brew

Install vala with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, pacman, zypper

Compiler for the GObject type system. Version 0.56.19 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install vala

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install vala

MacPorts ports tree · lang/vala/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add vala

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · vala · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install libvala-0.56-0

Debian stable package indexes · libvala-0.56-0 · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install libvala

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · libvala · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S vala

Arch Linux sync databases · vala · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install libvala-0_56-0

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libvala-0_56-0 · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Compiler for the GObject type system

Project links

Commands and aliases

vala
vala-0.56
vala-gen-introspect
vala-gen-introspect-0.56
valac
valac-0.56
valadoc
valadoc-0.56
vapigen
vapigen-0.56

history

Project history and usage

Vala is a programming language and compiler for the GObject type system. Its package-manager identity is a compiler/toolchain package: it provides `valac`, versioned compiler binaries, `valadoc`, `vapigen`, and related tools used to build GNOME-style native software without adding a separate runtime ABI.

Project history

Vala appeared publicly in 2006 as a new language for GNOME developers. The August 2006 Vala 0.0.2 announcement called it a compiler for the GObject type system and described `valac` as a self-hosting compiler that translated Vala source into C source and headers.

The early design goal was to bring modern language features to GNOME developers without imposing extra runtime requirements or a different ABI from C applications and libraries. The announcement described syntax similar to C#, modified for GObject, with interfaces, properties, signals, foreach, lambda expressions, type inference, assisted memory management, and planned generics and exception handling.

Modern Vala documentation preserves that identity: Vala uses high-level abstractions while keeping the same ABI as C libraries, uses the GObject type system, and includes code-generation routines that make targeting the GNOME stack simple.

Adoption history

Vala grew inside GNOME's development world, where the value proposition was native GObject/GLib code with a higher-level syntax and generated C output. The retired GNOME project page calls it a cross-platform development tool and notes third-party distributions for Windows, macOS, Linux, BSDs, and other platforms.

Packaging spread reflects that compiler-toolchain role. The input lists packages across Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Arch, Ubuntu, openSUSE, and zypper-style ecosystems, usually exposing both libraries and command-line tools.

How it is used

The central tool is `valac`, which the official documentation describes as transforming Vala code into compilable C code. The Vala distribution also includes tools such as `valadoc`, `vapigen`, and `vala-gen-introspect` for documentation and bindings work.

`vapigen` is especially important in package workflows because it generates VAPI bindings from GObject Introspection GIR files. The official binding guide explains that Vala bindings are usually small files that let `valac` map Vala code to C APIs and integrate with pkg-config-oriented builds.

Why package nerds care

Vala matters to package nerds because it is both a language and a source-to-C compiler bound tightly to GLib, GObject, GIR, pkg-config, VAPI files, and distro development packages. Build failures often involve the exact Vala compiler version, generated C, missing VAPI files, or GObject introspection metadata rather than a simple missing binary.

The Homebrew package is useful outside Linux because it brings a GNOME-oriented compiler stack to macOS, including versioned tools like `valac-0.56`, `valadoc-0.56`, and `vapigen-0.56` listed in the input.

Timeline

2006: Vala 0.0.2 preview release is announced for the GObject type system.
2006: Vala 0.0.3 adds arrays, switch statements, and experimental GTK+ and Cairo bindings.
2021: Vala 0.40.25 is listed as a stable long-term-support release.
2022: Vala 0.48.25 is listed as a stable long-term-support release.
2024: Vala 0.56.17 is listed as a stable long-term-support release.

Related projects

GLib and GObject are the runtime and type-system foundations Vala targets.
GObject Introspection, GIR files, VAPI files, pkg-config, and `vapigen` are central to Vala library binding workflows.
Vala Language Server adds editor code intelligence on top of the Vala compiler stack.

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 4 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 1 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
`vala`	cli	global executable
`vala-0.56`	cli	global executable
`vala-gen-introspect`	cli	global executable
`vala-gen-introspect-0.56`	cli	global executable
`valac`	cli	global executable
`valac-0.56`	cli	global executable
`valadoc`	cli	global executable
`valadoc-0.56`	cli	global executable
`vapigen`	cli	global executable
`vapigen-0.56`	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 version0.56.19

manager updated2026-06-22

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Vala

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Valanone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:vala
Version	0.56.19
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/vala
Homepage	https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Vala
Repository	https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/vala
Upstream docs	https://docs.vala.dev/
License	LGPL-2.1-or-later
Source archive	https://download.gnome.org/sources/vala/0.56/vala-0.56.19.tar.xz
Last updated	2026-06-22T14:06:33-07:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	gettext, glib, graphviz, pkgconf
Build dependencies	gobject-introspection
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	vala
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	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.

Debian apt95%

libvala-0.56-0 0.56.18-2

C# like language for the GObject system - library