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brew / rank 11580

Install samurai with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Ninja-compatible build tool written in C. Version 1.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-09-13. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#samurai.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install samurai

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install samurai

MacPorts ports tree · devel/samurai/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add samurai

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install samurai

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

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#samurai

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/sa/samurai/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S samurai

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

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install samurai

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · samurai · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Ninja-compatible build tool written in C

Commands and aliases

  • samu

history

Project history and usage

samurai is a small Ninja-compatible build executor written in C99 with an emphasis on simplicity, speed, and portability.

Project history

Michael Forney developed samurai as a simple, fast, and portable C99 implementation of the Ninja build language. It uses Ninja-compatible `.ninja_log` and `.ninja_deps` formats and installs its executable as `samu`.

The project reached a feature-complete 1.x line while continuing to add compatibility fixes and focused features such as graph inspection and load-average scheduling.

Adoption history

samurai is packaged by Homebrew, MacPorts, Alpine, Fedora, Nix, Arch Linux, and openSUSE, demonstrating demand for a small portable Ninja-language implementation on Unix-like systems.

How it is used

Users generally invoke `samu` in a directory containing `build.ninja`, either directly or as a drop-in Ninja-compatible executor for files generated by systems such as Meson or CMake.

It supports most Ninja options and file formats but documents a compatibility exception for MSVC dependency handling.

Why package nerds care

samurai offers most Ninja behavior in a compact C99/POSIX implementation. It appeals to minimal-system builders, distribution maintainers, and bootstrap-conscious users who want Ninja compatibility without the larger C++ implementation and dependency footprint of upstream Ninja.

Timeline

  • The 0.x series established compatibility with Ninja build files
  • Version 1.0 began the stable release line
  • Version 1.3 added the graph subtool and optional load-average scheduling

Related projects

  • Ninja
  • Meson
  • CMake and other generators of Ninja build files

Sources

  • Official README: https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai#readme
  • Official manual: https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai/blob/master/samu.1
  • Official releases: https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai/releases

security posture

Risk level: yellow

generalized runtime or code generation signal.

Risk classifier

yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime

Why

  • generalized runtime or code generation signal

Signals

  • text:build tool

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.

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

CommandKindExposureNote
samucliglobal 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 generated2026-09-19
manager version1.3
manager updated2026-09-13
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:samurai
Version1.3
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/samurai
Homepagehttps://github.com/michaelforney/samurai
Repositoryhttps://github.com/michaelforney/samurai
LicenseApache-2.0
Source archivehttps://github.com/michaelforney/samurai/releases/download/1.3/samurai-1.3.tar.gz
Last updated2026-09-13T13:53:12Z
Pulseupdated
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namesamurai
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • 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.

Nix95%

samurai

nix profile install nixpkgs#samurai
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sa/samurai/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
apk95%

samurai 1.3-r0

ninja-compatible build tool written in C

https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai

sudo apk add samurai
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: samurai
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: samurai from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

samurai-dbg 1.3-r0

ninja-compatible build tool written in C (debug symbols)

https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai

sudo apk add samurai-dbg
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: samurai
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: samurai-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

samurai-doc 1.3-r0

ninja-compatible build tool written in C (documentation)

https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai

sudo apk add samurai-doc
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: samurai
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: samurai-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

samurai 1.3-6.fc45

ninja-compatible build tool written in C

https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai

sudo dnf install samurai
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: samurai
  • 2 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: samurai from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/652278618dec9c023176a80c435a32a2c8154869fb0eb662c267a54df28d77d9-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

samurai 1.3-1

ninja-compatible build tool written in C

https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai

sudo pacman -S samurai
  • License: ISC AND Apache AND MIT
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: samurai from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

samurai 1.2+git41.g737f702-1.5

C99 implementation of the ninja build tool

https://github.com/michaelforney/samurai

sudo zypper install samurai
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: samurai
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: samurai from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/d310d5a96106e1e8872a385adf98aaa23be9db5d80937a6717314e7e7f37715065c6c748ab7ccee6475d620b46979c0fe64235fc0c46988e17edf659578fcf31-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

samurai

sudo port install samurai
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Samurai
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/samurai/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Same workflow

  • smakeShares pkgdb curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools, portable.
  • mavenShares pkgdb curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • ccacheShares pkgdb curated category or tags: build-tools, c, cli, developer-tools.
  • sbtShares pkgdb curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • antShares pkgdb curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.
  • bazelShares pkgdb curated category or tags: build-tool, build-tools, cli, developer-tools.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment
  • pkg.so package database
  • pkgdb category and tag curation