# Install joker with Homebrew, apk, Nix, zypper Small Clojure interpreter, linter and formatter. Version 1.9.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-25. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#joker. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:joker ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install joker ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add joker ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: joker from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#joker ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jo/joker/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install joker ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: joker from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:joker - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.9.0 - **Source summary:** Small Clojure interpreter, linter and formatter - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** EPL-1.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-25T20:58:05-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-04T22:13:35+00:00 ## Executables - joker (cli) - joker (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: 2026-08-04 - Package-manager version: 1.9.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-25 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/candid82/joker - Upstream latest detected: v1.9.0 (current) ## Project history and usage Joker is a small Clojure interpreter, linter, and formatter written in Go. It targets scripting and tooling use cases where Clojure syntax is desirable but JVM startup and full Clojure compatibility are not the goal. ### Project history The candid82/joker repository was created in December 2016 and published its v0.5.0 release the same day. The README frames Joker as a Clojure dialect with deliberate limits: close syntax and semantics where implemented, but no attempt at complete Clojure parity or high-performance execution. Over time Joker grew from an interpreter into a compact toolchain for Clojure-family files, adding REPL, script execution, eval, linting, formatting, and EDN pretty-printing modes. ### Adoption history Joker's README documents package-manager paths through Homebrew, Arch Linux's AUR, Nix, and precompiled binaries. Homebrew packages it as the joker formula and builds from Go when needed. ### How it is used Users run joker for a REPL, execute .joke scripts, evaluate expressions from the command line, lint files or directories, and format Clojure source or EDN. The project goals explicitly favor lightweight scripting, fast startup, helpful errors, and tooling for Clojure and ClojureScript code. ### Why package nerds care Joker is package-nerd-interesting because it packages a Clojure-like command-line experience as a Go-built binary rather than a JVM runtime. That makes it attractive for shell scripts, editor integrations, and package formulas where startup time and a small dependency footprint matter. ### Timeline - 2016: The GitHub repository was created and v0.5.0 was released. - 2017: The v0.7.0 release followed early development. - 2019: The README documented Joker as interpreter, linter, formatter, and scripting tool. - 2026: The v1.8 release line appeared in GitHub release metadata. ### Related projects - Related projects and ecosystems include Clojure, ClojureScript, EDN tooling, clj-kondo-like linting workflows, Homebrew, Nix, Arch AUR, and Go-based single-binary CLI packaging. ### Sources - - - - - - ## Security Notes generalized runtime or code generation signal. - **Geiger risk:** yellow / medium - generalized runtime or code generation signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** joker - **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 - joker: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/jo/joker/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - joker - 1.5.8-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: joker from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Small Clojure interpreter, linter and formatter written in Go | https://joker-lang.org/ - zypper - joker - 1.4.0-2.8: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: joker from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Small Clojure interpreter, linter and formatter written in Go | https://joker-lang.org ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://pkg.so/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://pkg.so/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://pkg.so/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Language runtime packages](https://pkg.so/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [go](https://pkg.so/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [oak](https://pkg.so/brew/oak/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, formatter, interpreter, language-runtime. - [python@3.14](https://pkg.so/brew/python-3-14/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime. - [python@3.13](https://pkg.so/brew/python-3-13/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime. - [python@3.12](https://pkg.so/brew/python-3-12/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime. - [ruby](https://pkg.so/brew/ruby/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime. - [python@3.11](https://pkg.so/brew/python-3-11/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime. - [luajit](https://pkg.so/brew/luajit/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime. - [python@3.10](https://pkg.so/brew/python-3-10/) - Shares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, interpreter, language-runtime. - [chibi-scheme](https://pkg.so/brew/chibi-scheme/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, interpreter, language, language-runtime, runtime. - [jimtcl](https://pkg.so/brew/jimtcl/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, interpreter, language, language-runtime, runtime. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/joker.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/joker.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - pkgdb category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph