autotools build, and a single CLI that does one text-normalization job. It is not a major ecosystem pillar, but it is the sort of small dependency that matters when old software, search systems, or packaging recipes still expect `unaccent` behavior. ### Timeline - 2000: ChangeLog records unac 1.2.0 release activity. - 2001: Versions 1.3.0, 1.4.0, and 1.5.0 appear in the official ChangeLog and NEWS. - 2002: Versions 1.6.0 and 1.7.0 update Unicode support and bug handling. - 2004: Version 1.8.0 upgrades to Unicode 4.0. ### Related projects - Text-Unaccent and phpUnac were released alongside unac in early project announcements. - iconv and GNU libiconv are central related components because unac relies on charset conversion before accent removal. ### Sources - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** unac - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libunac1 - 1.8.0-10+b3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libunac1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | unac programming library - runtime version - Debian apt - libunac1-dev - 1.8.0-10+b3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libunac1-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | C programmer's library that removes accents from a string - Debian apt - unaccent - 1.8.0-10+b3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: unaccent from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Replace accented letters by their unaccented equivalent - Ubuntu apt - libunac1 - 1.8.0-10: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libunac1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | unac programming library - runtime version - Ubuntu apt - libunac1-dev - 1.8.0-10: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libunac1-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | C programmer's library that removes accents from a string - Ubuntu apt - unaccent - 1.8.0-10: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: unaccent from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Replace accented letters by their unaccented equivalent - MacPorts - unac: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/unac/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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service 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. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libtool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libtool/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [flactag](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flactag/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [cconv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cconv/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-processing, unicode. - [libunicode](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libunicode/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-processing, unicode. - [rgxg](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rgxg/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: c-library, cli, developer-tools, text-processing. - [uni](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/uni/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-processing, unicode. - [uni2ascii](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/uni2ascii/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-processing, unicode. - [align](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/align/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-processing. - [bsdconv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bsdconv/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-processing. - [cmigemo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmigemo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, text-processing. - [lout](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lout/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, processing, text. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/unac.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/unac.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