# Install wordgrinder with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix Unicode-aware word processor that runs in a terminal. Version 0.8 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:wordgrinder ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install wordgrinder ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install wordgrinder ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: editors/wordgrinder/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add wordgrinder ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: wordgrinder from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install wordgrinder ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: wordgrinder from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install wordgrinder ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: wordgrinder from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#wordgrinder ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/wo/wordgrinder/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:wordgrinder - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.8 - **Source summary:** Unicode-aware word processor that runs in a terminal - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - wordgrinder (cli) - wordgrinder (alias) ## Dependencies - ncurses ## Build dependencies - lua - ninja - pkgconf ## 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: 0.8 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/davidgiven/wordgrinder - Upstream latest detected: 0.8 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage WordGrinder is a Unicode-aware word processor for the terminal, written by David Given. Its README presents the tool as deliberately minimal: it runs on the console, does not require a GUI, supports basic paragraph and character styles, provides a menu interface, and can import or export formats such as HTML and Markdown. It is a classic focused-writing package: less a text editor and less a desktop publishing suite than a distraction-light document editor for writers who live in terminals. ### Project history The official README revision history records WordGrinder 0.1 on 2007-10-14 as the initial release. The project then moved through rapid early improvements: word count in 0.2, autosave and export improvements in 0.3, and a 2009 relicensing to MIT in 0.3.3. The 2013 0.4 series was a major portability and format transition. The changelog records OpenDocument import/export, a much smaller file format, a proper Windows port, and a move to Lua 5.2. Version 0.5.1 later in 2013 fixed a serious file corruption bug and improved Windows rendering and the UI. WordGrinder 0.6 in 2015 added a new X11 frontend, persistent settings, search improvements, undo/redo, spellchecking, smart quotes, more efficient files, and Markdown export. Version 0.7 in 2017 added a plain-text diffable file format, Lua 5.3 support, official OS X support, and a new build system. The 2020 0.8 release broadened the editor with numbered bullet styles, look-and-feel options, template support, selected-text word count, custom autosave directories, Windows console support, recent documents, Markdown import, and a large batch of import/export and filesystem fixes. Version 0.9, dated 2025-01-22, replaced X11 and Windows GDI frontends with OpenGL, added an OS X GUI version, switched the embedded interpreter from Lua to Luau, added mouse support, improved clipboard behavior, and added `--recent`. ### Adoption history WordGrinder's adoption is modest but unusually durable. The GitHub repository shows more than a thousand stars, many forks, and a long commit history, which is notable for a terminal word processor. It is packaged across common Unix-like distributions, reflecting its appeal to users who want a real document editor without a heavyweight graphical office suite. The project has a defined user community surface as well: the README asks users to join the wordgrinder-users mailing list for questions and release news. Its multi-platform history, including Unix, Windows, OS X, and Haiku build notes, helped it remain relevant outside a single operating-system niche. ### How it is used The standard invocation is simply `wordgrinder` for a blank document or `wordgrinder README.wg` to open an existing file. The README points users to README.wg for the manual and to a man page for command-line behavior. WordGrinder is commonly used for drafting prose in a terminal while still keeping word-processor concepts such as styles, word count, import/export, spell checking, templates, and document-oriented file formats. The plain-text diffable format introduced in 0.7 also matters to users who keep writing projects under version control. ### Why package nerds care WordGrinder matters because terminal productivity packages often stop at editors, while WordGrinder intentionally occupies the word-processor niche. It gives package users a small, scriptable-feeling writing tool with just enough document semantics to be useful. Its long changelog is also a tidy example of pragmatic portability: Lua to Luau, ncurses to optional graphical frontends, Windows and OS X support, and import/export work were added over years without turning the application into a full office suite. ### Timeline - 2007-10-14: WordGrinder 0.1 initial release. - 2009-12-13: WordGrinder 0.3.3 relicenses the project to MIT and improves HTML import/export behavior. - 2013-03-24: WordGrinder 0.4 adds OpenDocument import/export, a smaller file format, a proper Windows port, and Lua 5.2. - 2015-04-18: WordGrinder 0.6 adds X11 frontend, persistent settings, undo/redo, spellchecking, and Markdown export. - 2017-10-30: WordGrinder 0.7 adds a plain-text diffable format, Lua 5.3, official OS X support, and a new build system. - 2020-10-13: WordGrinder 0.8 adds template support, recent documents, Windows console support, Markdown import, and many fixes. - 2025-01-22: WordGrinder 0.9 replaces older graphical frontends with OpenGL, adds OS X GUI support, switches to Luau, and adds mouse and clipboard improvements. ### Related projects - Lua and later Luau are central to WordGrinder's embedded scripting and implementation history. - ncursesw, OpenGL, and GLFW support the terminal and graphical frontend story. - Markdown, HTML, OpenDocument, LaTeX, troff, and orgmode appear in the import/export history as writing and publishing targets. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## 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 - Unix: ~/.wordgrinder/startup.lua ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** wordgrinder - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - wordgrinder - 0.8-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: wordgrinder from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | simple word processor for writing first drafts | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - Debian apt - wordgrinder-doc - 0.8-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: wordgrinder-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | simple word processor for writing first drafts (documentation) | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - Debian apt - wordgrinder-ncurses - 0.8-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: wordgrinder-ncurses from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | simple word processor for writing first drafts (terminal version) | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - Debian apt - wordgrinder-x11 - 0.8-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: wordgrinder-x11 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | simple word processor for writing first drafts (X11 version) | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - Nix - wordgrinder: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/wo/wordgrinder/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - wordgrinder - 0.8-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: wordgrinder from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | simple word processor for writing first drafts | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - Ubuntu apt - wordgrinder-doc - 0.8-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: wordgrinder-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | simple word processor for writing first drafts (documentation) | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - Ubuntu apt - wordgrinder-ncurses - 0.8-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: wordgrinder-ncurses from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | simple word processor for writing first drafts (terminal version) | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - Ubuntu apt - wordgrinder-x11 - 0.8-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: wordgrinder-x11 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | simple word processor for writing first drafts (X11 version) | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - apk - wordgrinder - 0.8-r3: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: wordgrinder from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Simple Unicode-aware word processor that runs on the console | https://cowlark.com/wordgrinder/ - apk - wordgrinder-doc - 0.8-r3: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: wordgrinder-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Simple Unicode-aware word processor that runs on the console (documentation) | https://cowlark.com/wordgrinder/ - dnf - wordgrinder - 0.8-13.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: wordgrinder from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A command line word processor | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - dnf - wordgrinder-x11 - 0.8-13.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: wordgrinder-x11 from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | X11 version of WordGrinder | http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder - MacPorts - wordgrinder: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: editors/wordgrinder/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. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Productivity CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/productivity-cli-packages/) - Matched curated productivity category metadata from av.db. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [ncurses](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ncurses/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [lua](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lua/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ninja](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ninja/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [alexjs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alexjs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, writing. - [diction](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/diction/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, writing. - [hayagriva](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hayagriva/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, writing. - [ispell](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ispell/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, writing. - [languagetool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/languagetool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, writing. - [omekasy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/omekasy/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, terminal, unicode. - [pandemics](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pandemics/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, writing. - [redpen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/redpen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, productivity, writing. - [neomutt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/neomutt/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, ncurses, productivity, terminal. - [nmail](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nmail/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, ncurses, productivity, terminal. - [nnn](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nnn/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, ncurses, productivity, terminal. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/wordgrinder.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/wordgrinder.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - 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